Executive Summary: Microsoft’s impending SPLA restrictions, kicking in on September 30, 2025, are about to shake up the world of service providers and enterprises in ways that could either break or make your business. This blog doesn’t just skim the surface—it dives deep into the chaos these changes will unleash, exposing the risks of sitting on your hands while Microsoft tightens its chokehold on licensing. We’ll shred the myths, expose the pitfalls, and arm you with contrarian strategies like shifting to a Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) model and embracing Azure ARC agreements. Compliance isn’t just a checkbox—it’s your lifeline to staying ...
Read More
I tried to use Microsoft Bing Copilot to write this article, but it was useless. So, here’s the real scoop. Microsoft Copilot was introduced March 2023 and promises to unburden humans from tasks that AI/LLM can easily do for us and ‘unleash our productivity!’ “Today marks the next major step in the evolution of how we interact with computing, which will fundamentally change the way we work and unlock a new wave of productivity growth,” said Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO, Microsoft. “With our new copilot for work, we’re giving people more agency and making technology more accessible through the most universal interface — natural language.” ...
Read More
During the Covid pandemic lockdowns in 2020, many enterprises were forced to buy thousands of laptops (in a big hurry) to enable their people to work from home. Now, a bit more than 3 years later, supply chains have somewhat stabilized, PC prices have returned to normal-ish, and it’s just about time to think about replacing those 3+ year old devices as their warranties expire and the hardware starts showing its age. Most of our clients default to the same old mental model that the Microsoft – Intel duopoly have been selling for decades: Buy a full-power, full-featured, high-performance Windows 11 PC for every employee. Load your core ...
Read More
Hey, it's June - and you know what that means; Microsoft's Fiscal Year-end. In late June in the northern hemisphere, we experience the longest days of the year, with the most daylight. Isn't it ironic then that Microsoft's fiscal year-end is also in June, as it seems they would prefer to keep customers in the dark about how they can reduce costs on Microsoft with no diminution of business value. Microsoft's most active month of the year for doing deals and renewals is June, and as a result, it is also the best time of the year to claim disproportionate value in your Microsoft agreements, investments, deployments, and relationships. Clients ...
Read More
This is part two of an ongoing series we call Debunking Microsoft where we address the ongoing disinformation, half-truths, and mysticism surrounding its own products as it relates to Customer licensing, usage, contracts, terms, pricing, and much more. In part one, we addressed what we frequently hear from clients which is that Microsoft has told them around using their own licenses in a cloud other than their own. Words to the effect of... “You can’t use your existing Microsoft licenses on non-Microsoft clouds such as Amazon or Google.” In part two, we deep dive into the licensing and product use terms that many Microsoft customers get ...
Read More
This is part 1 of an ongoing series we call ‘Debunking Microsoft’ where we address the ongoing disinformation, half-truths, and mysticism surrounding its own products as it relates to Customer licensing, usage, contracts, terms, pricing, and much more. In part one, we address what we frequently hear from clients; that Microsoft has told them regarding usage of their own licenses in a cloud other than Microsoft's.....words to the effect of “You can’t use your existing Microsoft licenses on non-Microsoft clouds such as Amazon or Google.” Well, that’s not true and Microsoft knows it. This is just one case of Microsoft’s constant and consistent ...
Read More
We know. Making a difference can be tough in IT given the multiple layers of bureaucracy, sacred cows, and politics that is ever present in almost every organization. And of course, there are often sound and practical reasons why change is not a good idea, but what is almost always a good idea, is to at least investigate and plan for change. Only in this way are you actually ready (mentally and physically) to propose and follow through with it. So, as you read through the below items, some may sound familiar and or best practices while others could be a fresh initiative to take on that may get you on the path of significantly lowering your ...
Read More
If you’re reading this article, it’s probably because you have a Microsoft Enterprise Agreement that’s about due to renew. Most of Microsoft EA’s expire / renew in June because that’s Microsoft’s fiscal year-end. Of course, here we are in late May and so the fun has barely started! A few questions to ask yourself: Did you get your renewal quotes back yet? How are you liking the massive price increases compared to your expiring deal? Happy with those? Has Microsoft been exceptionally accommodating and responsive throughout the process? If you answered yes to all the above - good. No need to keep reading. For the 99% of the rest of you, ...
Read More
The pace of change today is to say the least – breakneck. Leveraging tech to get closer to your customers, drive revenue, and increase margin (i.e., save money) is at the forefront of initiatives for most companies. At the same time, layer in the levels of complexity in understanding every supplier’s value add in that mission, along with each having their own rules for pricing, agreement frameworks, and legal terms, it’s no wonder companies frequently have sub-optimized supplier agreements, investments, and relationships. One area that I have focused on in the last three decades specifically, is Microsoft. I’ve negotiated and reviewed ...
Read More
Microsoft has always been a Partner-centric company. While it’s common to talk about Microsoft Enterprise Agreements as being “direct deals,” in every case there is a Partner involved. Microsoft calls these “Licensing Solutions Partners” and they are certified by Microsoft to be competent in the details of Microsoft’s enterprise volume licensing deals. At NET(net) we hear many of the same questions from our clients about how these relationships work, and what exactly the role of the LSP should be. What is an LSP? An LSP is a Microsoft Partner who is authorized by Microsoft to be named as the Partner of record in enterprise licensing deals. ...
Read More
