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Promotions! Promotions! Everywhere! And, it's all coming from Microsoft
Most companies across the globe are suffering durin  g the financial crisis, grasping on to their customers for dear life. With revenues down and companies holding onto any reserve cash they have, Microsoft has implemented a discount program for its larger customers - offering a 25 percent discount on its Enterprise Agreement (EA) volume licensing contracts.
If you're an EA customer, you have until July 3rd to claim the discount on licensing and software assurance. Products affected are as follows: Windows Exchange Server Enterprise, Office Communication Server Enterprise, Windows Server Enterprise and Server Management Suite Enterprise (SMSE).
In addition to the 25% discount, EA customers are also eligible for a 15% discount on licenses and software assurance for the following products: Exchange Server Standard, Office Communication Server Standard, SQL Server Standard, Office SharePoint Server, Visual Studio Team Suite, Office Project Standard, Office Project Professional, Office Visio Standard and Office Visio Professional.
In another move to gain market share in this economy, Microsoft has also released a set of eight extensions to its Dynamics CRM software that are free for download. The Dynamics CRM Accelerators have been released under a Microsoft open-source license and cover analytics, notifications, enterprise search and event management. There is also a current promotion for existing and prospective customers of Dynamics CRM that offers Convergence 2009 attendees as many as 20 users at US$9.99 per user per month for six months. Microsoft also announced that CRM Online will have a 99.9 percent service-level agreement that gives customers a month's credit in the event of any unplanned outages.
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Microsoft Enterprise Agreement - To renew or not to renew? That is the question.
When the time comes and organizations are faced with their Microsoft Enterprise Agreement (EA) renewal decision, it's almost always a spirited internal debate. The cost of a renewal can be significant, representing a huge chunk of one's IT budget. The complexity of Microsoft licensing -not to mention the challenge of negotiating a new agreement- require that you have a clearly defined plan for the future. New implementations of virtualization and cloud computing will weigh on the decision to renew or not, and there are many options to consider.
Software Assurance:
Microsoft has been increasing their push on Software Assurance (SA) as a way for them to better predict revenue and future cash flows. SA certainly comes with its benefits, which includes upgrade rights, proactive support offerings, and licensing rights.
If you plan to virtualize, in many cases SA is a requirement. In order to make an informed decision on whether or not SA is a worthwhile investment, you will need to evaluate which aspects of the SA package you will actually use. If you aren't going to take advantage of the full offering, it's probably not worth the extra dough. For example, the support offerings are great but if you don't require support that frequently, if might make more sense to buy one-off support and pay the fees as they come.
Virtualization:
The decision to virtualize or what to virtualize is a question many companies face. Whether or not you choose to use a vendor like VMWare or Citrix, your Microsoft licensing requirements will still be the same. You will want to evaluate the different licensing options along with your virtualization plans in order to get the best bang for your buck.
Virtualization has caught on so quickly that it has left vendors like Microsoft catching up with their licensing terms. Consequently, we would recommend getting outside help to be sure you are in compliance. The implementation of virtual desktops can be daunting enough - don't make the mistake of not licensing properly and find yourself facing fees from your vendors.
Cloud Computing:
More companies are looking to the clouds for alternatives from their current vendors, such as Google and IBM. Taking IT functions in-house and using a cloud-based program to manage these processes are appealing to those looking to cut costs. Data storage (for example) is much less costly in the clouds, and can be a much better option for organizations where storage needs change frequently. Before committing to one vendor, look at all the options. Evaluate what functions would be better managed in-house and compare costs.
All in all, the question of whether or not you should renew isn't so cut and dry. Every scenario for your company from now through the length of the contract needs to be considered to prepare yourself for changes you may face, and any new technology you may deploy. The negotiation process will be much more effective if you have a clear-cut plan ahead of time and are prepared to get the best deal to fit your needs.
The worst thing that can happen is that you negotiate a complete renewal, leaving you with unused licenses or even requiring you to make another big purchase.
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Miro in the Media
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Upcoming Events 
April 21st @ 10 a.m. ET
Knowledge
is King for Software Licensing Contract Discussions
Speakers:
Scott D. Rosenberg,
CEO and Founder,
Miro Consulting
Graeme Port,
Chief Technology Officer, ManageSoft
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Oracle Licensing Experts
Ask about our Oracle licensing expertise. Miro analysts have well over 60 years combined experience in Oracle licensing, compliance and audit situations.
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| Awards and Honors
An award-winning company, Miro and its senior executives have been honored as the fastest growing company and recognized for having the best management team from the following
prestigious organizations:
Ernst & Young
Entrepreneur of the Year 2008 NJ
50 Fastest Growth Companies in NJ | |
About Miro Consulting, Inc.
Miro Consulting helps companies analyze and negotiate enterprise software contracts - specifically Microsoft and Oracle licensing. In addition, the company offers software asset management consultation services. Since 2000, the NJ-based company has negotiated over $1 billion in software licensing transactions. Miro has helped 400+ clients throughout North America and worldwide to optimize their total cost of ownership (TCO). |
| Miro Consulting, Inc.
720 King Georges Post Road, Fords, N.J. 08863 o: 732.738.8511 x210
Copyright � 2008 Miro Consulting, Inc. All rights reserved locally and worldwide.
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