At The SAM Club, we specialise in making Microsoft licensing work for our clients—not the other way around. Our independence and vendor-agnostic approach give us the flexibility to explore every available licensing route to find the smartest, most cost-effective strategy for your business.
When independent UK law firm Burges Salmon approached The SAM Club ahead of its Microsoft Enterprise Agreement renewal in June 2025, our mission was clear: optimise spend while safeguarding functionality and compliance.
We kicked off with a deep-dive into the firm’s current usage and future plans, then mapped the most cost-effective licensing strategy—one that challenged the need for an EA altogether. With recent CSP enhancements—including new 3-year SKUs for M365 E3 and E5—there were smarter, leaner options available.
Here’s how we delivered results:
✔️ Validated Windows E5 compliance under CSP
✔️ Analysed user data through the Microsoft Admin Portal
✔️ Reworked Windows Server licensing post-Azure migration, maximising Hybrid Benefit impact
✔️ Assessed SQL Server plans, considering Hybrid Benefit alignment and long-term savings
✔️ Leveraged Copilot promotional pricing under CSP
Despite discussions with Microsoft around EA concessions, the numbers spoke for themselves. Transitioning to CSP with the new structure delivered significant savings.
Outcome: A 17.4% reduction in annual licensing costs—saving Burges Salmon over £200,000—while maintaining full compliance and operational performance.
Lee Davey, Head of Operational Services at Burges Salmon, comments:
“Before partnering with The SAM Club, our asset management processes were limited. Due to time and resource constraints, we could only focus on the big-ticket items, leaving the long tail of software assets and renewals handled reactively. As a result, we didn’t always secure the best pricing or make the most strategic decisions.
Since partnering with Ian and the team, we’ve transformed our approach. We now proactively manage our software assets and subscriptions, unlocking significant savings and operational improvements. The SAM Club’s service more than pays for itself, and they’ve been fantastic to work with, collaborative, transparent, and fully aligned with our culture and values.”
At The SAM Club, we don’t just manage software—we unlock value.