Client story One of the UK’s Largest Gas Distribution Companies Optimises Microsoft Investment with Five Year Technology Adoption Roadmap

Background

When one of the UK’s largest gas distribution networks needed to renew its Microsoft Enterprise agreement, they knew it was going to be a challenging negotiation due to the prior discount they had achieved when purchasing Microsoft licensing with their previous parent company.

The company relies on Microsoft online services in all areas of their business, so the new contract had to achieve the most optimal commercial and contractual terms, while giving employees the tools and technology required to innovate.

Challenge

The company was facing challenges to be fully prepared to negotiate their new Microsoft agreement, due to a split from their parent company and changes in personnel. Engaging Insight’s Optimisation and Governance (O&G) experts helped them identify four areas that became their primary goals for their new agreement:

• Compliance: maintain license compliance of Microsoft software and any online services usage. When consuming online services, uphold the required cybersecurity requirements to safeguard company and customer data.
• Security: leverage Microsoft’s best-in-class security and compliance services to improve the overall security posture of the organisation.
• Deployment and Adoption roadmap: to ensure they realise the value of their Microsoft investment during the agreement term.
• Achieve Lowest Total Cost of Ownership: achieve the best value commercial and contractual terms.
  

“Thanks to Insight’s support, we were able to develop a compelling negotiation strategy quickly, aligned to our technology roadmap, putting us in the strongest possible position to achieve the best commercial terms for our new Enterprise Agreement. We can also be confident that we have the right adoption roadmap in place to achieve our company goals over the next five years.”

Commercial Development Specialist

Solution and Outcome

Insight Optimisation and Governance services for Microsoft included:

• Microsoft 365 strategy planning service.
• Optimised commercial contracts.
• Enterprise Agreement negotiation support.

The key goals of our Microsoft strategy planning service are to establish the client’s current and future deployment strategy over the next three plus years for the product categories in scope.

Insight ran a series of strategy planning workshops primarily focused on Workplace and advanced Security licensing requirements as this was the key focus for the client. These planning workshops helped our O&G Consultant develop a deployment and adoption plan to ensure Microsoft were clear around the time it would take the client to benefit from their new Microsoft investment.

Optimised commercial contracts, and Enterprise Agreement negotiation support, helped the client understand the contract amendments and concessions that were relevant to their business, while reducing the total cost of ownership. This resulted in Insight being able to negotiate custom terms that drive value for the client’s organisation.

Further outcomes included:

• A detailed deployment and adoption roadmap for the next five years.
• A future proof contract, with a ramped discount structure aligned to their technology and adoption roadmap, maximising return on investment and optimising cashflow.
• Access to world-class security and compliance services via Microsoft Cloud.
• Access to advanced licensing knowledge of Insight’s consultants, enabling clarification of the Microsoft licensing terms.
• Better visibility and control of Microsoft 365 consumption.
• Completion of the complex process of assessment and negotiation within a strict timeframe, enabling the client to continue to innovate using Microsoft services.
• Multimillion pound cost saving through negotiation activities.
• Opportunity to drive further cost savings through the consolidation of third party security products and services.