Microsoft CSP vs. EA: 5 Reasons to Switch to CSP

How does the Microsoft Cloud Solution Programme (CSP) differ from a Microsoft Enterprise Agreement (EA)?

CSP offers an alternative agreement type to the Enterprise Agreement (EA). Examining the differences is essential when deciding which is best for your organization

An EA is a comprehensive software licensing and cloud services agreement that includes:

• A three-year contract between the customer and Microsoft, facilitated by a Microsoft partner, which allows you to lock in a price
• An annual “true-up” for businesses to optimize licenses to a certain extent. Beneficial if your headcount stays steady for at least a year
• Value with optimized pricing, including potential discounts, 24/7 Microsoft support, planning services, and technical training
• Gives a company access to the latest versions of on-premises and cloud software (if you’re fully on-premises, an MPSA makes more sense)
• Predictable, scheduled payments and license assistance from a partner

Alternatively, CSP offers:

• Suitable for a variety of organization sizes
• Scalability that allows a company to adjust based on organizational changes
• No minimum user requirement
• Flexible billing options
• Option to choose commitment terms, ensuring payment only for cloud usage
• Value-added services from a Microsoft partner, including billing, spend management, and 24/7 technical support for incidents and service requests

Why CSP might be better for your organization

Did you know that organizations switching to CSP save an average of 10-20%* on their IT costs? Reviewing your Microsoft licensing and considering CSP can bring significant benefits to your organization. In addition, many organizations find that their current licensing model no longer fits their dynamic business needs. CSP offers the solution here.

Here are five reasons why it is worth considering:

1. Only pay for what you use resulting in cost optimization: Moving to a more flexible model can help control costs. With CSP, you have no upfront commitments and only pay for what you use, which can lead to significant savings, especially for organizations with fluctuating business needs.
2. Flexibility for your organization: Revising your licensing model can give you more flexibility in terms of payment options and tailoring services to your organization's specific needs. This can be especially useful for growing and dynamic organizations that need to be able to scale up or down quickly without commitments.
3. More support and training: By moving to CSP, you get access to 24/7/365 customer support, incident management, spend and usage management, and training from your CSP partner. This can help you get the most out of your Microsoft investments and ensure that your team is well equipped to work with the latest tools and technologies. Your partner can also help you on the rest of your digital transformation journey.
4. Easier to manage with a single point of contact: Managing licenses and services can be a complex task. By reviewing your agreement and moving to a CSP model, you can benefit from continuous license management and a single point of contact for all your Microsoft services. When partnering with SoftwareOne, our simplified client portal becomes your single platform to manage all your agreements in one place. This can reduce administrative workloads and unburden your IT team.

Extra benefits of the New Commerce Experience

The New Commerce Experience is a subscription type under CSP. It enables you to lock in subscription period of 1 month, 12 months, or 36 months, to offer greater flexibility and tailor-fit to your organization's needs. Moreover, you can benefit from promotions such as discounts on annual subscriptions and flat monthly fees for temporary subscriptions. This makes CSP an attractive alternative to a traditional EA, with similar benefits and more flexibility.