Mergers, acquisitions and your Microsoft agreement

Two agreements, two price books, two sets of entitlements. One chance to get the combined deal right.

What changes

When companies come together, so do their Microsoft agreements. They rarely line up. End dates differ, pricing and discounts differ, products and user profiles differ, and so do currencies and contract terms. Some agreements restrict how licenses can move between entities.

Divestments bring the opposite problem: separating licenses, tenants and costs without leaving either business over-licensed or exposed.

Why it is also an opportunity

A merger is one of the few moments when Microsoft expects the whole agreement to be reopened. Handled well, it is a chance to standardize terms and pricing across the group, remove duplication and build room for future acquisitions into the new structure.

a group of motion blurred business people on the stairs

How we help

  • Review both agreements: pricing, discounts, end dates and contract restrictions.
  • Map the combined demand and build one optimised bill of materials.
  • Plan the route and timing to bring agreements together, including currency.
  • Negotiate the combined agreement, with provisions for future acquisitions.
  • Manage cost and licensing through the integration phase.
Talk to us about your integration

FAQs

What happens to Microsoft licenses in a merger?

Each business usually keeps its own agreement until they are consolidated. The timing, terms and pricing of that consolidation are negotiable, and decisions made early in integration can lock in cost for years.

Can we combine two Microsoft Enterprise Agreements?

Yes, but how and when depends on each agreement’s end date, terms and restrictions. Combining them is a negotiation in its own right and a good moment to standardize pricing.

How should we handle Microsoft licensing in a divestment?

Work out which licenses, tenants and services move with the divested business, and what transition support is needed. Plan it before the deal closes, so neither side carries cost it does not need.

When should we involve a licensing adviser in an acquisition?

As early as integration planning starts. Contract restrictions and end dates shape the options, and they are easier to work with before integration decisions are made.