Uppercut Podcasts By Upperedge

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 sourc

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

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.

In this episode of Insights for IT Negotiations, hosts John Belden and Kylie Chisholm sit down with Jesse Webb, IT Director at SaskPower, to explore the story behind the utility’s highly successful SAP S/4HANA transformation.Jesse shares the lessons learned from SaskPower’s multi-year modernization journey, from managing vendor costs and internal resource capacity to building a cohesive cross-functional team that ensured go-live readiness. She reveals how deliberate planning, risk mitigation, and strong collaboration between IT, business, and implementation partners helped the organization overcome early project hurdles and achieve a seamless go-live weekend.Tune in to hear practical insights on:Balancing internal and external project resourcesEstablishing clear go-live criteria and risk mitigation plansThe power of co-location and building team trustHow early alignment and executive communication drive project successWhether you’re preparing for your own SAP modernization or navigating a complex IT transform

In this video, Adam dives into Microsoft’s FY26 Q1 earnings report, which exceeded expectations with strong revenue growth and significant advancements in their commercial and cloud sectors. He discusses the importance of strategic planning for renewals, especially given Microsoft’s impressive Cloud Revenue, and clear objectives Microsoft has made publicly known (including expanding ARPU through E5 adoption and Microsoft 365 Copilot expansion). Listen to Adam break down the numbers and provide insights on how to leverage this information for your business strategies.For more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Adam breaks down ServiceNow’s Q3 FY25 earnings call, highlighting 22% revenue growth, strong subscription performance, and a bold AI roadmap.With Now Assist and Pro Plus deals gaining traction, and CRM commentary heating up between McDermott and Benioff (Salesforce, CEO), this episode is a must-watch for customers preparing for ServiceNow renewals or considering in-term upgrades and purchases.Key Highlights:$3.29B Subscription Revenue, beating expectations and higher than prior guidanceAI revenue targets: $500M in FY25, $1B in FY26553 customers spending $5M+ annuallyCRM rivalry: ServiceNow vs SalesforceStrategic advice for how best to prepare for your upcoming ServiceNow negotiationsFor 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, host Kylie Chisholm is joined by Adam Mansfield, UpperEdge’s Salesforce Practice Leader, to unpack everything from Dreamforce 2025. They dive into how Salesforce’s Agentic Enterprise Licensing Agreement (AELA) is reshaping enterprise licensing, the emphasis on AI and “Agentforce,” and what all this means for you as a Salesforce customer approaching renewal.Listeners will learn how to:Strategically prepare for upcoming renewals and negotiationsPush back on unwanted AI add-ons and licensing changesAlign internal stakeholder messaging and evaluate new value propositionsUnderstand the real implications of Dreamforce-announced products and pricingIf you’re a Salesforce customer heading into renewal season, this episode offers timely, tactical advice to help you protect value and improve outcomes.Resources:VIDEO - Salesforce’s New Agentic Enterprise Licensing Agreement (AELA) – What Customers Need to KnowBLOG - Salesforce Increasing Pricing and Adding Agentforce Opti

During Dreamforce, Salesforce announced a new “unlimited” Agentic Enterprise Licensing Agreement (AELA) that promises unlimited use and simplicity at a set (and predictable) flat fee. But without proper transparency or post-term protections, Salesforce customers could be in for a world of hurt at the renewal time.In this quick take video, Adam breaks down what products are the focus (Agentforce, Data 360, MuleSoft, Slack, etc.) along with what is driving Salesforce’s goal of pushing customers into this agreement type. He will also share his tips on what Salesforce customers need to do and ensure Salesforce provides before any commitment is made.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, host Kylie Chisholm talks with Adam Mansfield, UpperEdge’s Salesforce Practice Advisory Leader, about how customers can successfully prepare for upcoming Salesforce renewals.Adam discusses why many organizations are frustrated with Salesforce’s current direction, particularly its heavy focus on Agentforce and AI, while overlooking existing customer needs and product value. He explains what this means for enterprise buyers and how they can strengthen their negotiation position.Listeners will learn how to:Approach renewals and upcoming negotiations strategicallyPush back on unwanted AI add-onsAlign internal teams for consistent messagingGet the most out of DreamforceIf you’re a Salesforce customer heading into renewal season, this episode offers timely, practical advice to help you protect value and improve outcomes.Resources:BLOG – Salesforce’s New Agentforce Pricing: What Customers Should KnowVIDEO – Salesforce Q2 FY26 Earnings: Agentforce Hype vs. RealityAbout

SaaS vendors are sliding a nasty detail into SaaS renewal term price protections: taking a “3–5% cap” and multiplying it by the number of years in your next term (e.g., 3% × 3-year = 9%). That’s not a cap—that’s compounding pain. Adam shows how to spot it, why it’s spreading, and exactly how to push back.Key takeawaysThere needs to be a cap on the increase a SaaS vendor can apply to your pricing at renewalA price increase should happen one-time at renewalPrice increases at renewal should not go up with more term commitmentMake this a front-of-funnel pricing issue (tie it to discount asks), not a late legal cleanup.Longer term should mean better protection (e.g., 3-year cap 3%, 5-year cap 2%), not a bigger increaseVendors watch each other and manage to what Wall Street wants to see (increases to downstream revenue). Expect this tactic to spread unless you push back.How to negotiateInsist on one renewal uplift cap (define exactly what it applies to)Remove conditions that hold you hostage to volume/product mixTi

Most buyers anchor on “$30/user/month” for Microsoft 365 Copilot—but that’s not the real price. The right move is to negotiate the total cost by tying Copilot to your underlying Microsoft 365 E3/E5 pricing, then secure renewal protections so Microsoft can’t claw it back later. Key plays you can use:Treat “M365 E3/E5 + M365 Copilot” as one subscription and pricePush back on minimums and volume assumptions;Get ahead of Nov 1st price/discount changes on E3/E5 before advancing Microsoft 365 Copilot discussionsValidate actual M365 E3/E5 usage to build a fact-based story and leverageLock in future pricing protections for both M365 Copilot and M365 E3/E5For more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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

In this breakdown, Adam Mansfield unpacks Salesforce’s Q2 FY26 results and the bigger story: Agentforce and Data Cloud’s consumption model. He highlights what Salesforce shared—and what they didn’t—so you can be fully prepared as you head into upcoming renewal negotiations and even your Dreamforce attendance.Key Takeaways:Revenue: $10.2B (+10%)Subscription and Support Revenue: $9.7B (+11%)12.5k Agentforce customers since launch but only 6k are paying60% growth Q-o-Q in customers going from Agentforce pilot to productionDid not provide an updated Agentforce ARR – why?Expect single digit (8.5 – 9%) full year FY26 Total revenue growthBottom line: Salesforce customers have an opportunity to leverage earnings and current market optics (headcount reductions tied to Agentforce) to create leverage and make Salesforce earn their business with improved clarity, pricing and protections moving forward.For more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge

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