Insights for IT Negotiations

ServiceNow just reported Q4 FY25 earnings, and the numbers reveal critical leverage points for customers heading into renewals and new purchases. Adam Mansfield breaks down what was reported and what ServiceNow leadership said on the earnings call, along with his thoughts on how ServiceNow customers need to start planning for an even more aggressive push to get them to adopt and start using ServiceNow’s AI offering, “Now Assist”.From explosive growth in $5M+ customers to the rapid expansion of Now Assist adoption that comes with the “problematic for customers” consumption-based pricing, this analysis explains how ServiceNow is monetizing AI—and how customers should negotiate to protect themselves. If you’re buying, renewing, or expanding ServiceNow, these insights are essential.For more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn and Twitter.

What does it take to successfully navigate a massive ITtransformation without ending up in the headlines?In this episode of Insights for IT Negotiations, hosts John Belden and Kylie Chisholm are joined by UpperEdge Chief Advisory Officer Len Riley and OG&E’s Director of Technology Strategy, Kevin Lagge, to break down OG&E’s five-year SAP S/4HANA and RISE transformation journey. Kevin shares candid lessons from the front lines around Phase 0 decision-making, executive alignment, negotiating early SAP RISE contracts, and managing a multi–systems integrator model.The conversation also explores how strong governance, built-in flexibility, and innovative use of generative AI helped OG&E stay on track, control costs, and ultimately thrive through change, all with the help of UpperEdge.A must-listen for IT leaders facing large-scale ERP, cloud, or digital transformation initiatives.Resources:WHITE PAPER - DrivingValue Through Discipline: How an Energy Company Reimagined Transformation withUpperEdgeBLOG - PivotPoints: How Smart Clients Avoid Cost Overruns in Large IT ProgramsAbout the Show:Welcome to Insights for IT Negotiations, a podcast by UpperEdge, a leading IT sourcing, negotiation, and project execution advisory firm. Join John Belden, UpperEdge’s Chief Research and Strategy Officer, 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.For more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Enterprise AI vendors like OpenAI (ChatGPT), Anthropic (Claude), and Google (Gemini) are aggressively targeting enterprise customers—and they need your business. In this video, Adam Mansfield breaks down why enterprises must slow down, negotiate hard, and secure the right commitments before signing AI contracts with any of these vendors. Enterprises need to ensure the proper pricing is in place (upfront and downstream), adequate transparency is provided, along with the appropriate level of flexibility and investments.  This is a must-watch for CIOs, procurement, sourcing, and line of business leaders navigating the rapidly evolving AI landscape.For more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn and Twitter.

In this episode, Adam Mansfield shares unfiltered insight into what Microsoft customers actually want from Microsoft heading into 2026. Drawing on conversations with CIOs and senior business leaders, Adam explains growing frustration around forced upgrades, E5 and Copilot pressure, Azure commitments, and pricing tactics that prioritize vendor outcomes over customer value.This discussion focuses on the importance of value-based selling, customer listening, transparency, and trust. If you manage Microsoft licensing, negotiate enterprise agreements, or are responsible for Microsoft strategy, this video highlights the critical mindset shift Microsoft customers expect.For more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn and Twitter.

In this video, Adam Mansfield shares grounded, real-world insights from ongoing conversations with Salesforce customers, analysts, and the investment community. He explains why aggressive pricing tactics and forced product strategies are undermining trust—and how Salesforce can instead accelerate growth by refocusing on customer value, transparency, and listening. From renewals and portfolio rationalization to Agentforce and Data Cloud, this discussion outlines a more sustainable path forward for Salesforce in 2026.For more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Many organizations still focus heavily on SLA metrics like uptime and ticket closure rates, but those metrics alone do not create strong governance or long-term value. In this episode of Insights for IT Negotiations, Kylie Chisholm is joined by UpperEdge managed services experts Greg Hall and Ally Kuppens to discuss why the structure behind SLAs is often more important than the metrics themselves.The conversation explores how modern SLA frameworks support flexibility over long-term managed services agreements, allowing organizations to adapt as business priorities change. Greg and Ally walk through the four core components of an effective SLA framework: risk sharing, SLA adjustment rights, termination for cause, and continuous improvement. They explain how each one helps balance accountability with a healthy provider relationship.Listeners will come away with practical guidance on how to design SLAs that stay relevant over time, align to real business outcomes, and create shared incentives for continuous improvement in managed services relationships.Resources:BLOG - ⁠AI and the Future of Managed Services Contracts: Lessons from MSP Earnings CallsWEBINAR - AI in Managed Services: Bridging the Gap Between Expectations and RealityAbout the Show: Welcome to Insights for IT Negotiations, a podcast by UpperEdge, a leading IT sourcing, negotiation, and project-execution advisory firm. Join John Belden, UpperEdge’s Chief Research & Strategy Officer, and Kylie Chisholm, UpperEdge’s Marketing Manager, every other week as they share high-impact insights to help you maximize the value of your key IT relationships.Episode Chapters:00:00 Why SLA Metrics Alone Fall Short01:02 Introducing the Guests and Today’s Topic02:57 Why Traditional SLA Approaches No Longer Work04:53 The Need for Flexible and Elastic SLA Structures05:47 What an SLA Framework Really Is06:56 The Four Core Components of an Effective SLA Framework07:04 Risk Sharing and Creating Real Provider Accountability09:40 How Risk Sharing Changes MSP Day to Day Behavior13:29 Managing Providers and Avoiding SLA Gaming15:33 SLA Adjustment Rights and Evolving Business Priorities16:02 KPIs vs CPIs and Why the Difference Matters17:59 How and When Clients Should Adjust SLAs21:21 Termination for Cause Rights and Healthy Governance24:32 Continuous Improvement That Actually Drives Value26:05 Aligning SLAs to Business Outcomes Over Time27:33 Key Takeaways and Final Thoughts

Microsoft has kicked off a rapid pricing and commercial-policy shift that will materially impact most enterprise renewals. First, Microsoft’s volume discounting levels (B/C/D) have effectively been removed (unless you have airtight renewal price protection language). Next, Microsoft announced core SKU list price increases effective July 1, 2026, with select “value add” features rolled into bundles—whether you use them or not.In this video, Adam Mansfield breaks down what’s changing and how customers should respond—especially if you have renewals coming up next year.Key takeaways covered:What the end of volume discounting means for your renewal baselineMicrosoft 365 and Office 365 SKU increases (and why “added features” may not equal “added value”)Common Microsoft tactics ahead of July 1, 2026—and how to avoid being rushed into a suboptimal dealHow to reset executive expectations and push for “pay for value received” outcomesPractical next steps:Inventory unused entitlements and adoption gaps before negotiationsValidate renewal protections and confirm there are no conditional carve-outsPrepare your negotiation playbook early—do not let Microsoft anchor on urgencyFor more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Salesforce just reported its Q3 FY26 earnings: $10.3B in Total Revenue, slowing growth in core clouds, and formidable ARR headlines for Agentforce and Data Cloud (Data 360). But what do these numbers actually mean for your next Salesforce deal?In this video, Adam Mansfield breaks down:Q3 FY26 results across all of Salesforce’s “clouds” (Sales, Service, Marketing, Commerce, MuleSoft, Slack…etc.)The real story behind Agentforce and Data 360 ARR growthWhy Salesforce keeps talking about “consumption” and the “flywheel” to the investment communityHow existing customers are being targeted for upsells and expansionWhat you must lock down in your Agentforce and Data 360 contracts (transparency, volume discounts…etc.)How to avoid getting trapped in a mid-term spend spike you never budgeted forBefore you add Agentforce and/or Data 360 or as you plan for your upcoming Salesforce renewal, watch this to understand the playbook Salesforce is running on you – and how to protect your organization.For more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Salesforce is pushing Salesforce Foundations and Data 360 provisioning hard as “no-cost” offers — but the real story starts once you hit usage limits. In this video, Adam Mansfield breaks down what’s actually included, why Salesforce cares so much about getting this into your order form, and how you can protect your budget.You’ll learn:What comes with Salesforce Foundations (Einstein requests, Agentforce flex credits, Data 360 segmentation & activation)How “$0” offers give Salesforce leverage and let them report wins the moment you signWhy you must ensure your Order Forms have complete transparency and definitions: conversations, Einstein requests, flex credits, data service creditsHow to negotiate overage/usage rates now, not laterThe importance of internal controls and usage tracking to avoid surprise downstream invoicesHow to tie this “free win” back to better discounts and lower uplifts to your already in place Salesforce products, while improving other commercial termsIf you’re considering Salesforce Foundations, and/or evaluating Agentforce, Data Cloud/Data 360, or any consumption-based Salesforce offer, watch this before you sign your next order form.For more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Many ServiceNow customers are being told Impact is “mandatory” to win discounts or concessions—especially around year-end renewals. In this video, Adam Mansfield explains how to negotiate lower Impact percentages, lock protections for the full term, preserve your right to drop Impact at renewal, and tie lower Impact costs to better underlying product pricing and AI/Now Assist packs. Learn how to hold the line and structure a deal on your terms.For more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn and Twitter.