Practice · II.

Microsoft. EA renewal and Azure commitment.

The Enterprise Agreement, Azure consumption, Microsoft 365 estate, the Copilot expansion, and the transition to MCA-E. Five overlapping commercial conversations that close in the same anchor window. Independent buyer-side advisory across the full Microsoft licensing surface. Renewal cycles documented twelve months in advance. SAM engagement responses managed through the Audit Defence Programme. Cloud commitments structured against actual workload, not the publisher's preferred ramp.

Speak with a Senior Advisor Engagement models

Where the practice intervenes

Six points on the Microsoft contract cycle.

Pre-renewal

Estate reconstruction

Twelve months before the EA renewal anchor, the Microsoft estate is reconstructed across M365, Azure, Windows Server, SQL Server, Visual Studio, Power Platform, and Dynamics. Entitlement, deployment, and consumption are mapped. The senior advisor signs the position paper before any commercial conversation with the publisher begins.

M365

ii.

E3 / E5 sizing reconciliation

Microsoft 365 E3 and E5 entitlement is reconciled against documented usage of the underlying workloads. Defender, Purview, Power BI, Audio Conferencing, Phone System and the Compliance suite are sized against actual consumption. Step-up costs are modelled. The right ratio of E3 to E5 is filed in writing before the renewal letter is returned.

Copilot

iii.

Microsoft 365 Copilot scope

The Microsoft 365 Copilot expansion is contested against documented business cases at user-population level. Pilot scope, expansion criteria, dollarised productivity assumptions and exit terms are documented. The buyer's Copilot position is filed in writing before the publisher's recommended seat count is accepted.

Azure

iv.

MACC and commitment design

Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment is sized against documented workload migration plans. Discount tiers, ramp schedule, conversion rights between commit and pay-as-you-go, and exit clauses are designed so the commitment matches the workload, not the publisher's ramp curve.

MCA-E

Agreement transition

The transition from the Enterprise Agreement to the Microsoft Customer Agreement for Enterprise is structured with a documented transition plan. Pricing protection, term length, billing alignment, and the implications for Server and Cloud Enrolment are negotiated against the legacy EA position.

SAM

vi.

Engagement response

A Microsoft SAM engagement notification triggers the Audit Defence Programme protocol within forty-eight hours. Scope letter counter-position, data exchange under documented scope, counter-positions to findings, and settlement negotiation. The senior advisor signs every position document.

Named senior advisor

The senior advisor named on the engagement letter leads every Microsoft conversation. No leverage model, no rotation of junior consultants, no anonymous correspondence with the publisher. The advisor signs every position document.

II.

Counter-signed positions

Every written counter-position to Microsoft is signed by the senior advisor and counter-signed by a second partner before transmission. Two named signatures on every position document for the full five-year retention period.

III.

Independent on every clause

Admodum holds no commercial relationship with Microsoft. No reseller margin, no referral commission from any LSP, no SAM subcontract from Microsoft's compliance team. We do not work both sides.

IV.

Five overlapping conversations

The EA renewal is not negotiated as one conversation. Azure commitment, M365 sizing, Windows Server core licensing, the Copilot expansion, and the MCA-E transition are negotiated against each other across the anchor window with a single integrated position paper.

Five-year retention

Every position paper, counter-position, scope letter, and closing memorandum is retained inside the firm for five years. The buyer can request source workings at any point in that window without additional fee.

VI.

Counsel coordination, never displacement

Where a SAM engagement or audit escalates to a legal threshold, the senior advisor coordinates with the buyer's counsel through to legal close. Admodum remains advisory. Counsel remains the legal lead.

Operating principles

How the practice is run.

Position before purchase order.

Microsoft renewals are won inside the position paper, not inside the publisher's pricing letter. The position paper is filed twelve months before the anchor. The publisher's pricing letter is returned only after the buyer's position is on file.

E3 and E5 by population.

Microsoft 365 sizing is reconciled at user-population level, not at organisation level. Different populations carry different entitlement needs. The right mix of E3, E5, F1 and F3 is documented per population, with step-up costs and downgrade paths modelled.

Azure against workload, not the curve.

The Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment is sized against documented workload migration plans, not the publisher's preferred ramp curve. Discount tiers, conversion rights between commit and pay-as-you-go, and exit clauses are designed so the commitment matches the workload reality.

Copilot with a documented exit.

The Microsoft 365 Copilot expansion is approved against a documented business case at user-population level, with documented expansion criteria and exit terms. The pilot population is named. The expansion criteria are dollarised. The exit terms are in the contract.

Questions

Asked before engagement.

When should Enterprise Agreement renewal preparation start?

Twelve months before the anniversary. The reconstructed licence position, the usage evidence and the benchmark targets should be on file before Microsoft's pricing letter is returned; a renewal negotiated from the vendor's proposal rather than the buyer's position concedes the anchor.

Should we license Copilot enterprise-wide?

Not before a measured pilot. Copilot seat economics only work against a population with demonstrated usage, so the commitment should be sized on pilot telemetry and expanded on evidence, not on the launch-offer discount.

How do Azure commitments interact with the EA?

An Azure commitment (MACC) is a separate spend instrument that intersects the EA renewal. Sizing it on aspiration rather than trailing consumption converts a discount vehicle into a liability, so both instruments should be negotiated as one commercial position.

How are engagements priced?

Three frameworks: fixed fee for scoped deliverables, contingency tied to verified savings, and an annual retainer for continuous coverage across every vendor. The model is agreed on the first call, which is always complimentary, and independence is warranted in writing on every engagement letter.