Unlock Cloud GTM: Season 2, Episode 1 Key Takeaways
When Jamf set out to expand their cloud marketplace strategy, the team didn’t just follow industry trends—they crunched the numbers.
In season 2 episode 1 of Unlock Cloud GTM, host Patrick Riley sat down with members of the Jamf team, Matt Arsenault, Head of Strategic Alliances, and John Eisele, AWS Alliance Manager to discuss how they built a data-driven, ROI-focused approach to cloud marketplace strategy.
What made Jamf’s approach different? While many companies adopt marketplaces based on vendor promises, Jamf treated it as a financial equation. The team carefully weighed customer acquisition costs, lifetime value, and operational efficiencies before expanding.
The results speak for themselves: 450+ successful marketplace deals, higher renewal rates than other channels, and entry into previously untapped markets.
Let’s take a look at how Jamf built this strategy, and what other ISVs can learn from their success.
Why marketplace? The financial case beyond channel shift
For most companies, cloud marketplaces start as a procurement convenience. For Jamf, cloud marketplaces weren’t just another sales channel—they saw it as an avenue that would improve the company’s profitability and global reach.
When talking about their thought process, Matt said, “We already had a robust channel strategy with resellers, SIs, and MSPs. When evaluating marketplaces, we needed to see how they’d improve our LTV-to-CAC ratio.”
The financial benefits became clear:
1. High lifetime value (LTV)
Jamf saw that customers using committed cloud spend are less price-sensitive. As Matt put it, “We believe there’s less price sensitivity because [buyers] are using a commitment they’ve already made.”
2. Lower customer acquisition cost (CAC)
AWS and Azure’s global sales teams helped Jamf efficiently enter new markets. “Our CAC is lowered in regions where we don’t have deep penetration,” Matt explained.
3. Guaranteed payments and faster collections
“We’ve closed over 450 deals through marketplace, and received payment on all of them,” John shared. One customer even went bankrupt, but Jamf still got paid through AWS’ billing system.
This trifecta convinced Jamf’s leadership that marketplaces weren’t just another sales channel, but a scalable engine for efficient growth.
Key takeaway: Marketplaces aren’t just about boosting revenue—selling through the clouds also improves unit economics and reduces financial risk.
Measuring what matters: the three metrics that defined Jamf’s success
To prove marketplace ROI, Jamf moved beyond vanity metrics like total deal volume. Instead, they focused on these three financial KPIs that directly impacted their bottom line:
1. Gross renewal rate (GRR)
Marketplace customers renew at higher rates than other channels. “Anecdotally, we’re seeing larger gross renewal rates for marketplace,” John shared. This suggested marketplace buyers were stickier, likely because procurement was easier and budgets were already committed.
2. Growth ARR
Growth ARR (GAR) measures expansion revenue from existing customers. For example, when a customer adds $50K in additional licenses through AWS, that incremental revenue directly demonstrates marketplace-driven expansion.
3. Operational efficiency
Behind the scenes, marketplaces shortened sales cycles and eliminated billing overhead. Thanks to streamlined procurement, finance teams don’t have to chase payments and sales reps close deals faster—it’s a win-win for everyone.
The bottom line: By tying marketplace performance to existing financial priorities, Jamf made its case in terms that executive leadership already understood (and really cares about).
Why one strategy doesn’t fit all clouds
Jamf did something really smart when developing their strategies—they didn’t treat AWS and Azure the same. The team customized their approach based on customer segments:
AWS: doubling down on existing customers
As a long-time AWS partner, Jamf used marketplace primarily to expand its installed base. They leveraged Tackle for:
- Listing management
- Deal registration
- Identifying expansion opportunities
Azure: hunting for new logos in Microsoft’s ecosystem
For Azure, Jamf replatformed their flagship product to target Microsoft-centric industries like manufacturing and legacy IT. “We’re not just moving existing customers; we’re going after a new buyer profile,” John shared.
Key takeaway: Marketplaces aren’t interchangeable. Align each cloud’s strengths with your specific growth goals.
Overcoming operational challenges
Even with strong financials in place, marketplace success requires operational alignment. Jamf tackled three key challenges:
1. Aligning finance, legal, and RevOps teams early on
Marketplace deals flow differently than direct sales. Jamf mapped its quote-to-cash process upfront, making sure that contracts, billing, and revenue tracking were seamless.
2. Change management for sales teams
“You can’t just hope CAC goes down. You have to enable reps,” Matt explained. Tools like Tackle Prospect helped identify high-propensity buyers, while training ensured reps understood how, when, and why to push marketplace deals.
3. Fixing co-sell registration
At first, Jamf only registered near-closing deals, missing co-sell benefits. They fixed this by registering their opportunities earlier to maximize sales support from both AWS and Microsoft.
Matt’s three-step guide for finance leaders
For the CFOs out there evaluating marketplaces, Matt’s framework cuts through the noise and gets straight to the point:
1. Benchmark your current CAC: Compare marketplace acquisition costs against direct and channel sales.
2. Offset additional costs: Account for Tackle fees, marketplace commissions, and (if needed) replatforming investments.
3. Track share shift vs new logos: Distinguish between revenue migration (low value) and true growth (new customers and expansion).
What’s next for Jamf (and what it means for you!)
Jamf’s roadmap reveals where marketplaces are headed next:
- Controlled expansion to Google Cloud, but only after mastering AWS and Azure.
- Operational excellence to drive further efficiency gains.
- Leveraging partners to scale passive, global deal flow.
For SaaS companies watching Jamf’s success, the takeaway lesson should be clear: marketplaces aren’t just a procurement trend, they’re a tool for financial optimization. By tying every decision to CAC, LTV, and operational savings, Jamf turned cloud partnerships into a predictable growth lever.
Liked this blog and want to learn more? Listen to the full podcast episode here for more insights from Jamf.
