Gartner Research

Choose the Right Microsoft Contracting Vehicles to Balance Cost and Complexity

Published: 18 April 2022

Summary

Failure to utilize the right Microsoft contracting vehicles results in overbuying and overpaying. Sourcing, procurement and vendor management leaders should leverage this research on Microsoft’s license purchasing options, nuances and impacts to learn which licensing vehicles best meet their needs.

Included in Full Research

Overview

Key Findings
  • Microsoft and its channel partners are prioritizing and motivating some customers into the New Commerce Experience while increasing the price for monthly options and retiring basic Open Licensing, resulting in customers rethinking their current licensing vehicles.

  • Sourcing, procurement and vendor management (SPVM) leaders often have trouble selecting the correct primary Microsoft vehicle for their users/endpoint purchases, resulting in missed opportunities for savings.

  • SPVM leaders sometimes prefer to make all their purchases on a single Microsoft vehicle without understanding how using additional vehicles for specific purchases can improve flexibility and reduce cost.

Recommendations

SPVM leaders negotiating Microsoft software and cloud contracts should:

  • Analyze

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