Negotiate the broader Microsoft Enterprise Agreement framework. The volume tier framework, the True Up framework, the Microsoft 365 mix framework, the Azure MACC framework, the Enterprise Customer Investment framework, the co terminus framework, the Microsoft Unified support framework, and the broader Microsoft EA versus MCA E framework.
The Microsoft Enterprise Agreement (EA) negotiation framework is the load bearing Microsoft commercial framework. The EA anchors Microsoft 365, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Microsoft Power Platform, Microsoft Sentinel, and Microsoft Unified support against the Microsoft three year term.
This guide sets out the buyer side framework across ten dimensions of the EA negotiation:
Read the related Microsoft services practice, the Microsoft knowledge hub, the Microsoft EA renewal playbook, the Microsoft EA discount negotiation levers, and the Microsoft Unified support EA alignment article.
The Microsoft Enterprise Agreement is a three year framework. It anchors the customer's Microsoft licensing position against Microsoft's volume framework.
EA discount tier framework
| Level | License band |
|---|---|
| Level A | 250 to 2,399 licenses |
| Level B | 2,400 to 5,999 licenses |
| Level C | 6,000 to 14,999 licenses |
| Level D | 15,000 plus licenses |
The buyer side move is to anchor the EA framework against the actual customer's Microsoft 365, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Dynamics 365, and Microsoft Power Platform footprints. Read the related Microsoft 365 licensing framework.
Microsoft frequently anchors the EA against the broader Microsoft Customer Agreement Enterprise (MCA E) framework. The MCA E is the pay as you go framework, anchored against monthly billing. The buyer side move is to preserve EA optionality against the MCA E alternative at the renewal table. Read the related Microsoft EA versus MCA E comparison.
The Microsoft EA volume tier framework is the foundational discount lever. Movement between tiers is worth between three and five percent off Microsoft list price, with Level D anchoring the deepest material Microsoft EA discount tier. Microsoft frequently quotes the actual customer at the actual customer Level. The buyer side move is to anchor the actual customer Level against the actual customer Microsoft 365 framework, the actual customer Microsoft Azure commit framework, the actual customer Microsoft Dynamics 365 framework, and the broader actual customer Microsoft Power Platform framework. The broader volume tier framework is also the bundle framework anchor. Pulling Dynamics 365 onto the EA, pulling Power Platform onto the EA, and pulling Microsoft Sentinel onto the EA all push the broader Microsoft EA framework into the Level D tier framework. Read the related Microsoft EA discount negotiation levers.
The Microsoft EA True Up framework is the annual reconciliation framework. The window runs to roughly thirty days post anniversary. The framework typically delivers material commercial leakage where actual customer headcount has grown.
Three buyer side moves anchor the True Up framework:
Read the related Microsoft True Up cost management article.
The Microsoft 365 mix framework anchors the broader Microsoft EA framework against the broader Microsoft 365 E3, the broader Microsoft 365 E5, the broader Microsoft 365 F1, the broader Microsoft 365 F3, the broader Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise framework, and the broader Microsoft 365 Business framework. Microsoft frequently anchors the actual customer Microsoft 365 framework at Microsoft 365 E5 across the entire actual customer base. The buyer side move is to anchor the actual customer Microsoft 365 mix framework against the actual customer Microsoft 365 E5 utilization framework, with the actual customer Microsoft 365 F1, the actual customer Microsoft 365 F3, and the actual customer Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise framework anchored against the actual customer frontline framework. The actual customer Microsoft 365 E5 framework segments across the actual customer Microsoft 365 E5 Security framework, the actual customer Microsoft 365 E5 Compliance framework, and the actual customer Microsoft 365 E5 Information Protection and Governance framework. Read the related Microsoft 365 E5 versus E3 comparison and the Microsoft 365 frontline licensing.
The Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment (MACC) framework is the broader Microsoft Azure pre commitment framework, typically anchored against three year terms with annual commit levels. The buyer side move is to anchor the actual customer MACC framework against the actual customer Microsoft Azure consumption framework, the actual customer Microsoft Azure Reserved Instance framework, the actual customer Microsoft Azure Savings Plan framework, and the actual customer Microsoft Azure Hybrid Benefit framework. Microsoft frequently inflates the broader MACC framework above the actual customer Microsoft Azure consumption framework. The buyer side move is to anchor the broader MACC framework against the actual customer Microsoft Azure consumption framework. Read the related Microsoft Azure cost optimization and the Azure FinOps cost governance framework.
The Enterprise Customer Investment (ECI) framework is the bespoke Microsoft discount framework, anchored against the broader Microsoft account team Vice President framework, the broader Microsoft account team Corporate Vice President framework, and at upper customer scale, the broader Microsoft Worldwide Sales Field framework. ECIs typically deliver between five and fifteen percent against the broader Microsoft EA discount tier framework, with bespoke ECI frameworks at upper customer scale delivering material commercial leverage. The buyer side move is to anchor the actual customer ECI framework against the actual customer Microsoft 365 framework, the actual customer Microsoft Azure framework, the actual customer Microsoft Dynamics 365 framework, the actual customer Microsoft Power Platform framework, and the actual customer Microsoft Unified support framework. Read the related Microsoft EA discount negotiation levers.
The Microsoft co terminus framework anchors the broader Microsoft renewal framework. Microsoft frequently anchors the actual customer Microsoft EA framework against multiple Microsoft renewal anchors (Microsoft 365 anniversary, Microsoft Azure MACC anniversary, Microsoft Dynamics 365 anniversary, Microsoft Sentinel anniversary, Microsoft Unified support anniversary). The buyer side move is to anchor the actual customer Microsoft EA framework against a single co terminus framework, which delivers material commercial leverage at the broader Microsoft EA renewal cycle. Read the related Microsoft EA renewal playbook.
The Microsoft Unified support framework is the broader Microsoft enterprise support framework, anchored against actual customer Microsoft EA spend at typically between six and ten percent of EA spend. The framework segments across Microsoft Unified Core, Microsoft Unified Advanced, and Microsoft Unified Performance frameworks. The buyer side move is to anchor the actual customer Microsoft Unified support framework against the actual customer Microsoft Premier framework, the actual customer Microsoft Mission Critical framework, and the broader Microsoft third party support framework against US Cloud, Quest, and Rimini Street. Read the related Microsoft Unified support EA alignment.
Three competitive frameworks deliver material commercial leverage at the Microsoft EA renewal cycle. The buyer side move is to anchor each against the corresponding Microsoft product line.
Read the related Google Workspace licensing negotiation article.
Redress engages on the Microsoft EA framework across three engagement modes:
Read the related Vendor Shield, the Renewal Program, and the Benchmarking programs.
Redress is independent. Buyer side. Industry Recognized. Five hundred plus enterprise software engagements. $2B+ in client spend under advisory. Eleven vendor practices. One hundred percent buyer side. Read the related About Us page, the management team page, the locations page, and the contact page.
A buyer side framework for the broader Microsoft EA renewal cycle. The Microsoft EA volume tier framework, the Microsoft EA True Up framework, the Microsoft 365 mix framework, the Microsoft Azure MACC framework, the Microsoft Enterprise Customer Investment framework, the Microsoft co terminus framework, and the Microsoft Unified support framework.
Used across more than five hundred enterprise software engagements. Independent. Buyer side. Built for Microsoft customers running the next renewal cycle.
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Open the Paper →The standard advice from Microsoft's partner channel is that the cleanest EA is one with everyone on E5 and Copilot fully rolled out, with a long term Azure MACC sized on the strategic forecast. We disagree. In roughly three out of four enterprise renewals we have benchmarked, that posture costs the buyer 18 to 32 percent more than a tiered E3 base with selective E5 add ons, a quarantined Copilot cohort, and a MACC sized on trailing twelve month run rate.
Source: Redress Compliance advisory engagement file, 2024 to 2025.
Microsoft EA quotes typically delivered material commercial complexity. Redress reframed the framework around the actual customer Microsoft 365 mix, the actual customer Microsoft Azure MACC framework, and the actual customer Microsoft Enterprise Customer Investment framework. Twenty four percent off the broader Microsoft EA framework.
Renewal in twelve months. Audit notice in the inbox. RFP on the desk. We start where you are.
Microsoft EA framework signals, Microsoft 365 framework signals, Microsoft Azure framework signals, Microsoft Dynamics 365 framework signals, Microsoft Power Platform framework signals, Microsoft Sentinel framework signals, and the broader Microsoft Unified support framework leverage signals.
