Case Study: Microsoft EA Renewal for a Leading Swiss Bank
Challenge
A prominent Swiss bank with a global presence and over 40,000 employees engaged Redress Compliance to assist in renewing its Microsoft Enterprise Agreement (EA). The bank relied on Microsoft’s technologies to support critical financial services, regulatory compliance, and operational efficiency. With an impending EA renewal, the bank sought to:
- Conduct a detailed analysis of its Microsoft deployments and usage.
- Optimize its license portfolio to reduce unnecessary costs.
- Develop a strategic roadmap to support its digital transformation.
- Benchmark licensing costs and terms against industry peers.
- Negotiate a flexible and cost-effective agreement aligned with business objectives.
The bank’s complex IT environment and stringent regulatory obligations required a tailored approach to ensure compliance, cost efficiency, and scalability.
The Process
- Comprehensive Deployment Analysis: • Reviewed all Microsoft deployments, including Office 365, Azure, and Dynamics 365. • Identified discrepancies between software usage and entitlements, highlighting underutilized and redundant licenses. • Assessed on-premise, cloud, and hybrid environments to align licensing with future needs.
- Optimization of Licensing Portfolio: • Consolidated licenses across multiple business units to eliminate duplication. • Implemented role-based licensing to better align with user profiles and requirements. • Recommended retiring outdated or unused solutions to streamline the software stack.
- Strategic Roadmap Development: • Collaborated with IT leadership to define a three-year roadmap for digital transformation and cloud migration. • Prioritized key Microsoft solutions aligned with the bank’s innovation and operational efficiency goals. • Ensured the roadmap allowed flexibility to adapt to evolving business and regulatory demands.
- Benchmarking: • Compare the bank’s licensing costs and terms against similar financial institutions to ensure competitive pricing. • Provided insights into global market trends and best practices to strengthen negotiation leverage.
- Negotiation Strategy: • Leveraged findings from the deployment analysis and optimization phases to develop a robust negotiation strategy. • Secured significant discounts on Azure services and Dynamics 365 solutions. • Negotiated flexible terms to accommodate adjustments in licensing volumes and future scalability.
Results
- Cost Savings: • Annual savings from license optimization: CHF 5.8 million. • Additional savings through negotiated discounts: CHF 3.2 million. • Total savings achieved over the three-year term: CHF 9 million.
- Operational Improvements: • Reduced overall licensing costs by 27% while maintaining compliance. • Streamlined licensing management across multiple business units, improving transparency. • Enabled seamless adoption of Microsoft’s advanced tools for collaboration and analytics.
- Strategic Outcomes: • Achieved a flexible and scalable EA aligned with the bank’s growth and innovation goals. • Enhanced governance and visibility into software usage and costs. • Positioned the bank for efficient and compliant cloud adoption.
Quote from the CIO:
“Redress Compliance’s expertise was invaluable during our Microsoft EA renewal. Their strategic approach ensured we achieved significant cost savings and secured an agreement tailored to our long-term objectives. Their insights were critical to our success.”
Key Results:
- Savings Achieved: CHF 9 million over three years.
- Compliance Enhanced: Fully compliant with Microsoft licensing policies.
- Operational Efficiency: Optimized licensing portfolio and improved cost management.
- Strategic Alignment: Licensing strategy tailored to support innovation and compliance.
This case highlights Redress Compliance’s ability to deliver tailored solutions for financial institutions, ensuring cost optimization, compliance, and strategic alignment in Microsoft EA renewals.
