How The SAM Club Helped an International Law Firm, Headquartered in London, Cut Microsoft Licensing Costs by 15.7% — Without Sacrificing Compliance or Functionality

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 a long-standing legal client— an International Law Firm, Headquartered in London —neared the first anniversary of their Microsoft Enterprise Agreement (EA), we identified a valuable opportunity: reevaluate their licensing model in light of recent changes to Microsoft’s Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) programme.

Key CSP developments—like the February 2025 UK price drop and the introduction of three-year SKUs for M365 E3 and E5 licences in June—made it the perfect time to act.

We conducted a deep license usage and compliance review:
✔️ Confirmed the firm’s use of the semi-annual service channel and Windows Autopilot was CSP-compliant (including Windows 11 compatibility)
✔️ Verified EA terms: only 500 licences needed to remain on EA, with no added restrictions
✔️ Analysed all user licensing data via the Microsoft Admin Portal
✔️ Delivered a blended licensing solution between EA and CSP, preserving all functionality

The result?
📉 An 15.7% reduction saving £122k in annual Microsoft licensing costs—with zero compromise on compliance or performance.

“The SAM Club has been a trusted advisor to our firm for over seven years, consistently reducing costs and simplifying complex licensing. Their vendor agnostic approach ensures we achieve the best outcome for our business.”

– Head of Infrastructure