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SUSE Bets on MSPs and AWS in a Multi-Cloud World
SUSE’s Cloud Elevate Program: A Strategic Leap into SaaS and AWS Collaboration
Key Highlights:
- SUSE launched the Cloud Elevate Program at SUSECON 2024 for resellers and in 2025, a new offer introducing SaaS-based Enterprise Container Management for MSPs via AWS Marketplace.
- The program reflects SUSE’s shift to cloud-delivered services, prioritizing AWS while building on its multi-cloud history with Azure and Google Cloud.
- Existing partnerships with Azure focus on enterprise workloads like SAP, while Google Cloud supports traditional SLES deployments, though neither is part of this SaaS initiative yet.
The News:
SUSE announced the Cloud Elevate Program at SUSECON 2025, launching SaaS-based Enterprise Container Management solutions for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) to sell through AWS Marketplace. This initiative deepens SUSE’s partnership with AWS, targeting MSPs to deliver containerized workload management, while highlighting a strategic shift toward cloud-native, subscription-based offerings. Though SUSE maintains compatibility with Azure and Google Cloud, the program’s AWS focus suggests a prioritized approach, leaving its broader multi-cloud intentions open to interpretation. Read more here.
Analyst Take:
In 2025, consensus estimates project that approximately less than 5% of the total software spend, estimated at $1.24 trillion, is projected to be purchased through cloud marketplaces like AWS, Azure, and GCP. While still a relatively small percentage this figure is on a significant growth trajectory, with cloud marketplace revenue expected to rise sharply from previous years due to factors like lower transaction fees and the use of cloud credits. The proportion reflects a shift in procurement behavior, particularly among businesses leveraging these platforms for enterprise software. Based on our analysis of the market, channel partners are anticipated to play a surprisingly large role, potentially handling over 50% of marketplace sales by 2027. This growth underscores the increasing importance of cloud marketplaces, disrupting traditional software sales channels as digitization accelerates.
Against this backdrop, SUSE recently unveiled its Cloud Elevate Program for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) at the company’s annual show SUSECON in Orlando, Florida, marking a significant step in its evolution as an open-source solutions provider. The announcement, titled "SUSE Deepens Commitment to Partner Ecosystem," introduces a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model for its Enterprise Container Management solutions, designed to empower MSPs to deliver these offerings through the AWS Marketplace. This move signals SUSE’s intent to adapt to the cloud-native landscape, where containerized workloads dominate, while reinforcing its reliance on partnerships to expand its reach.
This development offers a fresh lens through which to examine SUSE’s strategy, its focus on AWS, and its broader positioning among hyperscalers like Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.
The Cloud Elevate Program targets MSPs, a vital conduit between technology vendors and end-users, particularly as businesses increasingly outsource IT management. By equipping MSPs with SaaS-based container management tools, SUSE aims to simplify deployment and maintenance for clients running complex, scalable workloads. The integration with AWS Marketplace, Amazon’s digital storefront for software procurement, is central to this initiative. It allows MSPs to leverage AWS’s infrastructure for billing, provisioning, and deployment, tapping into Amazon’s vast customer base and almost a third share of the public cloud market. This isn’t just a technical alignment; it’s a calculated play to streamline how SUSE’s solutions reach the market, reflecting a broader industry shift toward subscription-based, cloud-delivered services.
What stands out is SUSE’s pivot to SaaS, a departure from its traditional on-premises software roots. Enterprise Container Management, built on technologies like Kubernetes and Rancher (SUSE’s container orchestration platform), addresses the growing demand for tools that manage containerized applications across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. By offering this as a service rather than a self-hosted product, SUSE reduces the operational burden on customers and MSPs alike, aligning with the preferences of modern enterprises. The choice of AWS Marketplace as the delivery mechanism underscores a deepening partnership with Amazon, positioning SUSE to compete with native AWS offerings like Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) and third-party rivals such as Red Hat’s OpenShift.
Although this announcement was AWS-centric SUSE’s is taking an ‘umbrella program’ approach for all CSP’s and supports Microsoft Azure specifically. Historically, SUSE has prided itself on flexibility, designing open-source solutions that run agnostically across platforms. The Cloud Elevate Program's focus on AWS Marketplace, at least for now, suggests a tactical prioritization rather than a wholesale shift. AWS’s extensive MSP network and market leadership likely made it the ideal launchpad.
Against this backdrop, SUSE recently unveiled its Cloud Elevate Program for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) at the company’s annual show SUSECON in Orlando, Florida, marking a significant step in its evolution as an open-source solutions provider. The announcement, titled "SUSE Deepens Commitment to Partner Ecosystem," introduces a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model for its Enterprise Container Management solutions, designed to empower MSPs to deliver these offerings through the AWS Marketplace. This move signals SUSE’s intent to adapt to the cloud-native landscape, where containerized workloads dominate, while reinforcing its reliance on partnerships to expand its reach.
This development offers a fresh lens through which to examine SUSE’s strategy, its focus on AWS, and its broader positioning among hyperscalers like Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.
The Cloud Elevate Program targets MSPs, a vital conduit between technology vendors and end-users, particularly as businesses increasingly outsource IT management. By equipping MSPs with SaaS-based container management tools, SUSE aims to simplify deployment and maintenance for clients running complex, scalable workloads. The integration with AWS Marketplace, Amazon’s digital storefront for software procurement, is central to this initiative. It allows MSPs to leverage AWS’s infrastructure for billing, provisioning, and deployment, tapping into Amazon’s vast customer base and almost a third share of the public cloud market. This isn’t just a technical alignment; it’s a calculated play to streamline how SUSE’s solutions reach the market, reflecting a broader industry shift toward subscription-based, cloud-delivered services.
What stands out is SUSE’s pivot to SaaS, a departure from its traditional on-premises software roots. Enterprise Container Management, built on technologies like Kubernetes and Rancher (SUSE’s container orchestration platform), addresses the growing demand for tools that manage containerized applications across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. By offering this as a service rather than a self-hosted product, SUSE reduces the operational burden on customers and MSPs alike, aligning with the preferences of modern enterprises. The choice of AWS Marketplace as the delivery mechanism underscores a deepening partnership with Amazon, positioning SUSE to compete with native AWS offerings like Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) and third-party rivals such as Red Hat’s OpenShift.
This AWS-centric approach raises questions about SUSE’s broader cloud strategy. Historically, SUSE has prided itself on flexibility, designing open-source solutions that run agnostically across platforms. The Cloud Elevate Program’s exclusivity to AWS Marketplace, at least for now, suggests a tactical prioritization rather than a wholesale shift. AWS’s extensive MSP network and market leadership likely made it the ideal launchpad, but the announcement’s silence on other hyperscalers invites speculation about what comes next. Is this a pilot, with plans to extend to other clouds based on success? Or does it reflect a deliberate bet on AWS’s ecosystem over its competitors? The answers aren’t clear, but the move highlights SUSE’s adaptability while leaving room for critique about its multi-cloud narrative.
Alignment with Other Hyperscalers
SUSE’s relationships with Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud provide context for its AWS focus. On Azure, SUSE has a longstanding partnership, delivering SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) through the Azure Marketplace and collaborating on enterprise workloads. While the Cloud Elevate Program doesn’t mention Azure, SUSE’s solutions are already entrenched there, supporting Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) and traditional licensing models rather than SaaS. This suggests potential for future SaaS expansion, though Azure’s MSP program (Azure Expert MSP) and I will be watching for future announcements.
Google Cloud hosts SLES on its Marketplace, enabling deployments on Google Compute Engine and Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE). Given Google’s role in creating Kubernetes, SUSE’s container focus aligns naturally with GKE, yet the announcement bypasses this platform. Google Cloud remains a secondary player in SUSE’s visible strategy, likely due to its smaller ecosystem compared to AWS and Azure. I would expect SUSE to expand first to Azure and then follow with Google Cloud, if other similar programs are to provide an adoption model
Both hyperscalers demonstrate SUSE’s multi-cloud compatibility, but their absence from the Cloud Elevate narrative underscores AWS as the current priority, possibly a reflection of market dynamics or a phased rollout plan - time will tell.
Google Cloud hosts SLES on its Marketplace, enabling deployments on Google Compute Engine and Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE). Given Google’s role in creating Kubernetes, SUSE’s container focus aligns naturally with GKE, yet the announcement bypasses this platform. Google Cloud remains a secondary player in SUSE’s visible strategy, likely due to its smaller ecosystem compared to AWS and Azure. I would expect SUSE to expand first to Azure and then follow with Google Cloud, if other similar programs are to provide an adoption model
Both hyperscalers demonstrate SUSE’s multi-cloud compatibility, but their absence from the Cloud Elevate narrative underscores AWS as the current priority, possibly a reflection of market dynamics or a phased rollout plan - time will tell.
Looking Ahead
The Cloud Elevate Program positions SUSE at a crossroads. Its SaaS pivot mirrors industry trends, where vendors like Canonical and Red Hat have embraced cloud-native models to stay relevant. By targeting MSPs, SUSE taps into a growing intermediary layer, acknowledging that many businesses prefer managed services over DIY solutions. The AWS Marketplace integration amplifies this, offering a frictionless sales channel that could accelerate adoption.
Competitively, SUSE operates in a crowded field. AWS EKS, Azure AKS, and Google GKE dominate container management, while Red Hat’s OpenShift offers a robust alternative. SUSE’s SaaS approach, delivered via MSPs, carves a niche by emphasizing partner enablement over direct customer sales. This could differentiate it, particularly for mid-sized firms reliant on MSPs, but it also hinges on the program’s execution and MSP uptake.
The lack of detail on pricing for the general public is understandable. I would have liked more detail. SUSE will no doubt be sharing this with SUSEONE partners, but I would have liked to have seen more details shared. While this is not unsurprising given its part of an annual event, we will need to see the pricing and how it compares to on-premises deployments to provide further analysis.
Critically, SUSE’s ecosystem commitment feels genuine but incomplete without clarity on Azure and Google Cloud’s roles. Its history suggests a multi-cloud future, yet this AWS-first step might alienate partners tied to other platforms. If successful, the program could expand, leveraging SUSE’s agnostic design to reach broader markets. For now, it’s a bold, AWS-anchored play that prioritizes reach over uniformity, a pragmatic choice in a fragmented cloud landscape.
In conclusion, SUSE’s Cloud Elevate Program is an insightful move toward SaaS and partner empowerment, with AWS Marketplace as its springboard. It builds on SUSE’s multi-cloud foundation, where Azure and Google Cloud already play supporting roles, but tilts heavily toward Amazon’s orbit. Whether this signals a long-term shift or a strategic starting point remains to be seen. For an open-source stalwart, it’s a calculated adaptation ,effective, if slightly lopsided in a world that demands balance across hyperscalers.
Steven Dickens | CEO HyperFRAME Research
Regarded as a luminary at the intersection of technology and business transformation, Steven Dickens is the CEO and Principal Analyst at HyperFRAME Research.
Ranked consistently among the Top 10 Analysts by AR Insights and a contributor to Forbes, Steven's expert perspectives are sought after by tier one media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal and CNBC, and he is a regular on TV networks including the Schwab Network and Bloomberg.