Introduction

The ISVforce Guide is written for independent software vendors (ISVs) who want to build and sell applications using the Force.com platform. This guide is organized by the following chapters:

• Quick Start—Start here to acquire and configure all of the environments you need in order to build and sell apps.
• Designing and Building Your App—Before you start development, it's important to know how all the pieces fit together. This chapter covers architectural decisions to consider before development.
• Packaging and Testing Your App—This chapter also covers specifics about developing and testing packaged apps.
• Passing the Security Review—Learn about security best practices and plan for security review.
• Publish Your Offering on the AppExchange—List your app on the AppExchange marketplace.
• Managing Orders—Use the Channel Order App to create, manage, and submit orders to the Partner Operations team.
• Managing Licenses—Use the License Management App to manage your customer and app licenses.
• Providing a Free Trial—Create a free trial to help you sell your app to non-Salesforce customers.
• Supporting Your Customers—Give your customers technical support for the installation and use of your app.
• Upgrading Your App—When it's time to upgrade your packaged app, you can push minor patches or create major releases.