Free Weekly Intelligence

The Microsoft Licensing Insider

Every week: one practical briefing on Microsoft EA pricing changes, negotiation leverage, licensing traps, and cost reduction strategies. Written by advisors with 20 years in enterprise Microsoft negotiations — not by content marketers.

What You'll Receive

Actionable intelligence, every week

Each edition covers one topic in depth. No listicles, no filler, no vendor talking points. Written by practitioners who negotiate these agreements for a living.

📋
Negotiation Tactics

What Microsoft's account teams are pushing in the current quarter, how enterprises are responding, and which counters are producing results.

💰
Pricing Intelligence

Real-world discount benchmarks, price change analysis, and deal structure intelligence drawn from live advisory engagements.

⚠️
Licensing Changes & Traps

When Microsoft changes its licensing terms, product definitions, or true-up rules — we explain what it means for enterprise buyers before Microsoft's account teams do.

📊
Case Study Highlights

Anonymized summaries of recent advisory engagements — what situation the enterprise faced, what we found, and what outcome was achieved.

Download the free EA Playbook → EA Negotiation Advisory → View client results →
Sample Editions

What a typical edition looks like

Three recent edition topics — the depth and format you can expect every week.

Edition #84 March 2026
EA Negotiation

Why Microsoft Is Accelerating Q2 Renewals — And What That Means For Your Leverage

Microsoft's field teams are under Q2 pressure to close renewals early. Three specific tactics are surfacing in enterprise negotiations right now, and one of them creates a leverage opportunity most procurement teams are missing.

Negotiation Strategy
Edition #83 March 2026
M365 Licensing

The E3-to-E5 Pitch Is Getting Harder to Justify. Here's the Data.

Microsoft continues pushing E5 adoption, but our analysis of 47 recent E3/E5 comparisons shows the usage rate for E5-exclusive features averages 23% — far below the threshold where the premium makes sense.

Cost Optimization
Edition #82 February 2026
Copilot Strategy

Copilot Licensing Changes in February: What Enterprise Buyers Need to Know Now

Microsoft made three changes to Copilot licensing terms in February 2026. Two are neutral. One has material cost implications for enterprises currently in pilot phase — and the clock is ticking on affected commitments.

AI Licensing
FAQ

Common questions about The Insider

How often does The Insider publish?
Every week. We publish on Tuesdays at 07:00 ET. Occasionally we send a special edition when time-sensitive developments warrant it — price changes, licensing term updates, or major EA deadline reminders.
Is it really free? Is there a paid tier?
Completely free. There is no paid tier, no premium edition, and no upsell. The newsletter is how we stay connected with the enterprise Microsoft community. Our revenue comes from advisory engagements, not subscriptions.
Will you share my email address?
Never. Your email is used only to send The Insider. We do not share, sell, or rent subscriber lists to any third party — including Microsoft, Microsoft partners, or any software vendor.
Can I unsubscribe?
Every edition includes an unsubscribe link. One click, immediate removal. No "are you sure?" friction, no re-engagement emails after removal.
Who writes The Insider?
Content is written by our senior advisory team — the same advisors who negotiate Microsoft agreements for enterprise clients. No content marketing staff, no AI-generated filler. If we publish it, we stand behind it.
Do you accept sponsored content or vendor advertising?
No. The Insider carries no advertising, no sponsored content, and no vendor promotions. Our independence is the product. We will never compromise it for revenue.
Ready?

Join 4,000+ enterprise licensing professionals

Subscribe free. Read every Tuesday. Unsubscribe any time. Or if you have an active Microsoft negotiation underway, speak with a senior advisor directly.

Free EA Playbook Download → EA Negotiation Services → About Our Firm →