Case Study: Microsoft EA Renewal for a Global Financial Institution
Challenge
A global financial institution with over 60,000 employees engaged Redress Compliance to guide its Microsoft Enterprise Agreement (EA) renewal. With operations spanning investment banking, retail banking, and asset management, the institution relied heavily on Microsoft’s technologies for secure communication, compliance, and customer relationship management. Facing the expiration of its existing EA, the institution needed to:
- Conduct a detailed assessment of current Microsoft product deployments.
- Identify underutilized licenses and opportunities to optimize usage.
- Align licensing requirements with its future IT strategy and regulatory needs.
- Negotiate flexible and cost-effective terms for the new agreement.
- Benchmark costs against similar institutions to ensure competitive pricing.
Given the organization’s complex IT environment and stringent regulatory requirements, the renewal process required a strategic and nuanced approach.
The Process
- Deployment and Usage Analysis: • Conducted a comprehensive review of Microsoft deployments across Office 365, Azure, and Dynamics 365. • Mapped licensing entitlements to actual usage, highlighting areas of over-licensing and underutilization. • Evaluated hybrid cloud and on-premise setups to ensure alignment with the institution’s long-term IT roadmap.
- Optimization of Licensing Portfolio: • Consolidated licenses across global operations to reduce redundancy and improve cost-efficiency. • Transitioned specific departments to tailored licensing models, such as role-based or project-specific licensing. • Recommend retiring legacy systems and applications no longer critical to operations.
- Strategic Roadmap Development: • Collaborated with IT leadership to define a three-year roadmap prioritizing cloud adoption and advanced analytics tools. • Integrated plans for enhanced security solutions to meet evolving regulatory requirements. • Aligned licensing needs with the institution’s growth and digital transformation objectives.
- Benchmarking and Negotiation Strategy: • Compared the institution’s licensing costs and terms with similar global financial organizations. • Provided insights into industry trends to leverage in negotiations with Microsoft. • Developed a negotiation strategy emphasizing scalability, flexibility, and cost predictability.
- Agreement Renewal Support: • Engaged directly with Microsoft to present findings and negotiate favorable terms. • Secured substantial discounts on Azure and advanced security tools. • Achieved flexible terms allowing adjustments in licensing volumes to accommodate business fluctuations.
Results
- Cost Savings: • Annual savings from optimized license allocations: $6.5 million. • Additional savings through negotiated discounts: $4 million. • Total savings over the three-year term: $10.5 million.
- Operational Improvements: • Reduced licensing costs by 30% while maintaining compliance with Microsoft policies. • Streamlined licensing processes across multiple business units, enhancing efficiency and governance. • Enabled adoption of advanced collaboration and data analytics tools to support business growth.
- Strategic Outcomes: • Secured a scalable EA that supports future IT initiatives and regulatory compliance. • Improved visibility into software usage and costs, ensuring better budget management. • Positioned the institution for seamless digital transformation and innovation.
Quote from the CIO:
“Redress Compliance provided the expertise and insights we needed to navigate a complex EA renewal process. Their strategic approach delivered significant savings and ensured our agreement aligned with our growth and regulatory requirements. They were an invaluable partner.”
Key Results:
- Savings Achieved: $10.5 million over three years.
- Compliance Enhanced: Fully compliant with Microsoft licensing policies.
- Operational Efficiency: Optimized licensing portfolio with reduced redundancy.
- Strategic Alignment: Tailored agreement to support innovation and compliance goals.
This case highlights Redress Compliance’s ability to deliver customized solutions for financial institutions, ensuring cost efficiency, compliance, and scalability in Microsoft EA renewals.
