Optimising Microsoft licenses for a financial services customer

A large customer in the financial services sector was facing significant monthly expenses due to an extensive portfolio of Microsoft licenses,  including Microsoft 365 E3, Defender for Endpoint P2, and Dynamics 365 for Sales Enterprise Edition. A detailed analysis revealed low utilisation rate for some licenses, presenting an opportunity for cost optimisation while maintaining maximum operational efficiency.

The Challenge

The customer’s challenge was twofold: tackling the financial strain of managing a complex portfolio of licenses and the demand of continually aligning all in-use licenses with the organisation’s business needs. The presence of underutilised licenses indicated a misalignment between the license portfolio and the customer’s usage patterns.

The Solution

Ultima carried out a strategic license optimisation engagement to thoroughly review each license type against actual usage patterns and business needs. This led to the identification of redundancies and underutilised licenses, which were then removed or reallocated to better align with the customer’s requirements.

The Results

Our engagement delivered significant license optimisation results for the customer:

• Microsoft 365 E3: 14.94% cost reduction
• Enterprise Mobility + Security E3: 17.97% cost reduction
• Office 365 E1: 16.95% cost reduction
• Viva Workplace Analytics: 100% cost reduction
• Power Apps per user plan: 100% cost reduction
• Dynamics 365 for Sales Enterprise Edition: 100% cost reduction
• Exchange Online P2: 10% cost reduction

Assistance Provided: The team removed or reallocated the following licenses:

• Microsoft 365 E3: 264 licenses removed, new total 1503 licenses
• Enterprise Mobility + Security E3: 212 licenses removed, new total 968 licenses
• Office 365 E1: 200 licenses removed, new total 980 licenses
• Viva Workplace Analytics: All 2,930 licenses removed
• Power Apps per user plan: All 53 licenses removed
• Dynamics 365 for Sales Enterprise Edition: All 5 licenses removed.
• Exchange Online P2: 3 licenses removed, new total 27 licenses

Defender for Endpoint P2 and related licenses were adjusted based on the step SKU for Defender for E3 users and similar adjustments were made for the Office 365 E1 licenses.

The outcome

Our optimisation resulted in a streamlined license portfolio, significant cost savings, and a more transparent and predictable licensing cost structure. The customer’s IT department gained a clearer view of their license landscape, enabling better forecasting and planning for future needs.

Beyond the immediate cost savings, the optimisation exercise reinforced the customer’s commitment to strategic license management. It highlighted the importance of regular reviews of license utilisation against business needs, ensuring that the enterprise remains agile and responsive to changing requirements.

Future plans

The customer is now planning to implement a continuous license management process, involving regular reviews and adjustments to its license portfolio to ensure alignment with business needs and usage patterns. This proactive approach is expected to yield further efficiencies and cost savings over time.

Licensing solutions from Ultima

This customer story demonstrates the value of strategic license management and the potential for significant cost savings through careful analysis and optimisation. It underscores the need for enterprises to regularly assess their license portfolios and adjust them according to actual usage to achieve financial and operational efficiencies.

To find out how we can help you get more from your Microsoft licensing, read more here.