Pain Points: This client had limited visibility on its software and cloud usage, specifically focusing on tools like Microsoft, Adobe, IBM, O365, and Azure.
Positive Feedback about MetrixData 360: This client expressed gratitude toward MetrixData 360, commending their exceptional assistance and guidance throughout the projects.
Services or Tools Provided: MetrixData 360 provided their proficiency in Adobe ELP and optimization services. This tailor made solution augmented this client’s operations, highlighting their expertise and commitment to delivering industry-specific add-ons.
Specific SKU/Service Involved: The focus of the provided service hones in on Adobe Acrobat.
Findings: The detailed analysis conducted by MetrixData 360 revealed that this client had over-deployed a total of 1,590 Adobe Acrobat Professional and Standard licenses.
Savings Achieved: MetrixData 360 helped this client save up to $105,218, related to the low usage of Adobe Acrobat.
Areas of Savings: We helped them identify low/no usage instances of Adobe Acrobat so they could successfully remove it from 1,817 devices.
Savings Breakdown: By identifying low and no-usage instances of Adobe Acrobat, MetrixData 360 enabled this client to save $10,000 in Adobe Acrobat annual subscription.
Duration: MetrixData 360’s efforts effectively helped this client avoid incurring an additional $95K in true-up costs, eliminating the need to increase Adobe Acrobat’s annual subscriptions.
Pain Points: With all the recent changes Microsoft has brought to the table, our client was struggling with Windows Server Licensing because of the new subscription model, the everlasting changes in terms and conditions, and changes in license metrics.
Positive Feedback about MetrixData 360: This client found MetrixData 360’s expertise invaluable in dealing with their Windows Server licensing issues. Thanks to the insights provided by the MetrixData 360 team, the client was able to make well-informed decisions, leading to optimized license usage and massive annual savings.
Service or Tool Provided: The company sought Windows Server License optimization for its operations.
Specific SKU/Service Involved: An evaluation of internal servers through Windows Server HealthCheck.
Findings: Adjust licenses to reduce costs and provide compliance with the company’s requirements.
Savings Achieved: With MetrixData 360’s expert intervention, the financial firm waved goodbye to non-compliant spending, saving a hefty $307,944.84 per year. Moreover, utilizing traditional licensing rules unlocked an additional annual saving of $1,693,849.20.
Areas of Savings: The areas of savings were related to Windows Server licensing using new Virtual OSE rules.
Savings Breakdown: 100% of the savings were due to optimization.
Costs Avoided: The client avoided costs of $307,944.84 due to optimization issues.
Duration: The contract lasted under two months and was related to Windows Server Subscriptions—part of an existing Server and Cloud Enrollment (SCE).
Pain Points: This healthcare organization faced difficulties in managing Microsoft Azure, Server Licenses, and Office 365 usage, resulting in overspending and confusion. A comprehensive solution was needed to optimize cost management, streamline resources, and improve understanding of their complex technology environment.
Positive Feedback about MetrixData 360: MetrixData 360 provided clarity, optimized costs, and effectively streamlined the organization’s resources, gaining sincere client appreciation for their invaluable assistance.
Services or Tools Provided: By transforming their EA Renewal into a SAM Compass annual service, MetrixData 360 customized a comprehensive solution for this company. This strategy incorporated key Microsoft services, such as Azure, O365, SQL Server, and Windows Server.
Specific SKU/Service Involved: The healthcare firm’s IT landscape tackled specific Microsoft services: Azure, O365, SQL Server, and Windows Server.
Findings: The healthcare firm witnessed astounding financial improvements, with a total savings of $1.9M. The renewal saved them $1,181,361, while a blended discount and SQL cleanup
accounted for $726,648 and $431,403 in savings, respectively. Further, the company saved $23,300 on Project/Visio, and with Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement Plan, projected savings of $672K annually starting August 1, 2023.
Savings Achieved: Total Savings $1.9M Renewal (June 30, 2023): $1,181,361, Blended Discount: $726,648, SQL Cleanup: $431,403, Project/Visio: $23,300; August 1, 2023: $56K per month (672K per year): Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement Plan.
Areas of Savings: This company reaped the financial advantages from EA blended discounts, SQL Server optimizations, the implementation of Dynamics 365, and Project/Visio cost reductions.
Savings Breakdown: MetrixData 360’s intervention paved the way for the healthcare firm to save $1.3M in potential costs, including averting a $454,713 true-up from SQL Server.
Duration: The The EA Renewal process spanned approximately six months, while the SAM Compass service followed through its annual commitment, with an estimated completion time of eight months.
Pain Points: The company needed assistance realigning its on-premises licenses into Azure and optimizing its licenses as it transitioned to a new agreement. Negotiating the best price was also a challenge.
Positive Feedback about MetrixData 360: The company appreciated the negotiation points provided by MetrixData 360, helping them request better pricing from Microsoft. The ongoing support and insights were valuable.
Service Provided: MetrixData 360 provided the services “SLIM360 for O365 & Azure.”
Specific SKU/Service Involved: The company’s licenses included O365, Azure, and on-premises CIS Server licenses.
Findings: By creating a cost model, MetrixData 360 identified substantial savings that could be achieved through realignment and optimization.
Savings Achieved: The company saved around $400,000 from its current agreement, with potential annual savings of $965,000 on O365 and $118,000 on Azure.
Areas of Savings: The areas of savings were related to O365, Azure, and on-premises CIS Server licenses.
Savings Breakdown: A significant portion of savings was achieved through the cost model’s insights.
Costs Avoided: The company avoided costs of about $1.4 million.
Duration: The engagement lasted 3 months and was a one-time engagement focused on the transition and optimization process.
Best Future Fit Service: For this client, the best future-fit service would be either “SAM Compass” or “O365/Azure” services.
Pain Points: The company needed help with re-sizing their Microsoft 365 (M365) licenses and optimizing their license usage. They were seeking a cost-effective solution.
Positive Feedback about MetrixData 360: The value-add of MetrixData 360 was in creating cost models and providing insights that helped the company make informed decisions.
Service Provided: MetrixData 360 provided the service “SLIM360” for M365.
Specific SKU/Service Involved: The company was using M365 E3 licenses and Defender P1 licenses.
Findings: The company had unassigned licenses, leading to underutilization and unnecessary costs.
Savings Achieved: MetrixData 360 helped the company achieve an annual savings of $90,000, amounting to $270,000 over 3 years.
Areas of Savings: The areas of savings were related to M365 E3 and Defender P1 licenses.
Savings Breakdown: Approximately 6% of the savings were due to optimizations.
Costs Avoided: The client avoided costs of around $400,000 annually.
Duration: The engagement lasted 3 months and was a one-time engagement related to the company’s Enterprise Agreement renewal.
Best Future Fit Service: The best future-fit service for this client would be “SLIM360 for O365.”
Pain Points: The company struggled with understanding its SQL deployments and ensuring compliance with regulations. They needed insights into optimization possibilities.
Positive Feedback about MetrixData 360: The company was impressed with the insights provided by MetrixData 360, which helped them identify optimization opportunities and ensure compliance.
Service Provided: MetrixData 360 provided the service “MAP” (Metrix Assessment Platform).
Specific SKU/Service Involved: The SQL Server workloads used SQL Server Enterprise and SQL Standard licenses.
Findings: The SQL Server deployments were found to be non-compliant with licensing requirements, as they were using a mix of SQL Server Enterprise and SQL Standard licenses.
Savings Achieved: While the exact dollar amount couldn’t be determined due to missing data, it was estimated that the company could save around $200,000.
Areas of Savings: The areas of potential savings were identified within the SQL Enterprise workloads.
Savings Breakdown: The exact amount saved through discounts versus optimization wasn’t specified.
Costs Avoided: The cost avoided for the client was not provided.
As a customer, when you are looking to buy software, you want to get the best possible deal and build a strong relationship with the software provider. However, this can be difficult to achieve if a bad sales rep is working with you. In this blog post, we will explore why keeping a bad sales rep could cost you and provide actionable tips on how to get a great software deal and strengthen relationships.
Why Keeping a Bad Sales Rep Could Cost You
A bad sales rep can cost you in many ways. A bad sales rep:
Will not give you straight answers and will likely give you the runaround. This can be frustrating and time-consuming as you try to get the information you need to make an informed decision
May not be loyal to you and may be more interested in meeting their own goals than yours. This can lead to added costs, such as licensing, deployment, ongoing support, and increased costs over time.
Focuses on their quota and how they get paid. If you find a rep forcing you to buy products or services you don’t need, there is a reason. Reps that are focused on themselves are not going to help you accomplish what you need.
Actionable Tips to Get a Great Deal and Strengthen Relationships
Now that we’ve looked at why a bad sales rep can cost you, let’s explore some actionable tips on how to get a great software deal and strengthen relationships.
Do your research
Mistake: Not doing research
Tip: Before making a software purchase, do your research. Look for reviews and testimonials from other customers, check the software provider’s website and social media accounts, and speak with current or past customers if possible. This will help you make an informed decision and avoid wasting time and money.
Communicate your needs
Mistake: Not communicating your needs
Tip: When speaking with a sales rep, be clear and specific about your needs. This will help the sales rep understand your needs and make appropriate recommendations. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or ask for clarification if you don’t understand something.
Statistic: According to a survey by TechValidate, 97% of B2B buyers said that the sales rep’s ability to understand their needs was an important factor in their decision to purchase.
Negotiate
Mistake: Not negotiating
Tip: Don’t be afraid to negotiate with the sales rep. Ask for discounts or special pricing, especially if purchasing multiple licenses or a long-term contract. If the sales rep is unwilling to negotiate, consider speaking with management or looking for a different software provider.
Statistic: According to a survey by HubSpot, 89% of B2B buyers said negotiating pricing was an important factor in their decision to purchase.
Get in Touch with Us to Avoid That Bad Software and Sales Rep
As a customer, if you’re looking to buy software, you want to get the best possible deal and build a strong relationship with the software provider. We’ll help you avoid those bad sales reps that cost you, and we’ll provide even more actionable tips on how to get a great software deal and strengthen relationships.
Don’t let a lousy software sales rep cost you more. Look for warning signs like poor communication and lack of support.
Don’t settle for vague timelines or complex deployments. A good sales rep should be clear and transparent.
Watch out for hidden costs and “shelf-ware” bundles. A good sales rep will work to provide value and meet your needs.
Work with a sales rep who prioritizes your goals and vision, not just their own. Loyalty and support are critical.
Choose a sales rep who values security and supports your business needs. Don’t compromise on protection or solutions.
Don’t keep a bad sales rep if you want a great software deal and strong relationships.
Look for warning signs like poor communication, lack of support, and unclear timelines.
Don’t settle for hidden costs or unnecessary “shelf-ware” bundles. A good sales rep should provide value.
Prioritize your own goals and vision. Choose a sales rep who will support you and work to meet your needs.
Don’t compromise on security or protection. Choose a sales rep who values these aspects of software purchasing.
Take control of the purchasing process. Don’t let a bad sales rep drive up costs or hurt your relationship with your provider.
As businesses continue to rely more and more on software, the role of the sales representative has become increasingly important. A good sales rep can help enterprises to find the right software at the right price, while a bad sales rep can do the opposite. In fact, a bad sales rep could end up costing your business more than just money. According to a study by HubSpot, over 50% of customers say they have stopped doing business with a company because of poor customer service. So, how do you avoid keeping a bad sales rep, get an excellent software deal, and strengthen your business relationships?
Identify Warning Signs
The first step in avoiding a bad sales rep is to know what to look for. Here are some warning signs that you might have a bad sales rep:
A sales rep who is challenging to reach, doesn’t respond to emails, or doesn’t listen to your needs is a red flag.
A good sales rep should be there to support you throughout the entire software purchasing process, not just during the sale.
Be wary of sales reps who aren’t transparent about costs or try to bundle unnecessary features or services.
If the sales rep is only concerned with their own goals rather than yours, it’s time to look elsewhere.
Actionable Recommendation: Watch for these warning signs, and don’t hesitate to ask questions or voice concerns to their management team. A good sales rep will be transparent and responsive.
Error to Avoid: Don’t assume that a sales rep who seems nice or friendly will automatically be a good fit. Always do your research and ask questions.
Prioritize Your Goals and Vision
Your business has unique needs and goals when it comes to software. A good sales rep should prioritize your vision, not theirs. Here are some ways to ensure that your goals are being met:
A good sales rep will be open and honest about what they can and can’t provide.
Your software needs might change over time. A good sales rep should be willing to adjust to your changing needs.
Look for a sales rep who provides ongoing support, not just during the sale.
A good sales rep will be loyal to you and your business, not just trying to make a quick sale.
Actionable Recommendation: Clearly articulate your goals and vision to potential sales reps. Look for reps who show a willingness to work with you to achieve these goals.
Error to Avoid: Don’t settle for a sales rep who tries to push their own agenda or goals onto your business. Always prioritize your own needs and vision.
Don’t let your sales rep talk you into unnecessary add-ons:
Evaluate whether add-ons align with your goals and objectives
Ask for data or case studies that demonstrate how the add-on has helped similar clients
Push back if you feel like the add-on isn’t necessary or won’t provide a good ROI
Don’t let a bad sales rep pressure you into making a decision that isn’t right for your business and your budget.
Sales reps are often incentivized to push additional products or services, even if they don’t add value to your specific needs. Before agreeing to any add-ons, take the time to evaluate whether they align with your goals and objectives. Ask your rep to provide data or case studies demonstrating how the add-on has helped other clients in similar industries. Don’t be afraid to push back if you feel the add-on isn’t necessary or won’t provide a good return on investment.
Remember, it’s your business and your budget— don’t let a bad sales rep pressure you into making a decision that isn’t right for you.
Male manager is explaining about the company’s cost graph on the laptop computer for employees to listen to and share the analysis.
Azure is a powerful and feature-rich cloud platform that offers a wide range of services and tools to help organizations build, deploy, and manage applications and workloads. However, the cost of using Azure can be a significant concern for organizations, particularly as the scale and complexity of their Azure environment grow.
Optimizing Azure costs requires a strategic approach considering the organization’s specific needs and requirements. To help organizations optimize their Azure costs, we recommend the following strategies:
Understand your workloads: One of the critical steps in optimizing Azure costs is to understand the specific workloads and resources consumed in your environment. This includes identifying which services and resources are used, how they are used, and how much they cost.
Right-size your resources: Ensuring your resources are appropriately sized for your workloads is critical to optimizing Azure costs. This can involve scaling resources up or down as needed to meet the demands of your workload or selecting cost-effective resource sizes that meet your performance requirements.
Utilize Azure Cost Management tools: Azure provides various tools and services to help organizations optimize costs, including Azure Cost Management, Azure Advisor, and the Azure Pricing Calculator. These tools can help you identify optimization opportunities, track your costs over time, and plan for future growth.
Use resource tagging: Resource tagging is a powerful tool for optimizing Azure costs. It allows you to assign metadata to your resources and track their usage and costs more granularly. This can help you identify and optimize underutilized or overutilized resources and allocate costs more effectively.
Optimize resource deployment: The way that you deploy resources in Azure can have a significant impact on your costs. To optimize your costs, consider using resource groups to manage and deploy resources more efficiently and leverage deployment automation tools like Azure Resource Manager templates to streamline resource deployment.
By following these strategies, organizations can optimize their Azure costs and get the most value from their investment in the cloud.
Azure cost management best practices:
Effective Azure cost management requires a strategic approach considering the organization’s specific needs and requirements. To help optimize Azure costs, we recommend the following best practices:
Understand your workloads: One of the critical steps in optimizing Azure costs is to understand the specific workloads and resources consumed in your environment. This includes identifying which services and resources are used, how they are used, and how much they cost.
Right-size your resources: Ensuring your resources are appropriately sized for your workloads is critical to optimizing Azure costs. This can involve scaling resources up or down as needed to meet the demands of your workload or selecting cost-effective resource sizes that meet your performance requirements.
Use resource tagging: Resource tagging is a powerful tool for optimizing Azure costs. It allows you to assign metadata to your resources and track their usage and costs more granularly. This can help you identify and optimize underutilized or overutilized resources and allocate costs more effectively.
Optimize resource deployment: How you deploy resources in Azure can significantly impact your costs. To optimize your costs, consider using resource groups to manage and deploy resources more efficiently and leverage deployment automation tools like Azure Resource Manager templates to streamline resource deployment.
Leverage Azure Cost Management tools: Azure provides tools and services to help organizations optimize costs, including Azure Cost Management, Azure Advisor, and the Azure Pricing Calculator. These tools can help you identify optimization opportunities, track your costs over time, and plan for future growth.
Azure cost management tools:
Azure provides a range of tools and services to help organizations optimize their costs, including:
Azure Cost Management: Azure Cost Management is a comprehensive platform that provides visibility into your Azure costs, usage, and trend data. With Azure Cost Management, you can track your costs in real-time, optimize your resource usage, and optimize your Azure spending.
Azure Advisor: Azure Advisor is a free service that provides recommendations to help you optimize your Azure resources. Advisor analyzes your resource utilization and workload patterns and provides recommendations to help you optimize your costs, improve performance, and increase security.
Azure Pricing Calculator: The Azure Pricing Calculator is a tool that allows you to estimate the cost of running your workloads on Azure. You can use the calculator to estimate costs based on specific services, regions, and resource sizes and compare the cost of running your workloads on Azure to other cloud platforms.
Azure cost management strategies:
Effective Azure cost management requires a strategic approach considering the organization’s specific needs and requirements. To help organizations optimize their Azure costs, we recommend the following strategies:
Adopt a cost-conscious mindset: To optimize your Azure costs, adopting a cost-conscious mindset and approach to resource management is essential. This involves being aware of the cost of your resources and actively seeking ways to optimize those costs.
Develop a cost management plan: A cost management plan is a roadmap for optimizing your Azure costs over time. Your plan should outline your cost management goals, the strategies and tactics you will use to achieve those goals, and the metrics you will use to track your progress.
Utilize Azure Cost Management tools: Azure provides tools and services to help organizations optimize costs, including Azure Cost Management, Azure Advisor, and the Azure Pricing Calculator. These tools can help you identify optimization opportunities, track your costs over time, and plan for future growth.
Use resource tagging: Resource tagging is a powerful tool for optimizing Azure costs. It allows you to assign metadata to your resources and track their usage and costs more granularly. This can help you identify and optimize underutilized or overutilized resources and allocate costs more effectively.
Optimize resource deployment: How you deploy resources in Azure can significantly impact your costs. To optimize your costs, consider using resource groups to manage and deploy resources more efficiently and leverage deployment automation tools like Azure Resource Manager templates to streamline resource deployment.
Azure cost management tips:
In addition to the strategies and best practices mentioned above, there are several additional tips that organizations can follow to optimize their Azure costs:
Monitor your costs regularly: Monitoring your Azure costs can help you identify optimization opportunities and make changes to reduce your costs. Azure provides a range of tools and services, such as Azure Cost Management and Azure Advisor, that can help you to track your costs and identify areas for improvement.
Consider using reserved instances: Reserved instances can help you to save on Azure compute costs by allowing you to reserve capacity for your workloads at a discounted rate. When you purchase a reserved instance, you commit to using a specific computing capacity for a certain period in exchange for a discounted rate.
Use Azure Hybrid Benefit: Azure Hybrid Benefit is a licensing benefit that allows organizations with Windows Server and SQL Server licenses with Software Assurance to use their existing licenses to save on Azure compute costs. By leveraging Azure Hybrid Benefit, organizations can reduce their Azure compute costs by up to 55%.
Utilize Azure Cost Management policies: Azure Cost Management policies allow you to set rules and alerts to help you optimize your Azure costs. You can use policies to define budget thresholds, set alerts for when costs exceed a certain threshold and enforce resource tagging standards.
Use Azure Cost Management APIs: The Azure Cost Management APIs allow you to access your Azure cost and usage data programmatically, enabling you to build custom cost management solutions or integrate your Azure cost data with other tools and systems.
Azure cost management tools – documents that can help:
Azure provides a range of documentation and resources to help organizations optimize their Azure costs, including:
Azure Cost Management: The Azure Cost Management tool and its documentation provide detailed information on how to use the Azure Cost Management platform, including how to track your costs, optimize your resource usage, and manage your Azure spending.
Azure Advisor: The Azure Advisor documentation provides information on using the Azure Advisor service to optimize your resources and reduce costs. The documentation includes information on how to use Advisor to identify optimization opportunities, get recommendations, and track the progress of your optimization efforts.
Azure pricing: The Azure pricing tool provides detailed information on the cost of Azure services, including pricing details for specific regions, resource sizes, and services. The documentation also includes Azure pricing plans, discounts, and billing options.
Azure cost management pricing:
The cost of using Azure varies depending on the specific services and resources consumed. Azure offers a range of pricing plans and options to suit the needs of different organizations, including:
Pay-as-you-go pricing: With pay-as-you-go pricing, you pay for the specific Azure services and resources you consume based on the published rates. This pricing model is ideal for organizations with variable or unpredictable workloads or wanting the flexibility to scale their resources up or down as needed.
Commitment-based pricing: Commitment-based pricing allows you to purchase Azure services at a discounted rate in exchange for a commitment to use a certain number of resources over a specified period. This pricing model is ideal for organizations that have predictable or stable workloads and can commit to using a certain number of resources over a more extended period.
Azure Hybrid Benefit: Azure Hybrid Benefit is a licensing benefit that allows organizations with Windows Server and SQL Server licenses with Software Assurance to use their existing licenses to save on Azure compute costs. By leveraging Azure Hybrid Benefit, organizations can reduce their Azure compute costs by up to 55%.
Azure cost management resources:
In addition to the documentation and tools mentioned above, there is a range of additional resources available to help organizations optimize their Azure costs, including:
Azure Cost Management blogs: The Azure Cost Management blog provides updates and best practices for optimizing Azure costs, case studies, and success stories from organizations that have successfully optimized their Azure costs.
Azure Cost Management webinars and training: Azure provides various webinars and training resources to help organizations learn more about Azure cost management and optimization. These resources include online courses, in-person training sessions, and virtual events.
Azure Cost Management Community: The Azure Cost Management community is a forum for Azure users to share best practices, ask questions, and connect with other users and experts. The community is a valuable resource for organizations seeking guidance and support on optimizing their Azure costs.
Azure Cost Management support: Azure provides a range of support options for organizations looking for help with Azure cost management. These options include online, phone, and support from Azure partners and third-party vendors.
By leveraging these resources and strategies, organizations can optimize their Azure costs and get the most value from their investment in the cloud.
Conducting Microsoft True-Ups is critical for organizations to maintain compliance with their Microsoft Enterprise Agreement (EA) and ensure they only pay for the licenses they use. However, the True-Up process can be complex and challenging, requiring a deep understanding of Microsoft licensing rules, accurate inventory information, and accurate analysis of software deployments.
IT departments often face challenges determining the licenses required for Windows Server. Inventory information may be stored in multiple systems and tools, leading to missing sources or inaccuracies in the recorded data. The different licensing calculator tools and editions with varying license rules add to the complexity of license calculation.
Determining the Edition
Accurate inventory information is crucial for creating a correct license position. However, traditional software asset management (SAM) tools may not have the capability to determine the edition installed, leading to assumptions during software audits that can be costly. Even if the tools accurately record information, the data may not always be up-to-date, especially with the addition of new devices to the network or changes in deployments.
One of the Biggest Challenges Faced
One of the biggest challenges in Microsoft True-Up is ensuring cost-effectiveness in licensing. IT departments may assign licenses to meet software contract compliance without considering alternative solutions. This results in overspending on licensing—like a Fortune 500 customer spending over $200,000 on Windows Server licenses for a cluster. The customer’s SAM tool and reseller calculated the number of licenses needed but failed to consider the specifics of the deployments. Further analysis showed that the cluster was a Linux cluster with a small percentage of Windows Servers, and the Windows licenses were for Commvault. By changing the Commvault configuration, the customer reduced their Windows licenses by $200,000.
Conducting a Microsoft True-Up requires expertise, tools, and resources to optimize Windows, saving time and money. An understanding of Microsoft licensing rules, accurate inventory information, how to install management tools, and effective analysis of software deployments are necessary to ensure compliance, cost-effectiveness, and the best return on investment in Microsoft licensing.
Optimize Their Windows Licensing with the Right Expertise and Tools
Annual True-Ups are required for organizations to maintain compliance with their EA and only pay for the licenses they use. The process can be complex and challenging, but organizations can optimize their Windows with the right expertise and tools, saving time and money. Whether working with a licensing expert or utilizing a service to support the True-Up process, organizations can be confident in the accuracy of their Microsoft licensing and the cost-effectiveness of their deployments.
Ready to learn more? Speak to Us!
Want to learn more and level up your confidence regarding the accuracy of your Microsoft licensing and the cost-effectiveness of your deployment? Do you want to know about Microsoft licensing options or need answers to their related questions? Want the experts to answer your questions? Contact us! https://metrixdata360.com/contact-us/
As a Chief Information Officer (CIO), one of your primary responsibilities is managing and optimizing your organization’s technology. To correctly manage technology includes ensuring you have the correct software licenses to support your business needs while controlling costs. This blog post will examine chief information officer roles, responsibilities, and secrets of champion CIOs who have excelled at software licensing and cost optimization.
The first step in optimizing your software licensing costs is clearly understanding your business needs. To know what you need, you must identify the specific software applications and tools required to support your operations and the number of users needing access to these applications. It’s essential to take the time to carefully assess your needs, as having too few licenses can result in productivity bottlenecks while having too many can lead to unnecessary costs.
Negotiate favourable terms
Once you clearly understand your software needs, it’s time to start negotiating with vendors. Champion CIOs are skilled at negotiating favourable terms with software vendors, including discounts on licensing fees and additional features or services at no extra cost. The role of a CIO here is to be upfront about your budget and willing to walk away if the vendor is unwilling to meet your needs.
Leverage volume licensing agreements
Volume licensing agreements allow organizations to purchase many licenses at a discounted price. These agreements are typically available for popular software applications such as Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Suite and can result in significant cost savings for organizations with many users. Champion chief information officers are adept at leveraging volume licensing (and combing with point 2 – negotiate favourable terms) agreements to get the best deal for their organization.
Monitor and review your licenses.
It’s essential to regularly review your software licensing agreements to ensure that you are still meeting your organization’s needs. A best practice is tracking the number of licenses you have in use and identifying areas where you may be over-licensed or under-licensed. The role of a CIOhere is to be proactive in monitoring and reviewing their licenses and quickly make changes as needed to optimize costs.
In conclusion, optimizing your software licensing costs requires a combination of careful planning, strong negotiation skills, and ongoing review. By following the secrets of these champion CIOs, you can ensure that you have the correct software licenses to support your business needs while keeping costs under control. So, these are the secrets of four champion CIOs that will help optimize the cost of software licensing in your organization.
Bonus: Leverage data to your advantage
In today’s digital age, data is “the new oil” – a valuable resource that helps drive growth and innovation. A champion CIO method here seeks to understand the value of data and use it to advantage regarding software licensing and cost optimization. By collecting and analyzing software deployment and usage metrics data, CIOs can better understand how their software is used and identify areas where they can save costs.
For example, by tracking the number of active users for a particular software application, a CIO may discover they have more licenses than they need. They then use this data to negotiate a reduction in licensing fees with the vendor. Additionally, by analyzing data on software usage patterns, CIOs can identify underutilized applications and decide to discontinue them, reducing costs and simplifying the software environment.
In today’s fast-paced, data-driven world, having access to accurate and actionable data is essential for effective software licensing and cost optimization. A champion chief information officer understands the importance of data and uses it to gain insights that drive better decision-making and cost savings. Collecting, analyzing, and leveraging data can earn a competitive advantage and stay ahead of the curve in software licensing and cost optimization.
In summary, you can optimize software licensing costs in your organization by understanding your needs, negotiating favourable terms, leveraging volume licensing agreements, monitoring and reviewing your licenses, and leveraging data to your advantage. In today’s fast-paced and data-driven world, data is the new oil, and having access to accurate and actionable data is essential for effective software licensing and cost optimization. Using your own data around deployment and software usage metrics will give you the most leverage possible for cost optimization.
For more information on how our services at MetrixData 360 can meet the needs of your technology and financial departments, contact us today. Let’s work with you and your chief information officer’s roles and responsibilities to manage and optimize your organization’s technology.
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