Glossary
ISV partner
An Independent Software Vendor that integrates with your product, embeds it, or vice versa.
What it is. An ISV (Independent Software Vendor) partner is a software company that integrates its product with yours, embeds your product into theirs, or runs joint go-to-market motions with you. Examples: Snowflake + dbt, Databricks + dbt, Stripe + Shopify-style relationships, Salesforce + AppExchange partners.
Why it matters. ISV partnerships extend product value through complementary integrations, expand reach into the ISV's customer base, reduce competitive risk by tying the customer relationship to a joint integration, and unlock revenue paths (marketplace co-sell, OEM revenue) that direct sales can't reach.
How it shows up in practice. Run via product integration roadmaps, marketplace listings (AppExchange, AWS, Azure, Snowflake Marketplace), joint go-to-market motions (co-marketing, co-sell), and sometimes revenue-sharing or embedded licensing agreements. The relationship combines tech alliance work with co-sell motion.
Related terms
- Tech alliance — A partnership focused on joint engineering, product integration, certification, and co-marketing.
- OEM partnership — A partnership where one company resells another's product under their own branding, often with revenue sharing.
- Co-sell — A motion where two organizations sell together on a customer deal, sharing opportunity data and coordinating execution.
- Hyperscaler partnership — A partnership with AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud involving co-sell motions, marketplace listings, and program-level engagement.
Frequently asked questions
- Is every ISV partnership also a tech alliance?
- Most are, in practice. ISV implies the partner type; tech alliance implies the joint engineering motion. ISV partners running pure resale without integration are less common.
- How is ISV revenue typically attributed?
- Marketplace co-sell, embedded-product revenue sharing, or attribution-windowed influence revenue from joint motions. The math varies by program structure and partner agreement.
- What's the difference between an ISV partner and a SaaS partner?
- ISV is the broader category. SaaS partners are ISVs whose product is delivered as software-as-a-service (most modern ISVs). The distinction matters for integration patterns and commercial terms.