Flipview - Marketplace Listing

Over the past five years, Flipview has worked with many unique brands to mitigate risks and turn strategy into action. Recently, Parallo managed its Microsoft Azure Marketplace listing, putting the SaaS company on the world map. Now part of the Microsoft ecosystem, Flipview is ready to make its international debut.

Flipview goes global

One day, while stuck in Auckland traffic, Ben Stevens found himself musing over work while staring at the dashboard of his Volvo P1800. That's when an idea came to him – one that would change how organisations mitigate risk and turn strategy into action.

Converting flipcharts and Post-It notes into a strategy document has always been a sticking point for businesses. Flipview provides a fast and effective way to run workshops and build real-time dashboards and reports of an organisation's risks and strategy.

Over the past five years, Flipview has worked with many notable brands, from small charities to ASX-listed enterprises. For many fast-scaling software businesses like Flipview, a Microsoft Azure Marketplace listing has its advantages, but it often ends up in the 'too-hard' basket. With Parallo's help, Flipview grabs the Microsoft bull by both horns.

Technical expertise, all round good company

Ben has an extensive background in risk and strategic planning. But he’ll happily admit that when it comes to the technical aspects, he’s had help. Flipview has worked with several outsourced providers and an offshore development team, “and Parallo has played a pivotal role in ensuring that our infrastructure is optimised” Ben says.

Coming from a non-technical background, it was important to Ben to find an experienced technical partner for support that he could trust. Parallo provide Flipview’s team with a deep level of expertise and have served as a sounding board for Ben throughout his journey with Flipview.

“We're quite selective about who we work with. It’s not all about the technical competency – a big part of it is cultural fit – and Parallo has always had the right mix for us.”

Recently, Parallo was asked to complete a Microsoft (MS) Marketplace listing. For many SaaS founders, coming to grips with the MS Partner Centre, the collateral required, and the workflow of an Azure transaction can be challenging. Parallo worked through three milestones to get the transactable listing live – putting Flipview in a position to take its product global.

Seamless go-live, new sales opportunities

The first step involved collecting and validating Microsoft's required information for a PoC listing. Depending on the markets a company wants to sell in, this can also bring tax complexities. Then, a customer transaction 'landing zone' or page was created in Azure to enable international sales. The last step – which Flipview and Parallo are currently collaborating on – is making improvements and automating onboarding workflows to avoid any bottlenecks.

With a validated and live MS Marketplace listing, Flipview has officially announced to the international SaaS market that it's ready to join the big league.

"It's a game-changer from a sales standpoint," Ben explains. "By becoming part of the Microsoft ecosystem, we're able to leverage the credibility of Microsoft's brand and reach sales far beyond what we may have been able to do by ourselves."

The other benefit is streamlining international transactions without getting bogged down by increasing sales volumes and invoices. That keeps overheads low and puts the focus squarely on the software product.

Invaluable ongoing partnership

This small – but fast-growing – software start-up has worked hard to ensure its security is a key priority. The backing of a team like Parallo means it can focus on high-value tasks that drive the company towards its goals.

“I have found working with Parallo invaluable for a number of reasons: they help ensure our platform is secure and optimised, they also have genuinely good people with next-level technical expertise.”

Within the Azure Marketplace, the opportunities are endless for Flipview. Parallo looks forward to helping the company share its SaaS product with the world while ensuring its systems are set up for scale.

Download the Flipview Case Study