Avoid overpaying for shelfware, CSP markups, and cloud commit traps. Understand the real risk behind Microsoft’s new models before your next renewal, true-up, or licensing audit.
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.
This guide breaks down Microsoft’s shift not as a product transition, but as a sales strategy designed to increase customer lock-in and obscure where costs are coming from.
Enterprise Agreement: being phased out. Discounts disappearing.
Cloud Solution Provider: partner markups and billing opacity.
Microsoft Customer Agreement: flexibility with hidden trade-offs.
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 are 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 organisation from Microsoft’s evolving licensing playbook.
Redress Compliance provides independent Microsoft licensing advisory. We help CIOs navigate EA renewals, CSP transitions, MCA negotiations, M365 optimisation, Azure cost management, Copilot licensing, and audit defence. Fixed-fee engagements with no Microsoft commercial relationship.
Microsoft Advisory Services →This guide is delivered to your inbox instantly. No sales call required. It covers the complete EA to CSP to MCA transition with specific negotiation tactics, contract redlines, and cost avoidance strategies drawn from hundreds of enterprise Microsoft engagements.
EA phase-out timeline and implications: what is actually changing and when.
CSP markup analysis: how partner margins are structured and where they inflate costs.
MCA contract traps: auto-renewal clauses, price increase mechanisms, and commitment lock-ins.
M365 shelfware identification: finding and eliminating inactive licences before renewal.
Azure commitment negotiation: avoiding over-commitment and securing flexibility clauses.
Copilot add-on pricing: what CIOs should negotiate before signing.
Negotiation playbook: specific language, deal structures, and timing tactics for each model.
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