Microsoft announced that Extended Support for SQL Server 2008/2008 R2 will end on July 9, 2019 and Extended Support for Windows Server 2008/2008 R2 will end on January 14, 2020. Customers that remain on these versions beyond the deadline will no longer receive patches or security updates and would be limited to Self-help Online Support. Self-help Online Support is usually available for a minimum of 12 months after the product reaches the end of Extended Support and is limited to […]
Microsoft keeps a lot of secrets from its clients. They can cost companies hundreds of thousands of dollars in compliance penalties and wasted expenditures. They can also cost you your job. 1. You’re Paying for Cloud Whether You Use It or Not Microsoft Enterprise Agreements typically include an “Azure Monetary Commitment” fee. This is Microsoft charging you for using their cloud, even if you didn’t want it or ever use it. Not only do Microsoft reps usually not explain what […]
Discontinuing Microsoft Software Assurance is no longer an option Microsoft is significantly advancing its cloud services by transitioning their existing customer base to Office 365, Exchange Online, and the various Azure offerings. It also involves upselling existing cloud customers on a broader range of services. The most notable of these is Microsoft 365, a suite of Office 365, Windows (client), and Enterprise Mobility + Security (“EMS”). Yet another strategy has emerged as Microsoft seeks to ramp up its smaller customers. […]
You know the basics, but do you know these advanced strategies for saving on your Microsoft spend? Your organization could save hundreds of thousands of dollars by taking advantage of these special techniques and Microsoft programs, but only if you know what to ask for. 1. Independent Contract Review When your contract is up for renewal, many organizations simply assume that there’s no need to review the details more than in the past. Unfortunately, a lack of diligence and oversight […]
If your renewal is coming up soon and you were planning on using one of these, you may need to change your plans. Here are 5 things that Oracle no longer offers in 2017: 1. Priceholds: Priceholds used to be the “bread and butter” of Oracle offerings, but are now quite uncommon. Besides being rare, their benefits are constricted, having a limited scope (in terms of applicable products) and limited discounts on subsequent procurements. 2. Limited Use: Many Oracle products […]
On January 23, 2017, Oracle introduced significant updates to their “Licensing Oracle in a Cloud Environment” guidelines document. Miro has been reviewing the document to identify the key changes, and how they relate to current environments and decisions for future environment plans. As is typically the case with Oracle, the document does not express a clear view of the true comparative impact of the changes they made against the previous guidelines. The changes appear to favor the Oracle Cloud over […]
Microsoft has (pretty predictably) moved to “Per Core” licensing for Windows Server, just like SQL Server before it. This is more to the trend of denser servers – that is, with more and more cores per server – and, possibly, in a nod to Azure. It’s been pretty well documented, but there are minimums: A minimum of 16 core licenses is required for each server. A minimum of 8 core licenses is required for each physical processor. And, like for […]
Microsoft Services Include: Microsoft Managed Services Microsoft Audit Defense Microsoft License Reviews Microsoft Cloud & Subscription Management Since Microsoft outsources its software audits to the Business Software Alliance (BSA) and Microsoft software asset management consultants, it is essential for an organization to know how to create a defensible position. Microsoft Managed Services Our expert analyst team will manage the organizations Microsoft software licensing, deployments, entitlements, usage, contracts and purchasing documents on a long term continuous basis to ensure the organization’s [...]
