Leveraging the Power of the Teams Marketplace

The Microsoft Teams marketplace is a vital platform for service providers (SPs) to expand their market reach and elevate their unified communications solutions. With more than 300 million daily active users and one million user organizations, Teams is the most popular and widely-used business collaboration and communication tool in the world.

The Teams marketplace presents a significant opportunity for SPs to integrate their offerings directly into the Microsoft environment and position themselves as key players in this growing ecosystem. With the right approach, it can be a strategic gateway for SPs to tap into expanding demand for cloud-based unified communication solutions.

This article will explore the options available for SPs in the Teams marketplace and how to build a product strategy that consistently attracts ideal clients.

Quick Takeaways:

• The Teams marketplace offers significant opportunities for service providers to tap into growing demand for cloud-based communication solutions.
• With over 300 million daily users, Teams delivers a vast audience for SPs to integrate and enhance their service offerings.
• Potential product strategies for SPs on teams include: developing native apps, using white-label solutions, integrating existing services, or targeting niche markets.
• Integrating existing services into Teams can streamline the user experience and increase product visibility within a familiar platform.
• Intermedia supports service providers through its partner program, providing the resources and flexibility needed to succeed in the Teams marketplace.

Understanding the Teams Marketplace

Microsoft is a worldwide leader when it comes to connecting service providers and other vendors in B2B spaces. Forrester reported in 2023 that Microsoft delivered a staggering 587% return on investment for customers with their commercial marketplace—for which Teams is a key contributor. Notably, its payback period was less than six months.

On the Teams marketplace, businesses can find and integrate a variety of apps and services to customize their Teams experience with the specific tools they need. All apps are designed to work seamlessly within Teams so that users can access and manage different aspects of their work without having to leave the platform.

For service providers (SPs), the Teams marketplace offers a powerful opportunity to integrate their products directly into a platform that millions of businesses use daily. Microsoft provides comprehensive APIs and an app framework that SPs can leverage to build custom solutions. In turn, SPs can offer their customers a more cohesive and streamlined experience directly within the Teams environment.

Growth potential within the Teams marketplace is significant. As more organizations adopt Microsoft Teams as their unified communications hub, the demand for integrated, high-quality tools continues to increase. By effectively positioning their own products in the Teams marketplace, SPs can tap into this growing demand and establish themselves as essential players in the digital workplace.

Exploring Options for SPs in the Teams Marketplace

There are a number of options for SPs looking to leverage the Teams marketplace as a growth driver for their offerings, and each has its own opportunities and challenges. It’s important to understand the ins and outs of each in order to choose the right approach for your business. Here’s an overview of some of the top strategies:

1.    Develop Native Apps for the Teams Marketplace

SPs looking to establish a strong presence in the Teams marketplace might consider developing native applications designed specifically for Microsoft Teams. Developing native apps gives SPs complete control over the user experience, allowing them to tailor their solutions to meet specific market needs and stand out in a competitive environment.

That said, native app development requires a significant investment in time and resources, demanding high levels of technical expertise. Ongoing maintenance and updates are needed to ensure compatibility with the evolving Teams platform.

2.    White-Label Solutions

For SPs seeking a quicker entry into the Teams marketplace with less upfront investment, white-label solutions are an attractive option. Pre-built, white-labeled products can be rebranded and marketed as the SP’s own, offering a functional app under their brand without requiring native development. This approach significantly reduces time-to-market.

Intermedia’s CORE™ model is an example of this approach. SPs in Intermedia’s channel partner network can resell and package Intermedia’s unified communications as-a-service (UCaaS) and contact center as-a-service (CCaaS) solutions as their own while maintaining complete ownership over their customer relationships—all with full support from the Intermedia team.

3.    Third-Party Integration

Another strategy is partnering with third-party developers who have established apps in the Teams marketplace. With this approach, SPs can expand their offerings without the need for new development, leveraging the expertise and existing products of other developers. Third-party integration reduces risks and costs while allowing SPs to focus on core competencies such as customer service and sales. SPs can deliver an enhanced, seamless experience to their customers without the complexities of building new products.

4.    Integrating Existing Services into Teams

SPs with existing services or platforms can explore integrating these directly into Teams using Microsoft’s APIs and connectors. This enhances the value of existing offerings by making them easily accessible within the Teams environment, increasing their visibility and adding convenience for users. It allows SPs to provide a more streamlined experience, as users can access multiple services from within a single, familiar platform.

Intermedia’s Unite for Teams solution, for example, allows users to integrate advanced calling, SMS, and more directly into teams to deliver a more seamless experience to their end users without requiring any additional phone licensing.

1.    Exploring Custom Solutions for Niche Markets

SPs looking to differentiate themselves in the Teams marketplace may consider developing custom solutions tailored to specific industries or business needs. These niche solutions can address specialized requirements that generic apps might not fully meet, offering a strong value proposition to targeted customer segments.

Leveraging Teams as a Growth Driver

No matter which approach an SP chooses, it’s clear that the Teams marketplace offers a diverse set of opportunities for SPs to enhance their service offerings and strengthen their market presence. In order to make the most of it, SPs must carefully evaluate their goals and resources to select a strategy that best aligns with their business objectives and market needs.

As a partner-first company, Intermedia goes to work for over 7,500 channel partners by providing a comprehensive set of programs, resources, and support designed to help them grow their revenue and maximize success on the Teams platform.

Learn more here about partnering with Intermedia.

Melinda Curtis

Melinda Curtis is a Director of Product Marketing at Intermedia, where she focuses on helping businesses improve employee productivity and enhance their customer experiences using Intermedia's award-winning cloud communications solutions. Melinda brings over 20 years of experience in telecommunications, having worked in B2C and B2B marketing, product management, and vendor management roles. In her free time, she loves to travel with her family.