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Runnenbergweg 5, 8171MC Vaassen, The Netherlands
+31-20-211-7183
info@licenseq.com
Let's Talk / Subscribe

Contract Negotiation Support

Our scope of Services
Contract Negotiation
Annual Reporting
O365 / M365 Optimization
D365 Optimization
Azure Optimization
Audit Defense
License Desk
License Training

Support in Microsoft Contract Negotiation

The world of Microsoft licensing and contracts is complex, especially when it comes to the Enterprise Agreement. The Enterprise Agreement is pretty outdated, and it lacks flexibility in terms of the basics. However, the Enterprise Agreement contract model is still Microsoft's flagship offering. We are here to help you draw up an optimal contract with terms that work for your company. Our specialists will support you in Microsoft contract negotiation, whether you are a new Microsoft customer or are looking to renew an existing contract. We work on all aspects of the Microsoft portfolio and its volume licensing programs. The phased process takes 3 to 12 months and results in a fully developed Microsoft contract. Want to know more about what we can do for you? You can continue reading here. To get the most out of your Microsoft licenses, also discover our other services including Office 365 optimization and Azure optimization.

How we get started with Microsoft contract negotiation

We have developed a roadmap to successfully navigate our clients through the Microsoft contract negotiation process. Following the steps in our roadmap has proven to help our clients reach an agreement that is most beneficial to their business.

  • 1. Inventory of current environments

    • We look at the current usage in all or parts of your business. You may have purchased licenses in the past for products that you currently have no use for. Our inventory is all about setting out an effective licensing position for you to jump start your negotiations from.

  • 2. Identify and test new business needs

    • The renewal of your contract(s) with Microsoft is a good time to review your current and future usage. In this phase, we examine what your IT and business stakeholders are working on and the potential impact on your software requirements. Our aim here is to get a clear picture of your future IT requirements.

  • 3. Development of Bill of Material, Benchmarking and Pricing

    • We develop different scenarios based on your current and future requirements, with guidelines for optimal decision making. The main document here is the Bill of Material, which we use as reference material and compare with the market standard.

  • 4. Negotiation strategy

    • As an optional final step in Microsoft contract negotiation, we provide a service focused on helping you develop a negotiation and acquisition strategy. Our experience as successful former Microsoft negotiators gives us insight into the tactics Microsoft uses and we can use this to explore the ways you can improve your negotiating position. We offer this as a behind-the-scenes service, giving you advice on what steps to take. If you prefer, we can also take an active approach, where we represent you at the negotiation table.

    The benefits to you

    If you leave Microsoft contract negotiation to our specialists who can expertly navigate the negotiation process, there will be great benefits for your business. Firstly, we strive to provide our clients with future-proof agreements including more than just price discounts. We ensure optimal value and minimize the risk of additional expenses. Our focus areas include software license flexibility, expected future requirements and optimal agreement duration. Another benefit to you is that we leverage our direct experience of negotiations between Microsoft and its customers. With that knowledge, we create a level playing field between both parties. We explicate what kind of agreement options Microsoft generally proposes and which agreement clauses are not actively offered. This ensures you know exactly where you stand before you sit down at the negotiation table.

    Microsoft contract negotiation with LicenseQ

    We work with the best specialists, all of whom previously worked as Microsoft licensing experts. We know all the ins and outs to achieve a successful Microsoft contract negotiation. If you need support in any other areas, we would also be happy to hear from you. For instance, the preparation and optimization of your annual reports or the renewal of your Microsoft contract. Feel free to contact us to inquire about the possibilities, so that your company can make the most of your Microsoft licenses.
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Approach & Benefits

Inventory current environment

We look at your current usage for either your whole organization or a subset. You might be over licensed for services you have bought but do not need. The key deliverable is your effective license position.

Identification of new business requirements

Renewing your Enterprise Agreement is an opportune time to review your current usage and how this might evolve. In this phase we examine what your IT and business stakeholders are working on that might affect your software requirements. The key deliverable in this phase is a clear outline of your future IT requirements.

Bill of Materials / Benchmarking & Pricing

We present different scenarios based on your current and future needs, with guidelines for how to decide the best option. The key deliverable is the bill of material, which we can benchmark to current market standards.

Negotiation strategy

As an optional service, we can help you develop a negotiation and procurement strategy. As former successful Microsoft negotiators, we can explain the tactics they use and ways you can make your position more favorable. We offer this as either a backend service, where we advise you on how to proceed, or we can take an active approach and take a seat at the table in your name.

Benefit: Smart agreements

We strive for our clients to achieve future-proofed agreements that go beyond pricing discounts, ensuring optimal value and minimal risk of additional spend. Our focus areas include software licensing flexibility, expected future demand and optimal agreement duration.

Benefit: Market insights

Level the playing field by using our first-hand knowledge of contract negotiation results between Microsoft and their enterprise customers. We help you to understand the agreement options Microsoft typically proposes as well as agreement clauses that they do not proactively offer.