Insights for IT Negotiations

Hosted by UpperEdge

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Episodes

397

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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EN-US

About the show

The world's most trusted IT negotiation advisors for innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation strategies

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August 31, 20269 min

Salesforce Q2 FY27 Earnings and Claudeforce: What It Means for Your Negotiation

Salesforce just reported Q2 FY27 earnings — and dropped a major announcement alongside Anthropic: Claudeforce. In this video, Adam Mansfield, Practice Leader at UpperEdge, breaks down the numbers behind the earnings call and what the new Claudeforce offering could mean for your Salesforce (and Anthropic) relationship.Adam covers:• The Claudeforce announcement — Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff's CNBC reveal ahead of the Q2 FY27 Earnings all, and why it will likely require two separate contracts (your Anthropic/Claude agreement and a commercial negotiation with Salesforce for the "Salesforce in Claude" plug-in)• Why the expected, "headless consumption pricing" tied to the "Salesforce in Claude" component of Claudeforce raises real questions around transparency, forecasting, and how credits and overages will work• Total revenue of $11.35B, up 11% and ahead of the ~$11.32B analysts expected• RPO of $66.3B (up 11%) and cRPO of $33.5B (up 14%) — both key leverage numbers tied to your outer-year commitments• Declining revenue in Marketing Cloud, Commerce Cloud, and integration/analytics (MuleSoft, Tableau) — and how that creates trading room in a holistic negotiation• Agentforce and Data Cloud AI annualized revenue of $3.9B, up 210% — with Agentforce itself at ~$1.5B (up 240%) and Data 360 at ~$2.4B (up 100%, nearly half tied to Informatica)• Why Salesforce quietly stopped reporting Agentforce deal counts and $1M/year customer numbers after Q3/Q4 FY26 — and what that silence likely signals• Raised full-year revenue guidance to a $46.25B midpoint, beating analyst expectations• How to use Dreamforce, Salesforce's early renewal push, and its need for Agentforce wins as leverage in your ownBottom line: Salesforce needs these deals as much as you need the platform. Approach this holistically, make Salesforce earn your commitment, and remember — you're the one making them an offer.

August 21, 202621 min

Why Vendors Win at Renewal: Your 9-Month Prep Playbook

Learn when your organization should actually start preparing for SaaS renewals and why timing matters far more than most procurement teams realize. In this episode, Adam breaks down the real timeline for managing enterprise renewals, the critical prep work that determines deal quality, and what to do if you've already fallen behind. Whether you're facing a renewal in months or managing unexpected add-ons before your contract expires, you'll walk away with actionable priorities: establishing control of vendor conversations, auditing what you're actually using, and understanding what good pricing looks like right now. Perfect for CIOs, procurement leaders, and IT decision makers navigating Salesforce, Microsoft, ServiceNow, and other major vendor renewals. Resources: WEBINAR - https://upperedge.com/knowledge-center/webinars/event/proven-negotiation-strategies-for-todays-salesforce/ BLOG - Salesforce’s Outcome-Based Pricing for Agentforce Help Agent: What Enterprise Buyers Need to Negotiate Now - https://upperedge.com/salesforce/sale... About the Show: Welcome to Insights for IT Negotiations, a podcast by UpperEdge, a leading IT sourcing, negotiation, and project execution advisory firm. Join Adam Mansfield UpperEdge’s SaaS Leader, and Kylie Chisholm, UpperEdge’s Marketing Manager, as they share valuable insights to help you maximize the value of your key IT relationships. Chapters: 0:00 - Introduction | Why Timing Matters in SaaS Renewals 2:03 - The Most Common Question | When Should You Start Preparing for Renewal? 4:34 - The 9-Month Rule | Adam's Framework for Renewal Timing 5:35 - What "Prep Work" Really Means | Beyond the Negotiation 9:36 - Running Behind? | How to Recover When You Don't Have 9 Months 12:23 - Understanding What "Good" Looks Like | Benchmarking in Real-Time 13:38 - Add-Ons Mid-Contract | Navigating Interim Purchases Before Renewal 15:50 - The Unified Message Strategy | Keeping Your Organization Aligned When Time is Tight 17:49 - Co-Terming Strategy | When and Why to Align Renewal Dates 19:15 - What's Next | Salesforce Deep-Dive and Dreamforce Preview

August 19, 20266 min

Microsoft's M365 Copilot Push: What CIOs Should Expect at Renewal

Adam Mansfield, Practice Leader at UpperEdge and leading Microsoft Negotiation Advisor, breaks down why Microsoft is aggressively pushing M365 Copilot adoption and/or accelerated usage at renewal time — even when customers want to stay flat or scale back their M365 Copilot volumes.Drawing from recent conversations with CIOs at some of Microsoft's largest customers, Adam explains why Microsoft can't afford flat or declining M365 Copilot numbers. On a recent earnings call, CFO Amy Hood revealed 30 million paid Microsoft 365 Copilot seats — up from 20 million the prior quarter, but still only about 7% of Microsoft's 450 million paid Microsoft 365 seats. That gap is driving urgency across the sales organization and investors are paying attention.Adam walks through what IT leaders should expect heading into a renewal: aggressive discounting tied to growth-based proposals, price increases on other core Microsoft products (M365 E3, E5, PowerBI, SQL...etc.) being renewed, E5-to-E7 upsell pitches designed to bundle in M365 Copilot (which is in M365 E7) regardless of where this was asked for. He also covers why renewal protections tied to discount percentage (rather than a price cap) may not protect you the way you think.The takeaway: Microsoft's need for Microsoft 365 Copilot growth creates real leverage for customers — but only if they go in prepared with the right intelligence, strategy, and messaging to deliver to Microsoft.

August 11, 20267 min

Microsoft's FY26 Q4 Earnings: What the Numbers Mean for Your Next Negotiation

Microsoft just closed out fiscal year 2026 with $90 billion in Q4 revenue, up 18% and beating analyst expectations. In this video, Adam Mansfield, Practice Leader at UpperEdge, breaks down the key results from the earnings call — and more importantly, what they mean for customers heading into renewals and negotiations. Adam covers: The headline numbers: $90B total revenue, 67% gross margins, and cloud revenue of $59.3B (up 27%) Why M365 commercial cloud growth slowed to 14% from 18% a year ago — and what's driving ARPU (premium offerings, Copilot, E5, and early E7 traction) What "30 million+ paid Copilot seats" really means, and why actual usage matters more than what's in the CPS Microsoft's aggressive E7 push — why "hundreds of customers" tells you they didn't hit their internal targets, and the pressure coming to your next renewal The protections you must secure on E7 deals: interim price protections, renewal price protections, and significant, appropriate rollout funding Satya Nadella's own words on E7's hybrid seat-based and usage-based model — and why you need to understand and track the consumption metrics and definitions Azure's 43% growth and why holistic, unified negotiations across Azure, M365, LinkedIn, and D365 are your biggest lever How to paint the future opportunity — and when to play hardball if Microsoft won't structure the deal for what you need today Microsoft is telling the financial community it will accelerate revenue growth this fiscal year. They need you to adopt and use — so make them earn it.

July 23, 202618 min

Outcome-Based Pricing: What Salesforce's Pay-Per-Resolution Model Really Means

Salesforce just shook up its Agentforce Help Agent pricing, moving from per-conversation consumption pricing to pay-per-resolution. Sounds like a win for customers, but is it?UpperEdge's Salesforce Practice Leader Adam Mansfield breaks down what "resolution" actually means, the resolution-pack mechanics customers need to watch for, and why this shift is really about Salesforce's revenue goals and AI credibility push. Plus: how to use this moment to renegotiate your entire Salesforce relationship, not just Agentforce. In this episode: What Salesforce's new outcome-based pricing model actually changes How "resolution" is defined and why the fine print matters The hidden consumption element inside resolution packs Why Salesforce made this move now (hint: it's not just customer-friendly) Negotiation tactics for your broader Salesforce relationship Resources: BLOG - Salesforce’s Outcome-Based Pricing for Agentforce Help Agent: What Enterprise Buyers Need to Negotiate Now PODCAST - Salesforce's New Agentforce Help Agent Pricing: What Outcome-Based Licensing Really Means for You About the Show: Welcome to Insights for IT Negotiations, a podcast by UpperEdge, a leading IT sourcing, negotiation, and project execution advisory firm. Join Adam Mansfield UpperEdge’s SaaS Leader, and Kylie Chisholm, UpperEdge’s Marketing Manager, as they share valuable insights to help you maximize the value of your key IT relationships. Chapters: 00:00 – Cold Open: The Consumption Pricing Horror Stories 00:17 – Welcome to Insights for IT Negotiations 01:34 – Salesforce's Big Pricing Announcement 01:56 – What Agentforce Help Agent Actually Is 03:35 – The Mechanics: $2 Per Resolution Explained 04:12 – What Counts as a "Resolution"? 04:59 – The Hidden Consumption Element (Resolution Packs) 06:33 – Why Is Salesforce Making This Shift Now? 09:39 – A Word From UpperEdge 09:57 – Is This Actually Good for Customers? 13:19 – Negotiation Tips for Adopting Help Agent 15:04 – Using This Moment to Renegotiate Your Whole Salesforce Deal 17:35 – Wrap-Up & Where to Learn More

July 2, 20266 min

Microsoft Copilot Cowork Pricing Explained: The Hybrid Cost Trap

Adam Mansfield, Practice Leader at UpperEdge, breaks down Microsoft Copilot Cowork — now generally available and priced on a consumption basis. Adam explains why the model is actually hybrid (not just consumption), what customers need to do with their Microsoft 365 and Microsoft 365 Copilot subscriptions, and how Copilot Cowork credits, pay-as-you-go rates, and P3 volume commitments work.He covers the risks of inaccurate usage forecasting, why "standard" discounting and P3 pricing structures are not good enough, and the negotiation levers customers have that need to be deployed across all components tied to the enterprise user profile (Microsoft 365, Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Cowork) and the larger Microsoft relationship — from renewal protections to bundling into the holistic negotiation other Microsoft commitments to things like Azure, LinkedIn, and other key products Microsoft is interest in getting customers to adopt (i.e., GitHub Copilot).Don't forget to like & subscribe for more insights!

July 1, 20265 min

Salesforce's New Agentforce Help Agent Pricing: What Outcome-Based Licensing Really Means for You

Salesforce just announced a major shift: Salesforce's Agentforce Help Agent (its Autonomous AI Service Agent offering) will come with outcome-based (Pay-Per-Resolution) licensing at $2 per successful resolution, with an ability to buy prepaid packs of resolutions.In this video, Adam Mansfield, Practice Leader at UpperEdge, breaks down what this means for Salesforce customers and why "outcome-based" doesn't mean "negotiation-free."Adam covers:• Why Salesforce is confident enough in Agentforce Help Agent results to move to this pricing model• How the $2 per-resolution price and prepaid resolution packs need to be negotiated down• Why volume discounts, renewal price protection, and other commercial terms are still essential• What actually counts as a "resolution" - and why getting that definition into your order form matters• How Data 360 and Agentforce being unmetered changes the negotiation conversation• Why your larger Salesforce deal (other product licensing metrics and pricing, Order Forms, and agreement constructs (including SELA)) still requires full negotiation prep and effective negotiation executionBottom line: outcome-based pricing can be positive for customers, but only if you push Salesforce to define, tailor, and commit to terms that fit your specific service and support needs while ensuring you have the right pricing in place.n't forget to like & subscribe for more insights!

June 25, 202621 min

How to Get Microsoft to Bend: Leverage Strategies for Your EA Renewal

Microsoft has a playbook, and it's not yours. In this episode, UpperEdge’s Microsoft Practice Leader, Adam Mansfield, breaks down what actually creates leverage in a Microsoft negotiation right now, what mistakes enterprises are making, and why the tactics that worked even a year ago may no longer apply. Adam and host Kylie Chisholm dig into the shift happening in mid-2026, where partial commitments on products like Copilot and E5/E7 can still move the needle without handing Microsoft everything they want. They also cover how to use your broader Microsoft footprint as a source of negotiating power and why investing in your Microsoft relationships is more than just a soft play. He closes with his single most important piece of advice forany customer heading into an EA renewal: make sure your strategy reflects the world as it is today, not how it was twelve months ago. Resources: BLOG: https://upperedge.com/microsoft/what-microsoft-customers-want-from-microsoft-in-2026-stop-pushing-and-start-proving-value/ BLOG: https://upperedge.com/microsoft/github-copilot-licensing-has-changed-what-enterprise-buyers-need-to-know/ About the Show: Welcome to Insights for IT Negotiations, a podcast by UpperEdge, a leading IT sourcing, negotiation, andproject execution advisory firm. Join Adam Mansfield, UpperEdge's Advisory Practice Leader, 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. Chapters: 0:00 Introduction & Why Today's MicrosoftLandscape Is Different 1:03 Meet Adam Mansfield, UpperEdge Microsoft Practice Leader 3:09 What Actually Creates Leverage With Microsoft in 2026 10:32 The Biggest Mistakes Enterprises Make Going Into a Negotiation 14:08 Adam's One Piece of Advice for EA Renewal 15:58 The Importance of Starting Early and Giving Yourself Time 17:20 Lifting the Mental Load: The Hidden Value of Getting Help

June 16, 20265 min

GitHub Copilot's New Licensing Model: What You Must Know Before You Sign

GitHub Copilot's licensing changed on June 1st — and if you're a business or enterprise customer, the stakes couldn't be higher. In this video, Adam Mansfield, Practice Leader at UpperEdge, breaks down exactly what changed, what it means for your organization, and how to negotiate from a position of strength. Adam covers the shift from a simple per-user model to a token-based consumption model — including the new GitHub AI credits system, how tokens are pooled across your organization, and the critical "gotcha" around temporary inflated token allotments that drop back down after September. He explains the difference between the Business ($19/user/month, 1,900 tokens) and Enterprise ($39/user/month, 3,900 tokens) tiers, what happens when you exceed your token pool, and how the cap structures at the user, cost center, and enterprise levels are intentionally designed to drive additional spend. Most importantly, Adam walks through the negotiation levers you should be pushing on: challenging Microsoft to provide consumption forecasts tailored to your organization, questioning why standard token volumes apply universally, and securing the right discount structures before you sign — because fixing a poorly structured deal after the fact is extremely difficult. If you're in negotiations now or have a renewal coming up, this video is essential viewing.

June 1, 20268 min

Salesforce Q1 FY27 Earnings Analysis: Agentforce Growth, Headless 360 & AI Pricing Risks

Salesforce reported Q1 FY27 earnings with revenue exceeding expectations, but the bigger story is the company's push toward AI-driven, consumption-based revenue models. In this analysis, Adam Mansfield breaks down Salesforce's quarterly results, Agentforce adoption trends, Data Cloud growth, Headless 360, and how Salesforce plans to monetize AI through Flex Credits and customer-facing use cases.Adam also explains why enterprise customers should pay close attention to contract structures, transparency, consumption pricing protections, and long-term AI commitments as Salesforce expands its Agentforce and Data 360 offerings.Key topics covered: Salesforce Q1 FY27 earnings results Agentforce ARR and customer adoption Data Cloud (Data 360) growth Headless 360 strategy and API monetization AI consumption pricing models Flex Credits and future revenue growth Enterprise software negotiation strategies Salesforce renewal and contract considerations If you're evaluating Salesforce, negotiating a renewal, or assessing the impact of AI pricing on your technology investments, this breakdown provides practical insights into what the earnings results mean for customers