How to Get Microsoft to Bend: Leverage Strategies for Your EA Renewal
About this episode
Adam Mansfield discusses leverage strategies for negotiating with Microsoft during EA renewals.
Microsoft has a playbook, and it's not yours. In this episode, UpperEdge’s Microsoft Practice Leader, Adam Mansfield, breaks down what actually creates leverage in a Microsoft negotiation right now, what mistakes enterprises are making, and why the tactics that worked even a year ago may no longer apply. Adam and host Kylie Chisholm dig into the shift happening in mid-2026, where partial commitments on products like Copilot and E5/E7 can still move the needle without handing Microsoft everything they want. They also cover how to use your broader Microsoft footprint as a source of negotiating power and why investing in your Microsoft relationships is more than just a soft play. He closes with his single most important piece of advice forany customer heading into an EA renewal: make sure your strategy reflects the world as it is today, not how it was twelve months ago. Resources: BLOG: https://upperedge.com/microsoft/what-microsoft-customers-want-from-microsoft-in-2026-stop-pushing-and-start-proving-value/ BLOG: https://upperedge.com/microsoft/github-copilot-licensing-has-changed-what-enterprise-buyers-need-to-know/ About the Show: Welcome to Insights for IT Negotiations, a podcast…
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