Uppercut Podcasts By Upperedge

Oracle just named two co-CEOs and doubled down on an AI-first future. Jeff Lazarto explains how OCI’s gigawatt-scale GPU superclusters, Oracle’s vectorized “AI database,” and application-layer AI agents could make Oracle the standard for AI training and—soon—enterprise inferencing. He also highlights what this means for customers evaluating Oracle today: timing, deal leverage, and a practical path from on-prem to cloud/Fusion.  Key Points:Why big AI players are choosing OCI for training; cost/performance narrative.  Oracle’s bet that inferencing (AI agents doing work) will dwarf training.  The “AI database” and data privacy posture across models.  Leadership update: co-CEO model aligning apps vs. infra.  Customer takeaways: leverage, migration paths, and contract strategy. Episode Chapters00:00:23 AI and OCI are driving Oracle’s momentum - Oracle’s earnings buzz is fueled by AI demand and OCI’s gigawatt-scale GPU superclusters selected by top AI players.00:01:11 Why big tech is choosing OCI - Oracle claims fa

SaaS vendors often push programmatic renewal price increases—whether you used the product’s features (new or existing) or not. Here’s a fairer, customer-focused approach: only permit price hikes at renewal when (1) the SaaS vendor enhanced the production being subscribed to since your last renewal and (2) you’re actually using those enhancements. That aligns spend to delivered value and incentivizes vendors add enhancements of value and put in effort to help drive adoption.Key pointsRenewal price increase caps (3–5%, even 0%) are helpful but programmatic and often are littered with conditionsA better standard: tie any increase to verifiable feature use.SaaS vendors should proactively enable usage (training, outreach, no cost resources…etc.)Most customers underutilize features—don’t pay for what you don’t use, certainly don’t pay more for airFor more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, ⁠subscribe⁠ to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ and ⁠Twitter⁠.

In this episode of Insights for IT Negotiations, UpperEdge’s Adam Mansfield joins to break down Microsoft’s recent announcement to eliminate Enterprise Agreement (EA) volume discounts starting November 1st. Adam explains what this change means for enterprise customers, how executives are reacting, and the strategies organizations can use to prepare. From executive-level conversations to utilization analysis, alternative solutions, and the role of Cloud Solution Providers (CSPs), this discussion provides practical guidance for navigating Microsoft’s evolving pricing model.Resources:UPCOMING WEBINAR - ⁠Breaking the Microsoft Mold: How to Negotiate on Your Terms⁠BLOG - ⁠Microsoft Ends EA Volume Discounts: What It Means and How to Respond⁠VIDEO - ⁠Microsoft Ends EA Volume Discounts – What It Means for You⁠About 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

In this episode, Adam Mansfield, Salesforce Practice Leader at UpperEdge and industry expect, explains what the new Pay-As-You-Go and Pre-Commit, and Pre-Purchase pricing models mean for enterprise customers and why Salesforce is providing them.Key takeaways and what will be covered:Breakdown of all three Agentforce pricing options: Pre-Purchase, Pay-As-You-Go, and Pre-CommitWhat EVP of Corporate Strategy, Bill Patterson’s public comments really signal about internal Salesforce priorities and current Agentforce adoptionHow to use this moment of leverage to negotiate better terms, definitions, and future flexibilityFor more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, ⁠subscribe⁠ to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ and ⁠Twitter⁠.

Effective November 1, 2025, Microsoft will eliminate EA volume-based discounts for online services like Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365. Adam Mansfield, Microsoft Practice Leader at UpperEdge, breaks down the impact, why Microsoft is making this change, and how enterprise customers can push back. Learn how this move ties to Microsoft’s motivation to accelerate ARPU growth, increased product adoption and upgrades (Microsoft 365 Copilot, E5), and shift more customers towards an MCA-E or CSP contracting model—and what actions need to be take right now.For more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, ⁠subscribe⁠ to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ and ⁠Twitter⁠.

Microsoft closed FY25 with strong revenue growth, fueled by Copilot adoption, E5 momentum, and Azure’s breakout 39% growth. Adam Mansfield, Microsoft Practice Leader at UpperEdge, breaks down the key takeaways from the earnings call, including what the numbers mean for enterprise customers with upcoming renewals or considering in-term purchases. Learn how Microsoft’s focus on moving customers to E5, AI (M365 Copilot, GitHub Copilot, Copilot Studio…etc.) will shape pricing, commitments, and negotiation leverage in the year ahead. For more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, ⁠subscribe⁠ to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ and ⁠Twitter⁠.

In this episode of Insights for IT Negotiations, UpperEdge’s Ryan McGhee joins John Belden and Kylie Chisholm to explore how generative AI is influencing SAP S/4HANA brownfield transformations. From productivity claims and risk mitigation to transparency challenges and use case development, the conversation uncovers what IT leaders need to know before engaging their system integrators. Learn how to separate hype from value, ask the right questions, and prepare your environment to fully leverage AI’s potential without sacrificing control or incurring hidden costs.ResourcesBLOG – ⁠Rethinking Transformation Strategy in an AI-First World: AI is Changing SAP Strategy. Is Your Business Ready?⁠BLOG - ⁠Brownfield and the AI Gap: What Your SI Isn’t Telling You and Why It’s More Complex Than It Looks⁠Want to go deeper? ⁠Contact us⁠ to discuss how we can support your transformation strategy.

Salesforce is making bold changes that every customer needs to pay attention to. In this episode of Insights for IT Negotiations, UpperEdge’s Adam Mansfield joins Kylie Chisholm to unpack the upcoming 6% price increase, the evolving AgentForce pricing models, and Slack’s shift toward higher-cost enterprise editions.They explore what’s really driving these updates, how they impact your current agreements, and what actions you should take now to maintain leverage, especially with Dreamforce around the corner.Key Topics:Why Salesforce is raising prices and how customers are reactingWhat to know about AgentForce pricing models and AI consumption risksSlack’s price increase and its role in Salesforce’s bundling strategyPractical steps to prepare for renewal negotiationsResourcesPODCAST – Salesforce Announces August Price Hikes & New AgentForce & Slack Plans: Here’s What You Must Do NowBLOG - Salesforce Increasing Pricing and Adding Agentforce Options: What Customers Need to Know NowIf you’re a Salesforce c

Salesforce just announced a 6% price increase effective August 1st (20% for Slack Business+), alongside new Agentforce and Slack plans. This includes a staggering $125/user/month Agentforce add-on and an Agenforce 1 Edition for $550/user/month.In this episode, Adam Mansfield, Salesforce Practice Leader at UpperEdge, breaks down the real strategy behind these moves and what Salesforce customers must do now to prepare before they get locked into higher costs without the right protections.Key Takeaways:What’s really behind the Salesforce product (sales, service, field service and industry) and Slack price increasesWhat comes with the Agentforce add-on and Agentforce 1 EditionWhat customers that are considering  AgentForce need to doWhat to demand from Salesforce before committing to anything: pricing, definitions, volume discounting, protections, flexibility and moreFor more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn and Twitter.

In this episode of Insights for IT Negotiations, UpperEdge’s Adam Mansfield joins Kylie Chisholm to unpack the evolving reality of vendor lock-in in the cloud era and how AI is deepening that entrenchment. From the long-standing SaaS model to today’s rapidly spreading AI offerings from Microsoft, Salesforce, and others, organizations are finding themselves more tightly bound to vendors than ever before. But does that mean you're powerless? Hardly. Learn actionable strategies to mitigate the risks of cloud and AI lock-in, reframe your negotiation mindset, and hold vendors accountable for delivering long-term value.Resources:BLOG: How to Avoid Vendor Lock-in with Cloud Subscription AgreementsBLOG: Key Trends Disrupting Your Cloud Vendor RelationshipsAbout 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 Mana

Jeff Lazarto, Oracle Practice Leader at UpperEdge, breaks down Oracle’s explosive FY25 earnings, the role of AI in their growth, and strategic guidance for existing and prospective Oracle customers. From cloud infrastructure to database demand and Oracle’s aggressive sales posture, this episode unpacks what buyers need to know now to negotiate smartly and plan for the future.For more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Microsoft’s mega deal is raising big questions. A report suggests Microsoft is working on a 1 million-seat Microsoft 365 Copilot deal, but what does that actually mean for customers?In this episode, Adam Mansfield, Advisory Practice Leader at UpperEdge, dissects the potential Microsoft 365 Copilot mega-deal and raises critical questions about possible and likely “over licensing,” the adequacy of discounting and pricing protections, and the potential shift toward consumption-based pricing.If you’re evaluating Microsoft’s AI offering “Microsoft 365Copilot,” to any degree and magnitude, this is a must-watch.Are all 1M seats paid? Will they be used?Did the buyer get renewal protections?What happens to the underlying E3/E5 pricing and associated unified support fees?What to demand before signing a high-volume Microsoft 365 Copilot dealFor more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn and Twitter.Topics include:

There has been speculation that Microsoft is going to one day introduce a Microsoft 365 E7 plan. Adam Mansfield, Advisory Practice Leader at UpperEdge, shares his take on whether Microsoft 365 E7 is coming and why customers shouldn’t wait around for it. He breaks down the math behind M365 E3, M365 E5, and M365 Copilot pricing, the pitfalls of bundling, and why now is the time to focus on getting the right protections, flexibility, and pricing for your current Microsoft stack.In this episode, learn:Why Microsoft might roll out an Microsoft 365 E7Whether M365 Copilot would be bundledPricing deltas and enterprise adoption challengesWhere customers should focus right now to stay aheadFor more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn and Twitter.

In this episode of Insights for IT Negotiations, Jeff Lazarto and Shane Griffin pull back the curtain on a recent Oracle ERP transformation engagement. They share how a client secured over $11 million in savings and achieved long-term pricing protections without turning negotiations adversarial. Tune in to learn how UpperEdge’s relationship-based approach, proven negotiation strategy, and commercial term frameworks enabled an impactful outcome, and what other organizations can take away as they evaluate enterprise applications like Oracle and Workday.Resources:Oracle Audit ServicesPODCAST - Mastering Oracle Negotiations: Insights from UpperEdge’s Expert AdvisorsBLOG - Oracle’s Data Breach Response: A Crisis Management PlaybookAbout 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

In this episode, Jeff Lazarto, Workday Practice Leader at UpperEdge, breaks down Workday’s Q1 FY26 earnings and what they reveal about the company’s direction—and how enterprise customers should respond.With 13% YoY growth, major investments in AI agents, and the rollout of Workday Go for rapid deployments, Workday is pushing innovation and reach across sectors and geographies. But Jeff cautions: if you're expanding your Workday footprint, use this as an inflection point to revisit your contracts and pricing.Topics include:Why AI expansion should trigger a contract reviewWhat Workday Go means for midmarket and larger orgsHow to avoid “off-cycle” expansions that hurt renewal leverageWhere Workday is focusing industry growth (Gov, Higher Ed, Healthcare, Financial Services)

Salesforce just released its Q1 FY26 earnings, and it’s clear: Agentforce (Salesforce’s AI offering), and Data Cloud are at the heart of its future growth strategy. In this episode, Adam Mansfield, Advisory Practice Leader at UpperEdge, unpacks the financials and the implications for current and future Salesforce customers.From 8000 Agentforce customers (1/2 paying customers) to CEO, Marc Benioff’s vision to make all customers AI + DATA + CRM” customers, Adam explains what you need to do now to lock down pricing, define terms, and protect against the coming consumption push.Highlights include:The real reason behind Salesforce’s Informatica acquisitionWhat AgentForce adoption (paid or unpaid) means for your dealWhy Data Cloud, Tableau, and Slack will soon followWhat to commitments need to be gained from Salesforce before saying yes to free AI (Agentforce) pilotsFor 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, Advisory Practice Leader at UpperEdge, analyzes key messages from ServiceNow’s recent Financial Analyst Day and what has been revealed to ServiceNow customers, including ServiceNow’s clear focus on accelerating AI revenue growth and getting customers to upgrade. He also discusses what that means for customers moving forward.ServiceNow is aiming to grow its AI-related revenue from $250M to $1B by FY26, largely by pushing customers to upgrade to Pro Plus (Pro+) through “low cost” starter packs, steep uplifts, and vendor friendly hybrid pricing models that include a consumption based pricing component.Adam outlines:ServiceNow’s AI revenue goals and growth strategyWhy the “low-cost starter pack” isn’t just a trial, but a hookHow to protect your interests before committing to Pro PlusWhat to negotiate now before you “start tasting”For more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn and Twitter.

As vendors like Microsoft and Accenture leverage AI to gain an edge in IT negotiations, enterprise buyers risk falling behind. In this episode, UpperEdge CEO David Blake joins hosts John Belden and Kylie Chisholm to discuss the evolving role of the third-party advisor (TPA) and why independence, intelligence, and strategy matter more than ever.Learn why relying solely on benchmarks is no longer enough, how AI is changing the sourcing landscape, and what a modern TPA must deliver to help you structure high-value, high-stakes IT relationships. If you’re managing critical supplier deals, this is a must-listen.Resources:BLOG – The Modern-Day TPA: Your First Line of Defense in an AI-Driven WorldBLOG - Thriving Amid Uncertainty: How to Move Your Digital Transformation Forward While Others FreezeContact us today if you’re interested in learning more about how UpperEdge can help you gain competitive leverage in your large IT deals.About the Show:Welcome to Insights for IT Negotiations, a podcast by UpperEdge, a leadi

Fresh from Knowledge 2025, ServiceNow’s annual conference in Las Vegas, Adam Mansfield, Advisory Practice Leader at UpperEdge, shares his takeaways from the event, including customer sentiment and concerns, as well as his perspective on ServiceNow’s aggressive pivot toward AI and CRM.While the ServiceNow keynote showcased big ambitions around becoming an AI and CRM leader, drawing comparisons to Salesforce, Adam reveals what customers are actually asking for: continued investment in core platforms like ITSM, ITOM, SAM, HRSD without the need for “AI enhancement.”In this episode:What Bill McDermott didn’t say, but everyone heardWhy customers are interested but still somewhat skeptical of the AI hypeHow to keep ServiceNow’s focus on existing investments during renewalsThe real talk behind ServiceNow’s CRM pushFor 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, Advisory Practice Leader at UpperEdge, unpacks key takeaways from Microsoft’s FY25 Q3 earnings and what they really mean for enterprise customers heading into negotiations.From Copilot adoption trends and RPO growth to margin pressure and pricing tactics, Adam explains how Microsoft is positioning itself and why even a small Copilot purchase can be a major win for them.Learn how to use this insight to:Counter Copilot pricing pressureLeverage Azure and D365 growth for better dealsPrepare your negotiation across all Microsoft touch-points (including LinkedIn, Support, and Devices)Get ahead of Microsoft’s playbook before your next renewal conversation.For more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn and Twitter.