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In February 2023, IBM announced changes to its Passport Advantage Agreement terms that increase customers’ software license compliance burden and risk. In this bulletin, we share what customers can do the mitigate the impact of these changes.
Most enterprises pay more than they should for Microsoft 365. But the rate of overspend has recently reached alarm-worthy levels. This checklist helps IT procurement practitioners identify and remediate overspending on their rapidly changing M365 estates.
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In February 2023, IBM announced changes to its Passport Advantage Agreement terms that increase customers’ software license compliance burden and risk. In this bulletin, we share what customers can do the mitigate the impact of these changes.
What separates the world’s elite IT buyers from their peers? How are some enterprises able to cut IT vendor pricing by 20, 30 or 50 percent when others fail? One difference is intel. Enterprises need access to four types of information to optimize their IT vendor negotiations to their highest potential.
In 2024, nearly 90 Microsoft offerings will reach end of support or servicing, move to Extended Support, or be retired. In this bulletin, we review the list of products affected and some factors Microsoft enterprise customers should consider as they prepare.
Today, most enterprise customers engage with AWS under a Private Pricing Addendum (PPA), or Private Pricing Term Agreement. In this bulletin, we discuss the different components of a PPA and the different levers enterprises can use to maximize savings.
In this bulletin, we explore the pros and cons of SAP’s newest solution – RISE with SAP – and what SAP enterprise customers need to know to determine if it’s a fit for their business.
Software license audit activity has steadily increased over the last decade. But there are troubling indicators that IT vendors will be targeting customers more heavily in the coming months. What’s behind this shift? What can companies do now to prepare?
For on-premise IT, vendors have long been the “auditors” for software license compliance. In the cloud, responsibility – and the purpose – for audits have shifted 180 degrees. Without regular self-audits of cloud usage and without detailed usage data from vendors, many companies may find themselves overbuying and overspending.
New pricing changes from Microsoft will mean higher costs for many commercial Office 365 and Microsoft 365 offerings. This bulletin discusses these changes as well as what customers can do to minimize or neutralize the impact on their Microsoft spend.
Enterprises have been slow to migrate to SAP S/4HANA, but that’s changing. NPI provides tips on how to unlock savings and eliminate overspending risk as customers strategize and operationalize their conversion roadmaps.
There are many ways IT buyers can reduce IT overspend – but none more effective than IT price benchmark analysis. What makes this tactic so effective? Why are more enterprises including it as part of their IT purchasing (and renewal) process?
The pandemic has reshaped expectations of how IT sourcing pros can enable business resiliency, continuity and agility in times of unexpected change. What can companies do now to de-risk IT spend and secure protections that minimize the cost of disruption and transformational change?
SAP’s annual self-declaration requirement is one way the vendor sniffs out non-compliance among enterprise customers. What can companies do before providing self-declaration information to SAP to minimize compliance and cost risk exposure?
IBM has a long history of game-changing divestitures – the most recent being its decision to spin off its IT services business so it can focus on a trillion-dollar hybrid cloud opportunity. There are steps enterprise customers can take now to prepare for buy-side implications.
In a bid to boost Azure revenues, Microsoft has issued changes to terms of service that limit how a customer can remotely host and access M365 and Windows using rival cloud providers. These changes have the potential to materially increase enterprise license counts and spend.
As companies accelerate transformation initiatives that will increase resiliency and efficiency, IaaS spending on Microsoft Azure is growing. How can Microsoft’s enterprise customers better manage Azure costs and get more value out of their investment?
NPI finds Verizon Wireless enterprise customers often overpay by 15 to 30 percent (or more). But negotiating better pricing, incentives and terms is no easy task. In this bulletin, we share how customers can negotiate stronger savings and eliminate material overspending.
Microsoft is shaking up licensing terms once again. Beginning October 1, 2019, customers that deploy Microsoft’s software on dedicated hosts at certain cloud providers (including AWs, google and others) will pay more. This bulletin discusses these changes and what they could mean for enterprise customers.
One often overlooked area of IT overspending is mainframe software, particularly with IBM. Thousands of companies still rely on legacy mainframe applications to conduct business and there is widespread complacency in how this spend is managed. That’s led many IBM customers to overpay for their ongoing software costs. Bringing transparency to this element of IT spend can deliver significant savings – frequently in the ballpark of seven figures.
The enterprise Salesforce purchase is evolving. While savings for new purchases and renewals have been historically difficult to achieve, things are changing. As market competition grows, the vendor is exhibiting more flexibility at the Salesforce negotiation table - but only for buyers that know which levers to pull.
Microsoft audits are costly, confusing and almost always result in non-compliance claims. So how do you fend off or improve the outcome of an audit with Microsoft? It starts with a clear understanding of how Microsoft’s auditing process works – and where the deck is stacked against you.
Given AWS’s history of pricing and sourcing transparency, is it possible to achieve material savings on enterprise-scale AWS purchases? Contrary to popular opinion, the answer is yes. But only if you know which best practices and levers to apply throughout the lifetime of your AWS agreement.
Changes in the current business climate combined with Microsoft’s mission to move enterprises to the cloud is altering how it does business with its largest customers. Companies that plan to renew their Enterprise Agreements, or purchase the vendor’s offerings for the first time, can leverage the forces driving Microsoft’s behavior at the negotiation table.
Whether you’re already a Microsoft Office 365 customer or expect to be one soon, optimizing licensing and cost is challenging. To minimize tcO and maximize usage rights, companies need to take preparatory steps in the months leading up to every purchase or renewal.
Volume purchasing programs may make it easier to buy a vendor’s offerings—but they also make it easier to overspend. IBM’s Passport Advantage program is no exception. NPI estimates a large percentage of enterprise customers overpay on IBM Passport Advantage purchases and renewals. Here are four ways to avoid that outcome.
For many enterprises, telecom is a notoriously difficult spend category to manage. Where can companies find material savings? Which cost control tactics yield the biggest impact? This SmartSpend Bulletin digs into these questions.
Enterprise wireless spending continues to be unwieldy and difficult to manage. NPI estimates 80 percent of enterprises overpay by nearly 40 percent for wireless services. This bulletin explores factors that are driving up spend and what companies can do to rein in wireless costs.
Einstein Healthcare needed to reduce costs on its Microsoft EA and Server and Cloud Enrollment renewal. But cost reduction was at odds with the need for more functionality. With NPI’s guidance, they were able to meet these competing objectives and enter into a three-year EA with business terms that exceeded Einstein’s expectations.
Download PDFHow does a world-class sourcing team perform even better? It’s a challenge that one of the largest energy conglomerates successfully overcame with the help of NPI. With more than $12 million in annual telecom spending, the company has always been meticulous about the way it sources, negotiates and manages carrier and provider relationships. Armed with NPI’s program, pricing and contracting advice, the company further reduced telecom costs by $1.6 million a year.
Download PDFSkyrocketing telecom costs drove this large community bank’s IT sourcing team to take action. With NPI’s assistance, the bank found cost leakages in a host of areas (MPLS, T1/PRI and MIS) and identified savings ranging from 7 to 77 percent on MPLS, T1 (PRI) and MIS services.
Download PDFThe sourcing team within a large healthcare network suspected they were overpaying for WAN services. That hunch turned into sizeable savings. With NPI’s price benchmark analysis, contract optimization advice, negotiation intel and network grooming guidance, this large healthcare network was able to cut telecom costs by $15M.
Download PDFA world-class healthcare system enlisted NPI to analyze upcoming IT and telecom purchases to be sure pricing was best in class. Backed by NPI’s price benchmark analysis and negotiation intel, the provider was able cut annual IT spend year-over-year, normalize maintenance costs and achieve a 21% cost reduction on a large contact center upgrade.
Download PDFWhen the market took a turn for the worse, this major lending provider needed to find ways to reduce its IT costs without sacrificing performance. NPI helped the company re-engineer key vendor agreements for $3M in savings, greater flexibility and higher performance.
Download PDFTo counter rising Microsoft costs, this healthcare solutions provider turned to NPI for license and cost optimization assistance in advance of a complex EA renewal. The partnership paid off – to the tune of $9 million over the EA term with flexibility to move to Microsoft’s cloud services.
Download PDFThe oil and gas industry is no stranger to volatility. For one company, this volatility (combined with planned M&A activity) made them rethink how to approach two large Microsoft renewals. Guided by NPI, the company saved $17M and achieved the licensing flexibility they would need to support M&A events.
Download PDFWith a large software renewal looming and plans for a data center migration, this large state government needed confidence that their license fees were fair and greater flexibility in contract terms. With NPI’s help, they saved $7M+ on their renewal.
Download PDFWith nearly $20 billion in assets, one of the country’s largest insurance providers needed to rein in rising IT and telecom costs. They added NPI’s price benchmark analysis into the procurement process and 65% of transactions reviewed revealed opportunity for material savings.
Download PDFWith an aggressive expansion plan underway, the CIO of a national retailer turned to NPI to boost the power of its world-class IT sourcing team. The result? More than $8M in savings and more business value for every IT budget dollar.
Download PDFWith more than 5M customers, U.S. Cellular is a growing alternative to the wireless industry’s larger national providers. When the carrier decided to invest in two major software upgrades, they turned to NPI to help define a sound selection strategy, ensure fair market pricing and optimize contract terms.
Download PDFWith a mission to cut IT and telecom costs, construction materials giant LafargeHolcim’s IT sourcing team needed an edge. The company brought in NPI to ensure it was receiving a fair price and best-in-class terms with IT and telecom vendors. The result? Multi-million dollar savings across multiple telecom, hardware and software agreements.
Download PDFOne of the largest supermarket chains in the U.S. has a passion for serious cost-cutting – especially when it comes to IT. Their secret weapon? NPI, which has saved the grocer more than $6M, including 30% reductions in software maintenance fees.
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