CyberArk didn’t just dip a toe into cloud marketplaces—they dove in headfirst and came out the other side with a transformed partner ecosystem.
In this episode of Unlock Cloud GTM, host Patrick Riley sat down with Brennan Lynch, Global Director of Cloud Marketplaces at Cyberark, and our very own Brian Denker, Tackle Co-Founder. The trio breaks down how CyberArk is using Channel Partner Private Offers (CPPOs) to:
Simplify operational workflows
Drive larger deals
Strengthen long-term partnership relationships
The results? Higher-margin transactions, reduced financial risk, and a competitive edge against ISVs still struggling with legacy channel models.
Let’s break down how CyberArk made it happen, and what your team can learn from their playbook.
If you’ve been wondering how to successfully leverage marketplace partnerships, this one’s for you!
"Our partners keep asking for more marketplace deals"
That’s not something you hear every day in the channel world. But for Brennan, it’s become the norm. After carefully tracking hundreds of transactions, one trend stood out: “CPPO deals are more revenue rich. I’d rather do a CPPO deal than a non-CPPO deal.”
Why? Because the marketplace model keeps partner margins healthy and strips away the usual headaches. No more floating terms or chasing payments—AWS handles that. Partners still get paid in full, just without the financial friction.
And it gets better: tapping into customers’ committed cloud spend makes procurement smoother and often unlocks bigger budgets.
Brennan noticed partners started bringing CyberArk into larger, more strategic conversations because the marketplace model made complex deals simpler to structure.
Forward-thinking partners like Accenture have:
Grown their marketplace service listings from 8 to 52+ in just one year
Created specialized CyberArk deployment packages
Developed industry-specific solution bundles
Built recurring revenue streams that complement license sales
The financial case for partner-powered marketplace
Many ISVs view marketplaces as just another sales channel. CyberArk, on the other hand, recognized them as a way to reinvent partner economics. “We already had strong channel relationships,” Brennan shared. “The question was ‘how could marketplaces make those partnerships more profitable for everyone?’”
Three key financial benefits stood out:
Bigger deal sizes: The numbers support this—partners bring existing customer relationships and expansion opportunities, cloud commitments often mean larger initial purchases, and bundled services create higher-value transactions.
Lower operational overhead: Market eliminate traditional channel friction in a with no more floating customer terms (AWS handles collections), reduced accounts receivable workloads, and simplified procurement processes.
Recurring services revenue: Partners like Accenture now list 52+ services on AWS Marketplace (up from 8 just a year ago), including CyberArk deployment packages.
“Smart partners are creating their own marketplace listings for services. That’s where the future is,” Brennan explained.
Key takeaway: CPPOs transform resellers from fulfillment partners into a true growth accelerator.
CyberArk’s 3-pillar measurement framework
CyberArk’s transition from a traditional channel model to a marketplace-powered strategy didn’t happen overnight. To get there, the team adopted a 3-pillar partner enablement playbook:
1️⃣ Laying the foundation
Early efforts focused on removing friction:
Partner onboarding: Worked with Tackle to streamline AWS/Azure CPPO enrollment for key resellers.
Financial education: Conducted workshops to show partners how marketplaces improve their margins and cash flow.
Deal registration: Created clear rules of engagement to prevent conflict between direct and partner-sourced deals.
As Brennan explained, “We started with basic blocking and tackling—teaching partners how to add margin to private offers and receive payment in AWS.”
2️⃣ Driving co-sell alignment
With that infrastructure in place, CyberArk then focused on seller behaviors like:
Joint account mapping: Leveraged Tackle Prospect to identify accounts already transacting in marketplaces.
Incentive design: Made marketplace deals comp-neutral (or better) for both CyberArk sellers and partners.
Pipeline collaboration: Established regular deal review cadences with top partners and cloud provider reps.
3️⃣ Scaling services revenue
After aligning co-sell efforts, the most advanced partners now generate their own marketplace momentum with:
Service listings: Partners like Accenture create dedicated CyberArk deployment offerings in AWS Marketplace.
AI-enhanced deliver: Early adopters use cloud provider AI tools to automate 70-80% of deployment work.
Multi-party deals: Combining software, services, and financing into single marketplace transactions.
How CyberArk overcame channel conflict
Many ISVs struggle with internal resistance when launching marketplace programs. CyberArk’s solutions:
Compensation alignment
CyberArk made marketplace deals count equally toward partner and direct seller quotas. They also added bonus incentives for CPPO transactions to drive behavior.
Operational transparency
To make sure everything was crystal clear, CyberArk used Tackle’s Platform to provide visibility into all partner-sourced opportunities and created clear deal registration rules.
Executive air cover
“When our CEO saw we could get paid in 30 days instead of 90 through marketplaces, it became a board-level conversation,” Brennan explained. Additionally, CyberArk tied marketplace growth to corporate OKRs and positioned marketplaces as a CFO priority.
Where are partners and marketplaces headed?
Cloud marketplaces are entering a new phase of evolution, one where channel partners will play increasingly sophisticated roles. The coming years will see fundamental changes in how solutions are deployed, serviced, and monetized through these platforms.
AI is transforming service delivery models
Cloud providers are rapidly embedding AI tools (like Azure AI Studio and AWS Bedrock) that partners can leverage to:
Automate 80% of routine deployments and configurations
Generate custom security policies based on client environments
Provide real-time optimization recommendations
For example, Accenture now trains all 300,000 employees on AI tools. Partners who don’t adapt risk becoming obsolete.
Professional services are becoming standalone revenue streams
The most successful partners will shift from reselling to building:
Vertical-specific solutions bundles
Outcome-based offerings (for example, ‘Zero Trust Implementation in 90 Days’)
Recurring managed services sold through marketplace subscriptions
Complex, multi-party transactions are on the rise
Expect marketplace deals to evolve beyond simple reseller models to a 3-tier transaction, including:
Distributors handling logistics and regional compliance
Financing partners enabling large cloud commitments
GSIs orchestrating multi-vendor solutions
CyberArk didn’t just bring their partners into the marketplace—they gave them the tools, incentives, and runway to thrive. Now they’re seeing the payoff. The channel is evolving from a distribution network into a value creation ecosystem, where partners contribute unique expertise at every stage of the customer journey.
The most successful organizations will be those that recognize how these trends complement their existing channel strategies while opening new avenues for growth. What follows is a detailed look at each of these emerging patterns and their practical implications for go-to-market teams.
Liked this blog and want to learn more? Listen to the full podcast episode here to learn more about CyberArk’s journey.