This contrasts with Q1, which typically accounts for less than 20 percent of EA renewals. This creates lumpy demand for licensing and legal resources, lumpy forecasting risk and lumpy cash flow. One of the objectives of moving to subscription based licensing is to smooth this pattern. Microsoft customers have gained leverage in the past by waiting until the very end of their EA term to renew. This is no longer the best tactic. The factors previously discussed have introduced new dynamics to the Microsoft EA negotiation.
Potential mistakes to be avoided include the following:. This is no longer the case — especially for fiscal year June , calendar year and quarter end purchases and renewals, when volume chokes the system. Microsoft is going to great lengths to get customers to renew much earlier in the quarter, including offering better pricing and discounts or allowing clients to adjust contract dates. Customers need to know how they can leverage deal timing to get more favorable concessions and greater flexibility.
The difference between the discount one customer receives and what another customer with similar requirements receives can be substantial. When a subpar discount becomes the foundation for future EA renewals, overspending grows exponentially. But it is only half the battle. With more options available, it is important for customers to understand which licensing and subscription programs best support their technology, business and cost management requirements; and the compliance and cost details surrounding migration from current states to future states.
Furthermore, companies must understand where Microsoft is willing to be flexible as it relates to terms governing price protection and usage elasticity — particularly amid economic volatility — and negotiate those terms into their EA accordingly.
Most companies view the Microsoft EA renewal as a single event. Following the true-up is auditing, which has become very common for Microsoft customers. Customers that have not recently been through an audit should expect to undergo one in the near term. In most cases, this will drive another round of negotiations which will require skillful interpretation of licensing programs, terms, and conditions.
However, they are well trained and motivated by incentive to take customers down a path to higher licensing costs. Clean house before you renew. Our support team gets a wide range of inquiries that touch on a variety of topics. We get pricing and quoting inquiries around true ups, additional product orders, and OLS reservations. We validate Microsoft part numbers to make sure any order you submit is for the right on-premise license or online service.
We provide licensing entitlement report that includes license description, quantities, purchase type, annual commitments, and a breakdown of what licensing was purchased under what enrollment.
As you enter the final year of your Enterprise Agreement, one of the key focus areas for your customer success team is thinking ahead to what your future business state and technology needs might look like. They will work with you to understand business drivers, anticipated plans for expansion or new technology adoption, and translate that into what your next successful Microsoft Enterprise Agreement should look like. Our objective is simple: to put your organization in the best possible licensing state at renewal to maximize value, both financially and in terms of your ability to use Microsoft technologies, to collaborate, innovate and drive your business.
Managing a successful Microsoft Enterprise Agreement is challenging and resource intensive, which is why many organizations often end up with a sub-optimal experience when they choose the wrong partner. As a Microsoft partner for the last 30 years, managing tens of thousands of Enterprise Agreements, SHI has got rather good at it.
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Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email. All aboard to destination Microsoft success! Think of your Partner as your pilot, aircraft engineer, and air traffic controller all rolled into one Your Microsoft EA partner needs to have many skills that must be employed in concert so every stage of your EA flight path is smooth.
It all starts with a positive onboarding experience During onboarding, we will introduce you to our T methodology which will be our guiding framework throughout the lifecycle of your EA.
Onboarding To start off right, we will identify key stakeholders and introduce you to your SHI team. Our team will get started on important tasks such as: Reviewing and advising you on contract terms and amendments Reviewing your current license status and Microsoft License Statement MLS Scheduling time to identify and address potential licensing issues Ensuring Azure and O licensing is in order Identifying outstanding credit and customer satisfaction issues and develop a resolution plan Software Assurance Benefits Administration The Software Assurance benefits SAB you are entitled to as part of your EA can be critical in ensuring effective decision making regarding third party solutions, virtualization, and BYOL scenarios.
Renewing an EA: When it is time to renew an EA, you can revisit your entire investment and make adjustments to ensure the new agreement is aligned with current and future needs. EA Enrollments span Enterprise as well as Server and Cloud, and all include Software Assurance to ensure the latest Microsoft technologies are part of your plan, deployment, and in the hands of end users.
EAs are not a one size fits all solution to licensing—savings can vary drastically. Our assessment, designed by our own team of experts, is the first step in determining whether an EA is the right choice for your organization. Our experts will then help you put real numbers behind the assessment to help you make a sound decision. Even if an EA is not in your future, there are a host of other cost-savings options and programs, and our experts will help you find the best way to better manage your licensing and optimize your investment.
With the end of support date for Windows Server fast approaching, there's never been a better time to plan your data center transformation. Our experts have designed this helpful tool to get you started on the right upgrade path for your unique environment, applications, and workloads. Here are the latest Insider stories.
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