Renewals & Cost Optimization
Software cost optimization means paying only for the licenses an organization uses and needs. Articles here cover renewal preparation and triage, finding and reharvesting shelfware, rightsizing subscriptions, vendor negotiation, third-party support as an alternative to vendor maintenance, and the second-hand license market. They are written for SAM, procurement and finance teams who need a defensible number before a renewal date or a budget cycle.
Shadow AI Is a SaaS Problem First
Most unmanaged AI is not a security incident yet. It is a subscription on a card, a key in a…
Procurement Can't Negotiate on an Unverified Demand Signal
Procurement is asked to win on price before anyone has verified the need, the owner or the usage behind the…
Microsoft's AI Bill Has Three Meters
Microsoft sells AI through Copilot seats, Copilot Credits and Foundry tokens or provisioned throughput. Each has its own rules, its…
SIM Now Manages SaaS and AI Spend, Per User
Software Inventory Manager now connects to Okta, Entra ID and Google Workspace, and by API to Anthropic, OpenAI, Cursor, Gemini…
Gemini's API Price Doubles on December 1. Check Your Exposure.
Google's Gemini API price list doubles the rates for Gemini 4 Argon on 1 December 2026 and for two Flash…
Four Vendors, Four Meters: AI Pricing Compared
Published list prices for Anthropic, OpenAI, Google and Microsoft side by side: API tokens, batch, caching and seats, where each…
Not Every Software Renewal Deserves Equal Attention
Sorting renewals by contract value or deadline gives the wrong ones your best hours. A simple score for uncertainty, dependency…
Tokens, Explained for the People Who Pay the AI Bill
AI tools are sold as seats, but the bill behind them is counted in tokens. What input, output, reasoning, caching…
SQL Server 2019 vs 2025: Features, Licensing and Pricing Comparison
SQL Server 2019 left mainstream support on February 28, 2025. The per-core minimum is unchanged. What moved is Standard edition's…
Windows Server 2019 vs 2025: Features, Licensing and Pricing Comparison
Windows Server 2019 left mainstream support in January 2024; extended support runs to January 2029. The licensing model has not…
Adobe Named-User Seats: Reharvesting Before the VIP Anniversary
Adobe named-user seats can move between people at any time, but the quantity you pay for changes once a year,…
The Hidden Operational Cost Nobody Assigns to Software Interpretation Work
The Hidden Cost of Software Interpretation Work Every ITAM and SAM leader knows this moment.…
Azure Hybrid Benefit for SQL Server: The Rules That Decide the Saving
Azure Hybrid Benefit is the largest discount Microsoft offers on SQL Server in the cloud. Whether it saves money or…
VMware Broadcom Stay vs Exit Is a Priced Decision
Stay on VMware or leave Broadcom only after you price perpetual versus VCF, the support path, portable VCF on AVS, and third-party cover against this estate.
Oracle Java SE Subscription Cost Is an Employee Metric
Oracle Java SE subscription cost is per employee, not per install. Published bands, Employee definition, what to count this week, stay versus OpenJDK.
The Hidden Cost of Reporting Overload in Software Asset Management
Your team produces reports. Lots of them. Utilization summaries, compliance trackers, renewal dashboards, and audit…
Every Renewal in One View: The New Renewal Timeline Report in LCM
The renewal that costs you money is rarely the one you forgot about. It is…
Why Your 2027 Software Budget Needs Two Raise Lines
Forrester’s 2027 guides: more than 80% of leaders expect budgets up. Model list-price and usage raises on one page before the vendor names the number.
SAP Support Commitments Change Leave-and-Return Cost
EC case AT.40823 binds SAP’s on-prem support rules for ten years. Reinstatement is gone. Back-maintenance is capped. The 2027 ECC clock did not move.
The Hidden Cost of Leaving Broadcom Without a File
Allstate’s Broadcom dockets show the audit clock starts when you say you are leaving. Match leftover licenses before the notice, not after the uninstall.