Client story Global Telecoms Firm Optimises Microsoft Spending with five-year Technology Roadmap

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By  Insight AT / 23 Feb 2022

When one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world needed to renew its Microsoft license agreement, it knew there was a lot at stake.

The company relies on Microsoft technology in all areas of its business, so the new contract had to deliver the best possible return on investment while giving employees the platforms, technology, and tools they needed to succeed.

Insight helped the client achieve its goals by providing a clear view of its usage and spending, clarifying its entitlements and obligations, helping it to plan a technology roadmap, and negotiating a best-in-class discount on its license agreement.

The Challenge

Even before the license renewal, the company was struggling to stay on top of its Microsoft technology spending. To regain control moving forward, it needed to achieve four goals:

  1. Optimise and reliably forecast its Azure usage and negotiate the most suitable agreement.
  2. Negotiate a single price point for products that it was purchasing across different geographies.
  3. Map out the different technology requirements for M365 licenses in all countries and regions.
  4. Agree a pre-approved framework to allow for divestitures and acquisitions to be removed or added to the contract.

Speed was of the essence to finalise a new agreement before the old contract ran out. This smooth transition potentially saved the company tens of thousands, avoiding payments of surplus licenses. It was also at risk of breaching compliance in other areas of its licensing estate and potentially losing access to business-critical services.

“Thanks to Insight, we have much greater visibility and control of our spending on Microsoft technologies across all of our operating companies. We’re also confident that we now have the right technology roadmap in place to achieve our company goals over the next five years.”

Senior Stakeholder

The Solution

Insight’s License Consulting Service (LCS) team was already providing the client with annual true-up support and licensing optimisation, helping it to save money by minimising the number of Microsoft licenses purchased year-on-year.

The client therefore knew that the LCS team understood its needs, as well as having expert knowledge of Microsoft products, pricing, and licensing models.

Insight helped the client to gain visibility and control of its usage and spending and scope out its future requirements by:

  • Conducting workshops to determine the client’s technology roadmap and licensing strategy.
  • Managing access to various Microsoft portals.
  • Creating a Microsoft Power BI dashboard showing the client’s licensing entitlement and spending for each global entity.
  • Helping the client understand its obligations and opportunities regarding mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures – and working with both the client and Microsoft to reach a mutually acceptable agreement.
  • Optimising costs by helping the client identify potential savings in its consumption of Azure cloudbased services.

Insight’s LCS team then negotiated with Microsoft on behalf of the client to secure the best deal on the new contract.

Key Benefits

  • Better visibility and control of Azure consumption.
  • Reduced spending on Microsoft technologies.
  • A future-proofed contract with a mutually satisfactory agreement around the client’s obligations following mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures.
  • Clear visibility of entitlement and spend for each of the 40 entities.
  • A global agreement, flexible enough to allow individual entities to retain some autonomy.
  • The flexibility to access Microsoft’s strongest security options without investing in the most expensive packaged solutions for every user.
  • The ability to add licenses for any new businesses with the same terms as already agreed in the contract.
  • Completion of the complex process of assessment and negotiation within a strict time frame, enabling the client to continue using essential Microsoft services.

The Results Highlights

Quick Overview

Client:

One of the largest telecommunications companies in the world.

Size:

The company has more than 90,000 employees.

Challenge:

To regain control and visibility of spending on Microsoft technologies while giving employees the platforms, technology, and tools to succeed over the next five years.

Insight Solution:

Insight Azure Governance Services, License Consulting Services, Microsoft Enterprise Agreement.

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