March - It's that time of year again…time to play baseball, plant the garden, and plan for Microsoft’s year-end on June 30. At 12:00 AM on July 1, everything resets. Sales quotas, scorecard metrics…back to square one.
Midnight…NO deal for you!
Let's get one thing out of the way that I hear frequently, “My EA expires in September, I want to pull it into June because I’ll have more leverage”. Great idea, but there are a few hurdles to jump. Since this revenue is earmarked for Microsoft’s fiscal year 2026, this requires high-level finance approval. And…if you jump that hurdle, the entire sales team for your account is assigned an additional quota as this renewal wasn’t a part of this year's quota. Can it be done? Yes, but it is difficult. Before you venture too far down that road, ensure that the account team can explore and verify whether this option MAY be available to your organization.
Let's focus on what you can drive and that centers around 3 products:
Azure (and your MACC commitment that your org may have already exceeded and has at least 6 months remaining)
M365 E3 to M365 E5 migration
Copilot (you had to see that one coming!)
Azure
Green Cabbage has seen significant progress in Azure optimization in the past 12 months. Customers are much more vigilant regarding Azure costs, however, there is a lot of room for improvement, and if your Azure usage is:
Exceeding your current Azure commitment
You don’t currently have a MACC in place.
Work with your Microsoft team on a new or revised commitment with better discounts that meet your growing needs.
M365 E3 to E5 Migration
Considering the move to M365 E5? Make sure that all the boxes are checked for the cost justification of the move and negotiate now but be forewarned, there are numerous methods on how to execute the purchase of the step up. Microsoft has a M365 to M365 E5 step up SKU and may recommend that. Keep in mind that they will recommend a method that maximizes their compensation model (which is understandable).
Green Cabbage can help you navigate the step up and maximize YOUR savings.
Copilot
Considering a Copilot purchase in the next 6-12 months? Microsoft’s Q4 may be the best time to make the purchase. Again, proper planning is the key, as Microsoft will be pushing a “Big Bang” purchase that may not be aligned with your deployment plan. Copilot is a key comp plan component, and we can help you to understand how to position this purchase.
Other purchases on the horizon? Green Cabbage can ensure that you are getting not only the best possible pricing, but better terms and conditions as well. The year-end can be lucrative, but also tricky…Green Cabbage can help you navigate through the tricky and take advantage of the fiscal year-end.
Are you ready to begin with a team of experts by your side? Click here to request a demo!
Written by: Dan Pavlick VP of Cloud Services, at Green Cabbage
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