The Challenge
A national insurance company nearing its Microsoft EA (Enterprise Agreement) renewal faced growing frustration with limited flexibility, lack of clarity, and inconsistent support from its licensing provider. The Microsoft EA model no longer met the needs of their fast-evolving business, and their internal teams lacked the transparency and agility to effectively manage licenses across their organization.
The company needed a more responsive, scalable, and financially sustainable licensing strategy. Their goals were clear: improve licensing flexibility, streamline management, increase transparency, and gain stronger support for their Microsoft environment.
“MicroAge gave us the clarity, strategy, and support we needed to break away from a rigid EA model. Their consultative approach empowered our teams to manage licenses more effectively while reducing spend and improving agility.”
– Vice President of IT, National Insurance Company
The Solution
MicroAge led a strategic licensing transformation by transitioning the organization from the traditional Microsoft EA model to a hybrid approach leveraging Microsoft’s Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program under the New Commerce Experience (NCE) and an Open Value Agreement (OVA).
The MicroAge team developed a phased roadmap that began with a deep discovery process to understand their renewal timeline, license usage, and global IT management needs. Educational sessions helped stakeholders understand their options and align the licensing strategy with business goals.
A three-pronged strategy was deployed:
- Multiyear CSP Agreement for Microsoft 365 E5 licenses
- Annual Prepay CSP Agreement for remaining eligible licenses
- Open Value Agreement for licenses better suited for long-term, perpetual ownership
To support the transition, MicroAge coordinated a support contract with a U.S.-based cloud support provider, ensuring seamless adoption and continued operational efficiency.
Technical Environment
- Microsoft 365 E5 licenses (CSP, multiyear commitment)
- Various Microsoft productivity and infrastructure licenses (CSP, annual prepay)
- Legacy and on-premise licenses (Open Value Agreement)
- Delegated Administration via Microsoft NCE portal
- One-year cloud support contract
The Benefits
By transitioning to a CSP and Open Value hybrid model, the national insurance company realized immediate and long-term business value:
- Cost Optimization: Eliminated large upfront EA payments in favor of flexible monthly and annual billing, improving cash flow.
- Operational Efficiency: Streamlined license management and issue resolution through delegated administration and dedicated cloud support.
- Strategic Agility: Gained the ability to rapidly scale licenses and adopt new Microsoft cloud services in response to business needs.
- ROI Improvements: Realized an estimated 15-25% ROI increase over three years due to reduced overprovisioning, lower support costs, and improved employee productivity.
- Future-Proofing: Secured price protection and contractual stability through multi-year commitments while maintaining scalability.
With MicroAge’s guidance and Microsoft expertise, the insurance company successfully modernized its licensing model—unlocking flexibility, efficiency, and long-term value in a highly competitive and rapidly evolving industry.
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