Build customer trust in cloud

Trust is a key aspect of customer app purchasing and retention. When considering apps, data is a main consideration, as it’s often the most valuable asset an organization has. A loss or improper use of data can have immeasurable reputational and financial costs.

Investing in customer trust is essential for maximizing your potential customer base in the cloud. If it isn’t already, trust should be a critical piece of your cloud app’s strategy.

This page provides an overview of how you can grow customer trust, an important part of Moving your app and customers to cloud.

How trust works for customers and partners

Trust often comes up during customer app assessment, especially if they are migrating from server or Data Center to cloud.

Example of customer trust evaluation

One example could look like:

1. A customer based in Germany has determined one of their server apps is critical for their team’s operations and is needed in cloud.
2. They see the app has a cloud version that performs the same needed functions, and that the app is at a price point they are comfortable with.
3. To determine if the app is installable in an active instance, they need to verify this app against a series of requirements related to data protection, data loss prevention, reliability, and compliance.
4. To see these details, they go to the Privacy & Security tab for that app.
5. Through the tab, they discover that this particular app stores data outside of Atlassian, but does not offer data residency in Germany or even the EU, and does not offer any other indicators of trust investments, such as an ISO27001 certification.
6. To ask for more information, they reach out to the Marketplace Partner.
7. While they wait for the partner’s response, they simultaneously start searching for a similar app that already offers the trust features they need.

This is just an example, but it represents a common journey when an app doesn’t support these critical features.

To maximize the uptake of your app, it’s important understand your potential customer needs related to security, reliability, privacy, and compliance.

Have a clear plan to ensure these needs are met, while also being clear about these details on your app listing, website, or Marketplace Partner profile.

Elements of customer trust

While trust covers a lot of different topics in the cloud, we think about it in terms of these five elements:

Security

In the digital world, data is a business's most valuable asset. Ensuring its security against attack should be of utmost importance to any SaaS provider.

• Meet cloud security requirements.
• Invest in the Marketplace Bug Bounty program.
• Learn about security and building secure-by-design apps on the Partner Portal.

Reliability and support

If a business is offline or unresponsive, it can lead to productivity loss, revenue decline, and potential damage to customer trust. Show your investment in reliability with the Cloud Fortified program and badge.

Compliance

Apps allow customers to meet their compliance obligations. For example, complying with GDPR, or industry-specific regulations. To learn more, check out the Encyclopedia of Trust for Marketplace Partners.

Privacy and data management

Any data loss or misuse can severely impact a company's reputation, finances, and customer relationships. Ensuring privacy is often a legal requirement for cloud businesses. Learn about the best privacy practices.

Transparency and control

The way you present your app's trust features can be a deciding factor in its adoption in the cloud. Get started by filling out the Privacy & Security tab.

Next steps

Ensure your app meets Atlassian’s requirements, including:

• Adhering to Atlassian’s Cloud Security Requirements
• Providing a privacy policy
• Ensure your app meets the legal and compliance obligations for you and your customers' regions

Then, complete the:

• Pre-launch trust checklist.
• Privacy and Security tab for your app listing so customers know how your app handles data.

Get updates and resources

Our Trust team in Ecosystem regularly updates Grow customer trust in the Partner Portal, where you can:

• Self-check your app’s trust health
• Get trust-related release information
• Find 'intro-level' trust resources
• Sign up to e-learning courses and webinars
• Stay connected and ask our team trust-related questions

You can also:

• Explore implementing data residency for Connect apps that store data outside of Atlassian
• Start building your own trust resources in your documentation to give customers a more in-depth view of your app’s data-handling practices