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Microsoft SPLA Licensing Advisory

Hosting providers, MSPs, and service providers report SPLA monthly and live with the audit window open every year. We sit on your side of the table.

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Watch the briefingResearch briefing · 4:06

Microsoft EA: Where the Leverage Really Is, and the Mistakes That Give It Away

Leverage lives in Microsoft's calendar and targets, and in credible movement at the edges of the estate. The three mistakes that hand it back: the copy-paste renewal, everyone-gets-everything licensing, and price-only negotiation under their clock.

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500+ Enterprise Clients Industry Recognized $2B+ Under Advisory 11 Vendor Practices 100% Independent
When we help

Three moments we step in

Scenario 01
SPLA usage report
Monthly SPLA reporting has drifted. Subscriber Access Licenses, SAL for SA, and Windows Server core counts no longer line up with deployment.
Scenario 02
Hoster audit
Microsoft has issued a SPLA verification or audit against a hosting provider. Eligibility, end customer evidence, and Listed Provider rules all under examination.
Scenario 03
Service provider scaling
A managed service is scaling fast. New end customers, new datacenters, and a SPLA model that needs to flex without exploding cost.
How we help

Four phase engagement procedure

Phase 01
Scope and baseline
Engagement scope, audit posture, and an independent independent baseline of SPLA usage across every datacenter and tenant.
Phase 02
Deployment review
SAL, SAL for SA, and core based counts measured against deployment. Listed Provider rules and end customer evidence assembled.
Phase 03
Negotiation
Microsoft and the reseller approached on a your side script. Reporting reset and the SPLA economics negotiated forward.
Phase 04
Close and side letter
Side letter signed. Audit findings sealed off. Reporting governance handed back to your operations team.
Deliverables

What you get at close

01
SPLA usage baseline
Independent measurement of SAL, SAL for SA, and core counts across every datacenter and end customer.
02
Audit response file
Legal containment, written communications protocol, and the parallel your side evidence pack.
03
Listed Provider position
Eligibility memo, end customer evidence map, and the Listed Provider rule alignment.
04
Reporting reset
Monthly reporting process redesigned around real usage. Reseller engagement model rewritten.
05
Side letter at close
Signed instrument preventing audit findings from following into the next reporting cycle.
06
Executive briefing deck
CFO and operations leadership summary of claim posture, savings, residual risk, and recommended forward position.
Outcome

What changes after we engage

70%+
Average audit
claim reduction
20 to 35%
Monthly SPLA
cost reduction
$5M+
Typical exposure
defended at close
48hr
Engagement
opening time
100%
Your side
independent
Engagement model

Two ways to engage

Pick the option that matches your posture. Fixed Fee for a single SPLA audit or reporting reset. Vendor Shield for continuous always on defense across the calendar year.

Option A

Fixed Fee Engagement

Scope
Single SPLA audit, reporting reset, or Listed Provider position. Fixed scope from day one.
Timeline
Six to twelve weeks typical. Same week start once scope is signed.
Pricing
Fixed fee. Quoted on scope. No hourly billing.
Best for
Active SPLA verification, scheduled reset, or planned scaling event with a defined end date.
Contact Us →
Option B

Vendor Shield

Scope
Continuous SPLA defense. Monthly reporting oversight, audit readiness, standing negotiation counsel.
Timeline
12 to 24 month subscription. Renews annually.
Pricing
Annual subscription. Quoted on tenant size.
Best for
Hosting providers and MSPs that already closed a verification and want never to reopen reactively.
Vendor Shield detail →
“
Microsoft opened the SPLA verification with a six million dollar claim across SAL and core based counts. Redress closed the engagement at a fraction of that and reset monthly reporting on terms we control.
VP Operations, European managed services provider
Tier one regional MSP
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Your next SPLA motion is an opportunity

Verification letter in the inbox. Monthly reporting drift on the desk. New end customers coming online. We start where you are.

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Negotiation intelligence, monthly

One letter a month. Negotiation moves, audit signals, and price book shifts.