Microsoft Licensing Is Quietly Changing — and the Costs Are Catching Up Fast.
As Microsoft phases out traditional Enterprise Agreements, more CIOs are being pushed into CSP and MCA structures that offer “flexibility” — while removing price protections, eroding negotiation leverage, and making it easier for costs to spike mid-term.
Many organizations are still paying for inactive M365 users, buying premium bundles that go largely unused, or accepting vague hybrid-use rights that lead to double charges across cloud and on-prem. CSP billing confusion and MCA contract opacity only make things worse.
This free strategy guide breaks down Microsoft’s shift from EA to CSP to MCA — not as a product transition, but as a sales strategy designed to increase customer lock-in and obscure where costs are coming from. You’ll learn how Microsoft uses renewal pressure, audit threats, and bundled licensing assumptions to drive spend upward, often without adding business value.
The playbook outlines what real enterprise buyers can do — including how one Redress client avoided over €2.5 million in shelfware and unnecessary Azure commitments — by splitting licensing tiers, redlining hidden clauses, and using actual usage data as leverage.
Whether you’re facing a renewal, CSP transition, or MCA push, this briefing gives you the negotiation language, deal structure options, and internal steps needed to protect your organization from Microsoft’s evolving licensing playbook.
Download the white paper now and learn how to take back control before Microsoft sets the terms for you.