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Microsoft has effectively created a situation where organisations feel almost captive to their offerings. Alternatives are diminishing, and suppliers have little incentive to offer compelling discounts unless there’s a strong business case or a significant alternative presented.

Regardless of your organisation’s size or location, now is the time to begin preparations for the end of the Microsoft Enterprise Agreement. It may not happen to your organisation in 2025, but considering current developments, it could happen sooner than expected.

SPLA, CSP-Hosting, and SQL with Azure Arc can all drive growth—if used strategically. This article explains how to combine them profitably while avoiding audit risks.

In 2025, enterprise IT splits into two camps: those embracing Microsoft’s integrated platform and those chasing flexibility through best-of-breed strategies. The winning path? It depends entirely on your organisation’s capabilities.

Walk into any Microsoft EA renewal meeting, and the conversation doesn’t start with Word and Excel anymore. It begins with Copilot, Azure commitments, and your ‘digital transformation journey.’ Without understanding these dynamics, you’re negotiating in the dark, and it rarely ends well.

Microsoft’s strong Q3 FY25 results mask deeper challenges for customers—from mandatory CoPilot bundling and declining MACC discounts to a sales shift favoring AI, Security, and partner-led deals.

Microsoft transforms its AI strategy by shifting from traditional software to agentive AI, with Copilot becoming the new interface for productivity and enterprise automation.

Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment (MACC) requires organisations to commit to a fixed Azure spend, offering discounts but imposing penalties if targets aren’t met. Terms depend on the agreement’s active or renewed status.

From dongles and perpetual EULAs to AI-driven subscriptions and blockchain enforcement — software licensing became a $850B+ force reshaping enterprise IT.

Using TBM tools like Apptio (or even basic tools like CSViewer), companies can identify underperforming Azure VMs and optimise costs by applying waste-detection patterns that reveal savings of up to 50%.

Microsoft faces global antitrust backlash over cloud licensing, AI dominance, and bundling, forcing policy shifts across the US, UK, and EU.

FinOps Trends 2025: companies shift back to on-premises solutions, optimise cloud expenses, and adopt generative AI.