Change is one constant in the Microsoft licensing world. Recently Microsoft has announced a rather significant change to their Enterprise Agreement (EA) program. Effective July 1, 2016 the minimum commitment to the Enterprise Agreement (EA) program will increase from 250 qualified users/devices to 500 qualified users/devices.
What does this mean for Clients?
Existing EA customers who do not meet the new minimum commitments can obviously continue within their current agreements until expiration. At that point, it appears existing EA customers will have the option to extend their existing agreements by 36 months. After the extension expires they will have to transition to either the Microsoft Products and Services Agreement (MPSA) or the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) agreements if they do not meet the minimum 500 users/device count.
Why is Microsoft Making this Change and What Should I expect?
For many years the EA program was the core licensing vehicle that Microsoft drove any and all clients (who met the qualifications) towards. Its clear now that Microsoft is incredibly focussed on their cloud offerings and the MPSA/CSP programs are better positioned to drive that agenda. Expect Microsoft and their partners to begin aggressively attempting to move clients onto the MPSA/CSP programs rather than extending their EAs.
What steps should I take?
Contact MetrixData360 to have a free initial consultation to evaluate your Microsoft licensing options with one of our licensing experts. We are not a Microsoft partner and offer unbiased licensing guidance to our clients. Our focus is to reduce your Microsoft costs and help you negotiate the best possible Microsoft contract.
