Insights for IT Negotiations

Salesforce just announced a 6% price increase effective August 1st (20% for Slack Business+), alongside new Agentforce and Slack plans. This includes a staggering $125/user/month Agentforce add-on and an Agenforce 1 Edition for $550/user/month.In this episode, Adam Mansfield, Salesforce Practice Leader at UpperEdge, breaks down the real strategy behind these moves and what Salesforce customers must do now to prepare before they get locked into higher costs without the right protections.Key Takeaways:What’s really behind the Salesforce product (sales, service, field service and industry) and Slack price increasesWhat comes with the Agentforce add-on and Agentforce 1 EditionWhat customers that are considering  AgentForce need to doWhat to demand from Salesforce before committing to anything: pricing, definitions, volume discounting, protections, flexibility and moreFor more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn and Twitter.

In this episode of Insights for IT Negotiations, UpperEdge’s Adam Mansfield joins Kylie Chisholm to unpack the evolving reality of vendor lock-in in the cloud era and how AI is deepening that entrenchment. From the long-standing SaaS model to today’s rapidly spreading AI offerings from Microsoft, Salesforce, and others, organizations are finding themselves more tightly bound to vendors than ever before. But does that mean you're powerless? Hardly. Learn actionable strategies to mitigate the risks of cloud and AI lock-in, reframe your negotiation mindset, and hold vendors accountable for delivering long-term value.Resources:BLOG: How to Avoid Vendor Lock-in with Cloud Subscription AgreementsBLOG: Key Trends Disrupting Your Cloud Vendor RelationshipsAbout the Show:Welcome to Insights for IT Negotiations, a podcast by UpperEdge, a leading IT sourcing, negotiation, and project execution advisory firm. Join John Belden, UpperEdge’s Chief Research and Strategy Officer, and Kylie Chisholm, UpperEdge’s Marketing Manager, every other week as they share valuable insights to help you maximize the value of your key IT relationships.For more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Jeff Lazarto, Oracle Practice Leader at UpperEdge, breaks down Oracle’s explosive FY25 earnings, the role of AI in their growth, and strategic guidance for existing and prospective Oracle customers. From cloud infrastructure to database demand and Oracle’s aggressive sales posture, this episode unpacks what buyers need to know now to negotiate smartly and plan for the future.For more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Microsoft’s mega deal is raising big questions. A report suggests Microsoft is working on a 1 million-seat Microsoft 365 Copilot deal, but what does that actually mean for customers?In this episode, Adam Mansfield, Advisory Practice Leader at UpperEdge, dissects the potential Microsoft 365 Copilot mega-deal and raises critical questions about possible and likely “over licensing,” the adequacy of discounting and pricing protections, and the potential shift toward consumption-based pricing.If you’re evaluating Microsoft’s AI offering “Microsoft 365Copilot,” to any degree and magnitude, this is a must-watch.Are all 1M seats paid? Will they be used?Did the buyer get renewal protections?What happens to the underlying E3/E5 pricing and associated unified support fees?What to demand before signing a high-volume Microsoft 365 Copilot dealFor more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn and Twitter.Topics include:

There has been speculation that Microsoft is going to one day introduce a Microsoft 365 E7 plan. Adam Mansfield, Advisory Practice Leader at UpperEdge, shares his take on whether Microsoft 365 E7 is coming and why customers shouldn’t wait around for it. He breaks down the math behind M365 E3, M365 E5, and M365 Copilot pricing, the pitfalls of bundling, and why now is the time to focus on getting the right protections, flexibility, and pricing for your current Microsoft stack.In this episode, learn:Why Microsoft might roll out an Microsoft 365 E7Whether M365 Copilot would be bundledPricing deltas and enterprise adoption challengesWhere customers should focus right now to stay aheadFor more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn and Twitter.

In this episode of Insights for IT Negotiations, Jeff Lazarto and Shane Griffin pull back the curtain on a recent Oracle ERP transformation engagement. They share how a client secured over $11 million in savings and achieved long-term pricing protections without turning negotiations adversarial. Tune in to learn how UpperEdge’s relationship-based approach, proven negotiation strategy, and commercial term frameworks enabled an impactful outcome, and what other organizations can take away as they evaluate enterprise applications like Oracle and Workday.Resources:Oracle Audit ServicesPODCAST - Mastering Oracle Negotiations: Insights from UpperEdge’s Expert AdvisorsBLOG - Oracle’s Data Breach Response: A Crisis Management PlaybookAbout the Show:Welcome to Insights for IT Negotiations, a podcast by UpperEdge, a leading IT sourcing, negotiation, and project execution advisory firm. Join John Belden, UpperEdge’s Chief Research and Strategy Officer, and Kylie Chisholm, UpperEdge’s Marketing Manager, every other week as they share valuable insights to help you maximize the value of your key IT relationships.For more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn and Twitter.

In this episode, Jeff Lazarto, Workday Practice Leader at UpperEdge, breaks down Workday’s Q1 FY26 earnings and what they reveal about the company’s direction—and how enterprise customers should respond.With 13% YoY growth, major investments in AI agents, and the rollout of Workday Go for rapid deployments, Workday is pushing innovation and reach across sectors and geographies. But Jeff cautions: if you're expanding your Workday footprint, use this as an inflection point to revisit your contracts and pricing.Topics include:Why AI expansion should trigger a contract reviewWhat Workday Go means for midmarket and larger orgsHow to avoid “off-cycle” expansions that hurt renewal leverageWhere Workday is focusing industry growth (Gov, Higher Ed, Healthcare, Financial Services)

Adam Mansfield, Advisory Practice Leader at UpperEdge, delves into Salesforce's Q1 FY26 earnings and its growth drivers like AgentForce and Data Cloud. He discusses how the adoption of AgentForce affects customer negotiations. Mansfield reveals insights on the Informatica acquisition and emphasizes the importance of securing favorable terms with Salesforce. He also touches on the future significance of Data Cloud, Tableau, and Slack, urging customers to assess commitments before accepting free AI pilots.

In this episode, Adam Mansfield, Advisory Practice Leader at UpperEdge, analyzes key messages from ServiceNow’s recent Financial Analyst Day and what has been revealed to ServiceNow customers, including ServiceNow’s clear focus on accelerating AI revenue growth and getting customers to upgrade. He also discusses what that means for customers moving forward.ServiceNow is aiming to grow its AI-related revenue from $250M to $1B by FY26, largely by pushing customers to upgrade to Pro Plus (Pro+) through “low cost” starter packs, steep uplifts, and vendor friendly hybrid pricing models that include a consumption based pricing component.Adam outlines:ServiceNow’s AI revenue goals and growth strategyWhy the “low-cost starter pack” isn’t just a trial, but a hookHow to protect your interests before committing to Pro PlusWhat to negotiate now before you “start tasting”For more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn and Twitter.

As vendors like Microsoft and Accenture leverage AI to gain an edge in IT negotiations, enterprise buyers risk falling behind. In this episode, UpperEdge CEO David Blake joins hosts John Belden and Kylie Chisholm to discuss the evolving role of the third-party advisor (TPA) and why independence, intelligence, and strategy matter more than ever.Learn why relying solely on benchmarks is no longer enough, how AI is changing the sourcing landscape, and what a modern TPA must deliver to help you structure high-value, high-stakes IT relationships. If you’re managing critical supplier deals, this is a must-listen.Resources:BLOG – The Modern-Day TPA: Your First Line of Defense in an AI-Driven WorldBLOG - Thriving Amid Uncertainty: How to Move Your Digital Transformation Forward While Others FreezeContact us today if you’re interested in learning more about how UpperEdge can help you gain competitive leverage in your large IT deals.About the Show:Welcome to Insights for IT Negotiations, a podcast by UpperEdge, a leading IT sourcing, negotiation, and project execution advisory firm. Join John Belden, UpperEdge’s Chief Research and Strategy Officer, and Kylie Chisholm, UpperEdge’s Marketing Manager, every other week as they share valuable insights to help you maximize the value of your key IT relationships.For more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn and Twitter.