ISV – OEM marketing is a beast.  One of the things that most people don’t realize about ISV-OEM sales to ISVs is how critical timing is, which means it is super important to have a giant sales funnel.  ISV-OEM sales cycles are usually long—in some cases taking upwards of 18 months to complete from start to finish.  And of course, in the end, not everyone is going to opt for your offer, which means the more ISV leads you have, the better. 

Software companies seeking sustainable expansion increasingly turn to ISV–OEM partnerships as a strategic source of revenue. Done right, this model helps vendors embed, bundle, or co-deliver solutions via third-party platforms, widening reach and unlocking “sell-with” or “sell-through” revenue streams. But it’s not easy. It demands clarity, patience, and orchestration. Below is a consolidated playbook drawing from MediaDev’s ISV-to-ISV partnership thought leadership.