In a digital economy where organizations face mounting pressure to innovate, reduce costs, and optimize operations, sourcing and managing third-party software is more strategic than ever. The AWS Marketplace, Amazon Web Services’ digital catalog of third-party software and data solutions, has emerged as a powerful tool to help enterprises accelerate digital transformation.
To quantify the real-world business value of the AWS Marketplace, Forrester Consulting conducted a Total Economic Impact™ (TEI) study. The commissioned study examined the cost savings, business benefits, and ROI that enterprises can expect when using AWS Marketplace to procure, deploy, and manage software.
This article summarizes the key insights from the study and outlines why AWS Marketplace is increasingly becoming the procurement engine of choice for IT and procurement leaders worldwide.
Understanding the AWS Marketplace Advantage
AWS Marketplace offers thousands of software listings across categories such as security, data analytics, machine learning, DevOps, and infrastructure tools. It allows customers to:
- Discover software through a curated catalog
- Deploy with a few clicks using pre-configured AMIs or SaaS integrations
- Manage billing through a consolidated AWS invoice
- Control access and usage through governance tools
- Access flexible pricing models, including pay-as-you-go and custom contracts
But how does this translate to economic value?
Forrester’s Methodology
Forrester’s Total Economic Impact™ (TEI) methodology provides a framework for evaluating the financial impact of technology investments. The study involved interviews with AWS Marketplace customers across industries, combined with Forrester’s own research and economic modeling.
The composite organization modeled in the study represents a large enterprise with over 10,000 employees and a significant cloud investment. The findings are conservative, but they paint a compelling picture of AWS Marketplace’s impact on procurement, operations, and business agility.
Key Findings from the TEI Study
1. 242% ROI Over Three Years
One of the most striking findings is the 242% return on investment (ROI) realized over three years. For every $1 spent through AWS Marketplace, the composite organization received $2.42 in return value.
This ROI stems from reduced procurement costs, faster deployment, better governance, and increased IT productivity.
2. Significant Time Savings in Procurement
The study found that using AWS Marketplace reduced the software procurement cycle by an average of 50% to 75%.
Instead of going through multi-step, manual procurement processes—including legal review, vendor evaluation, and integration testing—teams were able to identify, license, and deploy software directly through the AWS Marketplace, often in minutes or hours.
This speed benefits not only IT but also business units who rely on technology to drive innovation.
3. Faster Time-to-Value
Organizations saw faster time-to-value from new software tools, thanks to seamless integration with AWS infrastructure and simplified provisioning.
Rather than waiting weeks for vendor approval, IT teams could immediately start evaluating tools and deploying them in controlled environments. This led to more agile project delivery, particularly in data science, DevOps, and cybersecurity initiatives.
4. Lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
Forrester’s study showed that organizations benefited from cost reductions in multiple areas, including:
- Bundled pricing and discounts available through AWS Marketplace
- Avoidance of infrastructure overhead via SaaS-based tools and containerized applications
- Consolidated billing, reducing financial operations complexity
Customers also avoided costs associated with software license sprawl and unused subscriptions by managing access through a single pane of glass.
5. Improved Vendor and Spend Management
Procurement teams found it easier to track software spend and monitor license utilization when purchasing through AWS Marketplace.
The platform’s centralized governance tools help enforce budget controls, compliance policies, and user access rights, which is particularly useful for large organizations with decentralized teams and multiple business units.
This visibility and control led to better compliance and fewer audit-related risks.
6. Enhanced Innovation Through Marketplace Ecosystem
Another unexpected benefit was the access to a broader ecosystem of innovative vendors.
Smaller, cutting-edge ISVs (independent software vendors) often list their products on AWS Marketplace, giving enterprises early access to new technologies without long procurement delays.
This democratization of innovation helped organizations stay competitive and enabled experimentation with minimal friction.
Real Customer Voices
Several AWS Marketplace customers interviewed by Forrester emphasized the business agility they gained:
“We used to take three months to evaluate and purchase a tool. Now, with AWS Marketplace, we can do it in three days.”
— IT Director, Global Retail Firm
“The governance controls have made our finance team’s life much easier. We now have a full audit trail and a single bill.”
— Procurement Manager, Financial Services
“We can experiment with five different tools in parallel. If one doesn’t work, we cancel it. There’s no long-term risk.”
— Head of Data Science, Healthcare Provider
Recommendations for Getting Started
Based on Forrester’s findings, here are some best practices for organizations looking to replicate these benefits:
- Centralize your procurement through AWS Marketplace.
Streamline purchasing to gain visibility and control. - Engage finance and procurement early.
Educate these teams on AWS Marketplace capabilities and compliance safeguards. - Start with low-risk, high-impact tools.
Try DevOps, cybersecurity, or analytics solutions to see quick returns. - Leverage flexible pricing options.
Use hourly billing, private offers, and enterprise contracts for cost optimization. - Use control towers and governance policies.
Set limits on spending, access, and deployment to ensure policy compliance.
Final Thoughts
Forrester’s Total Economic Impact™ study confirms what many AWS Marketplace users already know: it is not just a place to buy software—it is a strategic enabler of digital transformation.
By reducing procurement friction, accelerating deployment, lowering TCO, and enhancing governance, AWS Marketplace helps organizations innovate faster and operate more efficiently.
As enterprises continue to navigate complex digital landscapes, platforms like AWS Marketplace will play a central role in helping them scale, experiment, and compete—securely and cost-effectively.
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