What is the MACH Alliance and why is it important?
If you're interested in Composable Commerce, you've probably heard of the MACH Alliance. But what is the MACH Alliance, and why is it important for our industry?
What is the MACH Alliance?
The MACH Alliance is a forward-thinking, not-for-profit industry body, set up with the intention of promoting and supporting successful migration from legacy infrastructure towards a more composable future.
The MACH acronym itself correlates to an industry tech standard describing modern technology:
- Microservices based
- API-first
- Cloud-native SaaS
- Headless
Through a vendor-neutral approach and a rigorous certification process, the MACH Alliance provides expert guidance and support to companies transitioning to MACH technologies and a Composable approach.
Today, the alliance is a global initiative, offering a mix of online and offline events and support. It has an ever-growing roster of MACH-certified technology vendors and passionate ambassadors advocating for MACH education and adoption.
What’s the MACH Alliance Manifesto?
In their own words, the MACH Alliance "exists to protect MACH core principles, acting as the gatekeeper to ensure MACH as a category is understood and not undermined by vendor 'MACH-washing.'"
By holding vendors accountable to externally-assessed standards, they help technology evolve to meet the "MACH speed" of customer expectations. This commitment is outlined in their overarching manifesto.
While the full MACH Alliance Manifesto can be read here, the core principles include:
- Sharing technical knowledge about MACH
- Creating and sharing best practices to improve MACH transition
- Assisting enterprises with their vendor selection criteria
- Publishing technical documentation that supports MACH adoption
- Promoting the MACH Alliance through a wide range of owned and industry events.
What are the benefits of working with MACH Alliance companies?
There are several core benefits to working with MACH Alliance partners when selecting tech vendors. Each partner has gone through a rigorous MACH certification process, which guarantees:
- Composable Connectability
- Infinite Scalability
- Ultimate swap-ability
- Adaptability
- Flexibility & Transparency
You can read more about nuances of the MACH certification process here.
The Alliance’s vendor-neutral approach ensures impartiality, giving you reliable recommendations based on unbiased, external assessments.
How can you get involved with the MACH Alliance?
There are three ways in which you can get involved with the MACH Alliance
Certified Member
If you are a tech vendor offering MACH-friendly services, you can undergo the certification process to become an Alliance member and carry the MACH Certified seal. Learn more here.
Supporter
Supporter membership of the MACH Alliance is ideal for those who don't meet the MACH Certification requirements but still want to contribute to the community and conversation. Learn more here.
Ambassador
As an Ambassador, you can actively advocate and educate about MACH principles globally, engaging in speaking opportunities and sharing experiences under the banner of the MACH Alliance. Learn more here.
