Optimized and Maximized over £1.4M across Azure and Microsoft 365
A leading infrastructure project in the UK, responsible for developing high-speed rail connections, faced the daunting task of managing a complex software environment. With contracts exceeding £30 million and a user base of around 3,000 people across multiple locations, the organization needed a robust Software Asset Management (SAM) strategy to ensure efficiency, compliance, optimization and cost-effectiveness.
Challenge
The organization faced a multifaceted challenge in managing its software assets. The complexity of licensing agreements from multiple vendors, including Microsoft, created significant hurdles in optimizing software usage and costs. As technology rapidly advanced, the need for continuous updates and adjustments to their SAM strategy became increasingly pressing. Furthermore, with an expanding user base, the organization had to ensure that new users could be onboarded seamlessly without disrupting existing operations. Compliance with various licensing agreements was paramount to avoid legal and financial repercussions, adding another layer of complexity. Amidst these challenges, managing and optimizing software spend to ensure maximum value for money remained a critical concern, necessitating a comprehensive and strategic approach to SAM.
Solution
By implementing the Surveil platform through a channel partner, the organization was able to address these challenges effectively:
- Comprehensive Review and Consolidation: Surveil assessed the current IT estate, providing a clear roadmap for optimization.
- Efficiency in Licensing: Surveil helped the organization drive greater efficiency from its existing licenses, including cloud services, by identifying and eliminating redundancies.
- Detailed Compliance Reports: Surveil provided detailed reports on compliance risks and optimization opportunities, ensuring that the organization remained compliant with all licensing agreements.
- Annual SAM Maturity Review: With ongoing analysis and spend forecasts, Surveil enabled proactive decision-making, leading to significant cost savings and improved ROI and SAM practices over time.
Business Outcomes
Surveil’s actionable insights provides several key benefits that directly addressed the organization’s needs and challenges.
- Enhanced visibility into software usage and entitlements helped the organization understand its software landscape better.
- Efficiency was achieved by identifying unused licenses and optimizing cloud services, reducing unnecessary expenses.
- Detailed compliance reports and risk assessments ensured that the organization remained compliant with licensing agreements.
- AI-driven insights and recommendations provided strategic guidance based on empirical data that converted waste into value for future software investments.
Results
The organization achieved significant results.
- Cost Savings: Negotiated discounts worth over £500,000 on current software contracts and saved £50,000 by removing unused Microsoft 365 licenses.
- Optimized Cloud Spend: Achieved £930,000 in savings through Azure optimization.
- Improved SAM Maturity: Enhanced understanding of software contracts, entitlements, and usage through detailed, actionable reports.
- Risk Mitigation: Reduced compliance risks and supported contract negotiations effectively.
Partner Testimonial
“We use a proven and innovative approach to help large public and private organizations make the right technology choices and manage their IT spend. Our partnerships strive to maximize the value of their technology investments.” ~ Managing Director at a Surveil Partner organization
Client Testimonial
“Surveil provides invaluable insight into our Azure spend, with regular consumption and utilization reports and tailored guidance and advice on managing cloud spend,” ~ Azure Service Lead
Conclusion
Surveil’s innovative SAM solutions have not only addressed the immediate challenges faced by the organization but have also laid a strong foundation for future growth and efficiency. By providing enhanced visibility, cost savings, and compliance assurance, Surveil has empowered the organization to manage its software assets with unprecedented precision and confidence. This success story is a testament to Surveil’s ability to transform complex software environments into streamlined, value-driven operations and exemplifies how strategic SAM solutions can lead to remarkable business outcomes, setting a new benchmark for efficiency and value in the infrastructure sector.