NeilCAI Consulting

Microsoft licensing advisor

An independent Microsoft licensing advisor, with services built around your renewal.

Enterprise agreements, Copilot and Azure commitments are negotiated once and lived with for years. These are the advisory services I run for enterprise leadership teams — each one conflict-free, with no reseller margin, no vendor quota and nothing to sell you.

Book a confidential briefingSee the services

Advisory services

Six defined pieces of work. Each starts with a short confidential briefing so the right one is chosen for where you are in the cycle.

Enterprise Agreement renewal advisory

Advisory support through an EA or MCA-E renewal, from the first Microsoft conversation to signature.

What it includes

  • Review of what is currently held, used and proposed, read together
  • The commercial levers genuinely available in your position, and why each matters
  • Counsel to leadership and procurement as the negotiation develops
  • A written position summary your team can take into internal approvals
Format
Retained across the renewal window, typically three to nine months
Best for
Enterprises with an agreement anniversary inside the next year
Enquire about enterprise agreement renewal advisory →

Copilot & AI licensing counsel

An independent read on a Copilot, Copilot Chat or agent-based commitment before it is signed.

What it includes

  • Where the proposed AI licensing overlaps entitlements you already hold
  • Realistic adoption modelling against the commitment being asked for
  • How AI spend sits inside the wider Microsoft relationship
  • The questions to put to Microsoft before committing
Format
Focused engagement, typically two to four weeks
Best for
Organisations with a Copilot proposal or rollout on the table
Enquire about copilot & ai licensing counsel →

Azure commitment & MACC review

A defensible consumption position before an Azure commitment is fixed for the term.

What it includes

  • Review of the consumption forecast behind the proposed commitment
  • Where the forecast is exposed, and what that means commercially
  • The concessions reasonable to pursue against a credible plan
  • A view on commitment shape and timing
Format
Focused engagement, typically three to four weeks
Best for
Teams being asked to commit Azure spend across multiple years
Enquire about azure commitment & macc review →

Licence baseline assessment

An evidence base of what you own against what is actually used, ahead of any negotiation.

What it includes

  • Baseline of entitlement against observed usage
  • Where entitlement is duplicated, over-specified or dormant
  • The items worth resolving before renewal rather than during it
  • A short board-ready summary of the position
Format
Assessment, typically two to three weeks
Best for
Anyone six months or more out from renewal
Enquire about licence baseline assessment →

Board & leadership briefing

A private session for executives and non-executives on what is being signed and where the risk sits.

What it includes

  • Plain-English walkthrough of the commitment in front of you
  • The commercial and contractual exposure worth knowing about
  • Questions the board should be asking the IT and procurement teams
  • Follow-up note for the minutes
Format
Single session, with written follow-up
Best for
Boards and audit committees signing material Microsoft spend
Enquire about board & leadership briefing →

Second opinion on a proposal

A fast, conflict-free read on a quote, renewal paper or reseller recommendation already in hand.

What it includes

  • Independent review of the proposal as written
  • What stands out, what is missing, what is worth challenging
  • A clear view on whether to proceed, pause or renegotiate
Format
One call plus a written summary, within a week
Best for
Decisions with a near-term deadline
Enquire about second opinion on a proposal →

Why conflict-free matters

Nearly everyone advising on Microsoft licensing is paid on what you buy. Resellers and licensing solution providers earn margin on the transaction; Microsoft's own teams carry revenue targets. Both can be excellent partners — neither is neutral.

This advisory work carries no product, no margin and no quota. The recommendation can genuinely be to commit less, commit later, or walk away from a bundle. The experience behind it comes from years inside Microsoft, on the other side of these negotiations.

You can read what previous clients say or the plain-English explainers on the Insights page.

How engagements run

  1. 01Confidential briefingA short call on your renewal, timeline and where the pressure is.
  2. 02Scope and serviceThe right service chosen and scoped for your position, with a fixed price.
  3. 03Advisory counselThe levers worth pursuing, and the ones not worth the political cost.
  4. 04Through the negotiationSupport to leadership and procurement as the discussion develops.

Common questions

What does a Microsoft licensing advisor do?+

A Microsoft licensing advisor reviews what you hold, what you actually use and what you are being asked to commit to, then advises on the commercial levers available before you sign. That spans enterprise agreement structure, Copilot and M365 licence mix, Azure consumption commitments and the concessions worth pursuing at renewal.

How is an advisor different from a reseller or LSP?+

A reseller or licensing solution provider earns margin on what you buy, and Microsoft's own teams carry revenue targets. Independent advisory carries neither. There is no product to place and no quota to hit, so the recommendation can be to commit less, commit later, or not commit at all.

Which service should I start with?+

If a proposal is already in front of you, start with a second opinion. If your renewal is six months or more away, a licence baseline assessment gives you the evidence base first. Everything begins with a short confidential briefing so the right service is chosen for your position.

Do you work alongside our existing reseller?+

Yes. Advisory sits alongside your reseller or LSP rather than replacing them. They transact; the advisory work makes sure the position you are transacting is the right one.

How is the work charged?+

Engagements are scoped and priced per piece of work after the initial briefing, based on the renewal timeline and the depth of review needed. Nothing is charged on what you buy from Microsoft.

Tell me which service you need

Name the service and where you are in the renewal cycle. Response within one business day.

Send an enquiry

Tell me what you're facing

A short note is enough. Everything you share is treated as confidential.