Insights for IT Negotiations

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 reacting * What to know about AgentForce pricing models and AI consumption risks * Slack’s price increase and its role in Salesforce’s bundling strategy * Practical steps to prepare for renewal negotiations Resources PODCAST – Salesforce Announces August Price Hikes & New AgentForce & Slack Plans: Here’s What You Must Do Now [https://upperedge.com/knowledge-center/documents/podcasts/salesforce-announces-august-price-hike-new-agentforce-slack-plans-heres-what-you-must-do-now/] BLOG - Salesforce Increasing Pricing and Adding Agentforce Options: What Customers Need to Know Now [https://upperedge.com/salesforce/salesforce-increasing-pricing-and-adding-agentforce-options-what-customers-need-to-know-now/] If you’re a Salesforce customer, these changes are coming. This episode will help you get ahead of them. Learn more about how UpperEdge can help here. [https://upperedge.com/what-we-do/salesforce-advisory-practices/]

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 increases * What comes with the Agentforce add-on and Agentforce 1 Edition * What customers that are considering  AgentForce need to do * What to demand from Salesforce before committing to anything: pricing, definitions, volume discounting, protections, flexibility and more For more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe [https://upperedge.com/knowledge-center/subscribe-to-our-newsletter/] to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/upperedge-llc/mycompany/verification/] and Twitter [https://twitter.com/UpperEdge].

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 Agreements [https://upperedge.com/cloud/how-to-avoid-vendor-lock-in-with-cloud-subscription-agreements/] BLOG: Key Trends Disrupting Your Cloud Vendor Relationships [https://upperedge.com/cloud/key-trends-disrupting-your-cloud-vendor-relationships/] About 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 [https://upperedge.com/knowledge-center/subscribe-to-our-newsletter/] to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/upperedge-llc/mycompany/verification/] and Twitter [https://twitter.com/UpperEdge].

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 [https://upperedge.com/knowledge-center/subscribe-to-our-newsletter/] to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/upperedge-llc/mycompany/verification/] and Twitter [https://twitter.com/UpperEdge].

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 deal For more innovative IT sourcing and risk mitigation insights, subscribe [https://upperedge.com/knowledge-center/subscribe-to-our-newsletter/] to the UpperEdge newsletter and follow UpperEdge on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/upperedge-llc/mycompany/verification/] and Twitter [https://twitter.com/UpperEdge]. Topics include: