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Free Licensing Research & Negotiation Playbooks

20 practitioner-grade playbooks written by former Oracle, Microsoft, SAP, AWS, and Google Cloud executives. Download free with your company email — no spam, unsubscribe any time.

20 Playbooks Available
47,000+ Downloads
2026 Updated

Written by Insiders

Every guide is written by advisors who led enterprise licensing at major vendors. Not theory. Operational playbooks from people who architected the deals you're negotiating.

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Our research is for enterprise practitioners. We require company email addresses to maintain research quality and ensure these guides reach the professionals they're designed for.

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P0 Releases

Featured Publications

Oracle 68 pages

The Oracle Licensing Playbook: ULA, Database, Java & Support

Everything you need to know before your next Oracle negotiation. Master ULA structures, Java licensing post-2023, database cloud licensing mechanics, and proven strategies for support cost reduction.

Microsoft 54 pages

The Microsoft EA Guide: True-Up, Azure MACC & Copilot Strategy

Navigate Microsoft's Enterprise Agreement with confidence. Understand true-up mechanics, MACC commitments, E3/E5 pricing dynamics, and how to avoid the most expensive renewal traps.

Cloud 48 pages

Cloud Contract Framework: AWS, Azure & GCP Negotiation

Master enterprise discount programmes, committed use commitments, EDP vs. MCA structures, and multi-cloud cost governance for large-scale cloud deployments across your organization.

All Publications

Complete Research Library

Frequently Asked Questions

Who writes these guides?

All guides are written by former senior vendor executives with 15–25 years at Oracle, Microsoft, SAP, AWS, and Google Cloud. These advisors now work exclusively on the buyer side, giving them unique insight into both how vendors structure deals and how savvy enterprises negotiate them. Every guide reflects real-world experience, not academic theory.

Why do you require a company email?

Our research is designed specifically for enterprise practitioners in procurement, finance, IT, and legal roles. We require business email addresses to ensure relevance and maintain research quality. This helps us keep the community focused on people actively involved in enterprise software licensing decisions, rather than students or casual browsers.

Are these guides truly free?

Yes, completely free. We provide them free because our clients are enterprise organisations with complex, multi-million-dollar licensing challenges. White papers are how we demonstrate deep expertise and build trust with the buyers we want to work with — not a revenue stream. If you find them valuable and need them applied to your specific situation, that's when you engage our advisory services.

How current is the research?

All guides are reviewed and updated annually. Publication dates and version numbers appear on each guide cover. Vendor licensing terms, cloud pricing, and contract mechanics change frequently — often annually. We track those changes so you don't have to. If you're reading a guide from 2024 and it's March 2026, we'll have the latest version ready for download.

Need These Insights Applied to Your Specific Situation?

Every guide covers the principles. But your Oracle renewal, your SAP audit, your AWS commitment — those require specific analysis tailored to your contract, your usage, and your leverage. That's exactly what our advisors do.

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