Microsoft announced that as of 1st July 2016 the minimum commitment to the Enterprise Agreement (EA) (including Enterprise Agreement Subscriptions) will be raised from 250 to 500 user/devices
If you have a current EA or sign up before the end of June 2016 then Microsoft is allowing current EA customers to have the ability to renew one time for an additional 36-month term.
Note: This change does not affect Government EAs
This announcement provides an opportunity to review your options which may prove to be a better fit for your business. Is an EA still the best fit for your organisation?
The Microsoft Products and Services Agreement (MPSA) is one of two preferred agreements suggested by Microsoft for companies with less than 500 users/devices:
Non-expiring agreement offering customers the ability to purchase only what is needed, when it’s needed
There is no standardization requirement of Enterprise Products on the MPSA. You choose what you need to license and what product best fits your needs. This could be a mix of user and device cals, Office Pro Plus / Standard / O365
Traditional on-premise software purchases with or without Software Assurance. With Software Assurance you have the option to pay the total up front or annually over 36 months
Cloud Services subscriptions including O365 Enterprise plans to CRM, with the additional benefit of suite discounts for Enterprise Cloud Suite (ECS)
Azure is available as a pay-as-you-go option, allowing you the flexibility to pay for usage only eliminating the guess work of an Annual Commitment
Multi-year subscriptions offering price protection when you to purchase one, two, or three year Cloud Service subscriptions with a price-lock
The second option suggested by Microsoft is the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) which is best suited for organisations who are fully committee to online services and looking to outsource service management.
Contact The SAM Club to discuss your options to determine which is best suited for your organisation. We are independent, we are not a software reseller which means we have no hidden agenda. We work for our clients taking the time to understand what they currently own, providing valuable, objective and unbiased advice tailored to suit their requirements and ensuring informed decisions are made.
