The ‘Surprise’ at AWS Marketplace Compared to a Decade Ago

For AWS Marketplace head Orban, the growth of the group he oversees is nothing short of astounding. Ten years ago, “the notion that we could have an e-commerce website where builders, primarily developers, would be able to self-serve third-party machine images was a very good and strong notion,” he said.

But, as it turned out, serving the unique needs of individuals, enterprises and governments was a different animal. These buyers wanted to purchase in multiple different ways with the option for customized procurement. So, AWS Marketplace adjusted to meet those demands, Orban said. Private Offers constitutes a key example of how the company has shifted to respond to the market.

“We allow them to buy who they want to buy from in an automated fashion,” Orban said.

AWS Marketplace also has added the ability for organizations to tie their purchases into their back-office financial systems, heightening budget and spending governance.

The capabilities all add up to this, Orban said: “More things to buy, more ways to buy, more ways to govern. … It’s a surprise from when we started the business 10 years ago.”