21% of Microsoft spend was avoidable
The Challenge
Redbridge DTA, a financial services advisory business was approaching its Microsoft licensing and Azure renewal. On the surface, there was nothing obviously wrong with the deal. That was the problem.
Licences had accumulated in excess of needs, the existing buying channel had gone largely unchallenged, and Azure consumption was not being commercially optimised.
SWAN was engaged to answer a simple question: how much of the Microsoft spend could be reduced?
Our Asssessment
SWAN assessed the Microsoft estate across licensing, Azure consumption and route to market. A detailed licence audit challenged what was being provisioned to employees against actual business requirements, identifying over-licensing and underutilised products.
A competitive RFP was then run across leading Microsoft CSP providers, benchmarking pricing, commercial terms and support models to create genuine competitive tension.
Azure consumption and commitments were also reviewed for further optimisation opportunities. The opportunity wasn’t simply to negotiate harder. It was to reset how the business bought Microsoft.
The Outcome
The combined strategy delivered a 21% reduction in overall Microsoft spend.
The final outcome included:
-
30% reduction in Microsoft licensing costs
-
Removal of unnecessary and underutilised licence
-
More competitive CSP pricing secured through the RFP
-
Immediate Azure savings, with further optimisation identified through Reservations and Savings Plan
-
Improved commercial flexibility and a stronger route to market
The business moved from simply renewing Microsoft to fundamentally resetting how it bought and managed the estate.