How procurement teams can benefit from NTT DATA’s private offer for Azure

Earlier this year, we announced that NTT DATA had joined Azure’s multiparty private offer (MPO) program. Starting in May 2024, our UK clients can take advantage of bespoke application pricing and service bundles on Azure Marketplace.

A straightforward software marketplace

Azure Marketplace makes procuring enterprise software and services incredibly straightforward. With a subscription and a few clicks, procurement teams can choose, purchase and install the cloud applications they need along with all necessary licensing.  

Cloud marketplaces have become an efficient alternative to traditional software sales processes and have moved rapidly from early adoption to the mainstream. 

Azure’s MPO program takes the concept further by allowing preferred partners like NTT DATA to create a software marketplace experience tailored to our UK clients’ business requirements.

Easier vendor management for UK procurement teams

For purchasing professionals, this means simplified vendor management and administration. They can manage multiple Azure cloud application contracts from one, personalized dashboard – getting the relationship benefits you’d expect from a reseller and the ease of use of a platform.

It also gives procurement teams new ways to manage budgets strategically using the Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment (MACC). Each eligible pound spent through NTT DATA’s MPO offer can be applied against the MACC, meaning UK clients can decrease their commitments while getting the technology tools they need.

Negotiation also gets easier

Instead of generic, one-size-fits-all offers, an NTT DATA private offer gives clients flexibility. You can work through us to negotiate pricing, terms and conditions, then manage transactions yourself through the Azure dashboard.

As cloud investments continue to expand and UK organizations add to their list of software-as-a-service (SaaS) vendors, tracking and managing vendors and contracts becomes more time-consuming. Buying applications from Azure Marketplace reduces the procurement workload as everything is consolidated and visible on the platform: vendors, contracts, end-user license agreements, invoicing and reporting.

Simplicity with control

Taking the complexity out of software buying doesn’t have to mean a loss of control.

UK procurement teams need to keep a tight grip on approval and cost-allocation processes. With Azure Marketplace, they can restrict purchasing to certain people in the business by assigning them subscription-owner or contributor permissions.

Enabling the private marketplace function on Azure adds additional controls, such as requiring a purchase-order number on Azure Marketplace purchase requests or adding recommendations around the use of “free” trial subscriptions.

UK enterprise software buyers are increasingly migrating to the cloud and looking for SaaS solutions that reduce cost and blend easily with existing tools. More than 95% of the Fortune 500 use Azure, and Azure Marketplace reported 288% growth in SaaS-billed sales last year.

Procurement teams struggling to manage an expanding array of cloud software purchases will appreciate the time and freedom they gain, allowing them to focus on more strategic responsibilities. 

Watch this space for further announcements to help you make the most of NTT DATA’s private offers on Azure that enhance your investment in the cloud.

Adrian Boyd
Microsoft Alliance Lead at NTT DATA