Insights for IT Negotiations

If you are a Salesforce customer, you may not be aware that Salesforce recently removed their standard renewal price protection from their Master Subscription Agreement. Besides the fact that customers are now completely exposed and Salesforce has increased leverage at renewal, this also gives us a glimpse into the strategies and approaches being developed behind the scenes at Salesforce as they look for ways to increase spend and adoption from their customer base. Host: Adam Mansfield: https://bit.ly/3rPGp8r SalesForce Commercial Advisory Services: https://bit.ly/37hFkMV

Judson Althoff, executive vice president of Microsoft's Worldwide Commercial Business organization, kicked off Microsoft Inspire 2019 with a promise that all solution areas will get better in FY20. Specific to Microsoft Teams, he said, customers are going to see more collaborative capabilities and AI capabilities. A focus on innovating Teams and adding capabilities makes perfect sense as Microsoft is aggressively trying to ramp usage in order to keep competitors like Slack out of their customers’ ecosystems. Host: Adam Mansfield: https://bit.ly/3rPGp8r Microsoft Commercial Advisory Services: https://bit.ly/2V78ADX

Oracle shared some interesting facts in its Q4 earnings call that uncover the latest tactics its using to expand product adoption, forecast Autonomous Database growth, and seed its customer base. In this podcast, Practice Leader, Jeff Lazarto discusses some concerns with the numbers being reported and what potential and current Oracle customers should expect and prepare for when considering Autonomous Database. Host: Jeff Lazarto: https://bit.ly/37eCXdN Oracle Commercial Advisory Services: https://bit.ly/3jdtF7p

Google Cloud CEO, Thomas Kurian, recently stated they want to be the easiest cloud provider to do business with. Amongst a number efforts to achieve this distinction, they will introduce easier pricing and easier contracting. In this podcast, Adam Mansfield discusses why this is a smart approach and how it would differentiate Google from rival cloud vendors like Microsoft, Amazon and even Salesforce if it's successful.

In its recent Q4 earnings call, Oracle focused on the security features of both Generation 2 Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI2) and the Autonomous Database. In today’s world of data breaches routinely making headlines and the resulting fall from grace of company CEOs, Oracle’s sales pitch is ultimately about providing high-level security that ultimately saves the CEO. In this podcast, Oracle Practice Leader Jeff Lazarto, discusses what Oracle is claiming about OCI2 and Autonomous Database and what this means for current and potential customers. Host: Jeff Lazarto: https://bit.ly/37eCXdN Oracle Commercial Advisory Services: https://bit.ly/3jdtF7p

As you prepare for your cloud subscription renewal negotiation, it is important to first assess and understand the goals and objectives of the cloud vendor sitting across the table from you. There are certainly universal things that matter to all cloud vendors pretty much at any point in time, like increased spend and product expansion but there are a few things that matter most to ServiceNow right now. Based on experience, knowing these things and how best to use them will have a significant impact on the success of your upcoming renewal negotiation. Host: Adam Mansfield: https://bit.ly/3rPGp8r ServiceNow Commercial Advisory Services: https://bit.ly/3ls6VDt

Happy customers and successful projects equals high customer satisfaction and a retention rate of over 100%. Even with all of Workdays recent success, you have a great amount of leverage in constructing your first deal with Workday. Jeff Lazarto discusses how you need to understand what a highly competitive deal looks like, and how you can go about obtaining such a deal—there are strategies you can implement to achieve these results. Host: Jeff Lazarto: https://bit.ly/37eCXdN Workday Commercial Advisory Services: https://bit.ly/3fq96DV

Salesforce had another strong quarter with revenue growth of 24%, and Service Cloud revenue breaking the $1B threshold for the first time. They also raised full year profit guidance. It is very clear that in order for Salesforce reach their self-imposed $26B revenue target by FY23, they will need to successfully sell enterprise CEOs on Salesforce being the only company that can truly provide them with the increasingly valuable 360 view of their customers. Host: Adam Mansfield: https://bit.ly/3rPGp8r SalesForce Commercial Advisory Services: https://bit.ly/37hFkMV

The higher education industry can expect to continue to field many calls from Workday account executives. Workday has taken more of a targeted approach with respect to gaining customer adoption of its Financial Management solution.  The first industry Workday focused on was the public sector which includes both government and education. Jeff Lazarto, UpperEdge's Practice Leader, breaks down what these moves mean for Workday and its growing competition with Oracle. Host: Jeff Lazarto: https://bit.ly/37eCXdN Workday Commercial Advisory Services: https://bit.ly/3fq96DV

SAP’s annual conference in Orlando is in full swing. In this podcast, UpperEdge’s SAP Advisory Practice Leader, Len Riley, discusses his observations and first impressions. He shares his thoughts on how this year’s conference compares to previous years so far, what SAP is doing well, and what SAP could have done better. Host: Len Riley: https://bit.ly/3fqLI99 SAP Commercial Advisory Services: https://bit.ly/3yjImwb