Your 6 strategies to gaining control over your Microsoft software costs

Controlling software costs is a critical aspect of managing any organization’s IT budget. When financial projections are put in place for the purchase of software, plans should equally be made with how to control its use for maximum results and financial savings.  

Microsoft offers a wide range of products and services both on-premises and cloud related, all aiming to assist organizations in their line of work. However, without careful oversight, the expenses associated with these offerings can quickly escalate, impacting the overall finances of your organization.   

To mitigate these costs and ensure that you are getting the most value for your investment, it is essential to adopt a strategic approach. This approach will guide you to keep track of your license expenses, which is crucial for maintaining financial stability.   

This strategy will also help monitor cost increment on purchase yearly and timely as the costs associated with software usage can quickly add up and become difficult to manage. Proper monitoring is key to savings.  

To gain control over your Microsoft software costs involves several strategies focused on optimizing usage, negotiating better pricing, and implementing effective management practices.   

Here are some Microsoft software costs management tips to consider.  

1. Adopt automated license management tools  

Automated license management tools are essential for your organization that uses Microsoft software. These tools help gain control over costs by ensuring proper utilization of licenses and avoid unnecessary expenses.   

These tools can help you keep track of software licenses, including how many are currently in use, how many are available, and when they expire. This enables your organization to have a clear understanding of your license usage and avoid overspending on unnecessary licenses.  

Automated license management tools also help optimize software usage, which can contribute to cost savings. These tools provide insights into which licenses are being used and how often, allowing you to identify areas to reduce usage or where reallocation of licenses can be made to other employees. This reallocation helps your organization to avoid purchasing unnecessary licenses and efficiently utilize the ones you already have.  

Another advantage of using automated license management tools is centralized license management. These tools provide a central location for managing all Microsoft licenses, making it easier and more efficient to keep track of them. This eliminates the need for manual tracking, reducing the chances of human error and ensuring accurate license management.   

2. Recycle software licenses  

Recycling software licenses is a cost-effective solution that can help your organization gain control over the cost of Microsoft software. By understanding how recycling licenses work, you can save money and streamline your software management processes.  

One way in which recycling software licenses helps to control the cost of Microsoft software is by allowing your organization to repurpose unused or underutilized licenses. You want to avoid purchasing more licenses than you actually need, leading to wasted resources and unnecessary expenses. Through recycling licenses, your organization can identify and reallocate unused licenses to other employees or departments who may require them. This not only reduces the cost of purchasing new licenses but also ensures that all software is being utilized effectively.  

In addition, recycling software licenses allows your organization to efficiently manage software inventory. With the constant updates and changes in technology, software licenses can become outdated or obsolete. By recycling these licenses, your organization can ensure that you are only paying for the software currently in need of it and avoid also unnecessary expenses.  

3. Assign users to lower license tiers  

Unless a user specifically requires a higher level of access, you can assign them to a lower license tier and your organization will only pay for what is necessary. By assigning users to lower license tiers, you can better manage budget and ensure that resources are being used appropriately. This helps you to identify any unnecessary or unused licenses, allowing to reallocate those resources to other areas of the organization where they may be needed.  

By reassigning users to lower license tiers, you have users or employees having access to only the features and tools that are essential for their job roles. This not only helps reduce costs but also promotes a more streamlined and efficient workflow within your organization. Additionally, by assigning users to lower license tiers, your organization can better control software access and ensure that sensitive information is only accessible to those who truly need it.  

Lower license tier assignment helps your organization to take a proactive approach towards managing software costs by promoting responsible usage and providing better visibility into your software resources saving you money and improving overall workflow efficiency.  

4. Leverage advice from independent Microsoft licensing experts  

An independent Microsoft licensing expert should be well-versed in the complexities of Microsoft licensing and should be able to help your organization navigate through the different options available. Your organization with many users or complex IT infrastructures may seek advice from independent Microsoft licensing experts to help you control your Microsoft software costs.  

Working with an independent expert helps you receive unbiased and objective advice on how to optimize software licensing agreements. Remember the independent expert has no affiliation to any vendor or Microsoft. This can help you avoid overpaying for licenses or purchasing unnecessary ones.   

Independent experts can also assist your organization in identifying cost-saving opportunities. They may recommend alternative licensing models such as subscription-based licensing or hybrid models, which can potentially lower overall costs.  

Another benefit of leveraging advice from independent experts is the ability to negotiate better terms with Microsoft. These experts have experience working with software vendors (Microsoft) and are well-equipped to negotiate on behalf of your organization for more favorable pricing and contract terms. This can lead to significant cost savings in the long run.  

5. Explore hybrid solutions  

Organizations using Microsoft products and software often face challenges in managing their costs associated with these technologies.   

Turning towards hybrid solutions as a means of gaining control over Microsoft software costs is an option worth considering. By combining on-premises and cloud-based solutions, hybrid environments can offer your organization a more flexible and cost-effective way to manage your Microsoft software.   

With hybrid solutions, your organization has more flexible terms of how to license Microsoft software. Instead of having to purchase expensive full licenses for every user, your organization can take advantage of cloud-based subscription models and pay only for the features they need.  

By utilizing cloud-based resources, your organization can reduce infrastructure costs by eliminating the need for on-premises servers and equipment. This not only reduces hardware and maintenance costs but also frees up valuable physical space.  

6. Purchase pre-owned licenses  

Are you a company in the European Economic Area, then consider purchasing pre-owned licenses. It is a cost-effective solution that can help your organization gain control over your Microsoft software costs. One of the main benefits of purchasing pre-owned licenses is that it significantly reduces costs for your organization.  

Pre-owned licenses are sold at a discounted price compared to new licenses, making it an attractive option for organizations looking to save on their Microsoft software costs. By purchasing pre-owned licenses, your organization can potentially save up to 50% or more on the original cost of the license.  

Another advantage of purchasing pre-owned licenses is that it offers flexibility and scalability for organizations. Pre-owned licenses can be purchased in any quantity, allowing your organization to only purchase the exact number of licenses needed.   

This eliminates the need to buy bulk licenses that may not be used, resulting in unnecessary costs for the organization. Additionally, as your organization grows and requires more software licenses, you can easily purchase pre-owned licenses as needed without having to commit to long-term contracts or expensive new licenses.  

Talk to our team of experts on how to gain control over Microsoft software costs  

Our team of experts will guide you on various steps to take to save on your Microsoft software costs. We will share tools that have over the years assisted organizations gain total control over their Microsoft software cost and save them millions of monies.  

It is important you have total visibility on how your organization uses licenses purchased and this we can help you with. The timely way you monitor your license use as an organization is very crucial to your savings agenda and we have workable scenarios we can share with you to achieve this.  

We also know how the pre-owned licenses terrain works and can lead you to take full advantage of this space. We make sure the pre-owned or used licenses you purchase have complied with all legal and ethical considerations.  

We work on trust and can provide proof of ownership and transferability of the licenses. This protects your organization from any legal issues or potential fines.   

Pre-owned licenses work just like newly purchased ones but save you cost. Talk to our team today, let’s share workable solutions with you.  

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