Government and educational institutions can now buy applications via Microsoft’s Azure Marketplace and deploy them on the company’s cloud platform. The store is also opening to businesses that bought Azure services through Microsoft partners, rather than directly.

The expansion broadens access to the cloud app store, through which Microsoft sells its own apps and tools, and those of third parties.

The government and education sectors are important additions. Companies that have enterprise agreements with Microsoft partners can now also purchase Marketplace apps as part of those deals, and be billed by the reseller rather than Microsoft directly. Previously, buying through the Azure Marketplace was limited to companies with an enterprise agreement with Microsoft.

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