When Support Costs Rise Automatically, Infrastructure Teams Lose Control

For most organizations, Unified Support renewal is a black box:

Cost is based on Microsoft software and cloud spend, not actual support usage. 

Uplifts and add-ons are rolled into broad, vague line items. 

There’s no clear Microsoft support cost reduction path without cutting capability. 

There’s no reliable way to compare Unified against another vendor on ROI enterprise support. 

12-month locked contracts limit your ability to adjust to changing demand. 

No SLA-backed credits and no clear accountability for performance. 

You can’t optimize what you can’t measure, and Unified wasn’t designed for measurement. 

DCG vs Unified Support: What Changes for Your Cost Model

Key Criteria DCG Advanced Support Microsoft Unified Support
Cost Structure Predictable, needs-based pricing aligned to engineering work. Percentage of total Microsoft spend; increases as cloud usage grows.
Contract Flexibility Adjustable quarterly; hours usable across break/fix and proactive work. Rigid annual contracts; entitlement categories limit flexibility.
Cost Transparency Full visibility into usage, hours, tasks, and measurable value. Opaque consumption model; limited linkage between spend and outcomes.
SLA Enforcement Penalty-backed SLAs with accountable ownership. No SLA penalties; triage delays slow engineer engagement.
Reporting & Governance Monthly/quarterly reporting and service reviews with engineering leadership. Basic TAM summaries; inconsistent visibility and limited insight.
Value Alignment Cost aligns directly with resolution speed, proactive work, and impact reduction. Cost driven by Microsoft revenue, not support performance.
Renewal Leverage Precise usage data supports negotiations and rightsizing. Renewal uplifts tied to cloud footprint; limited leverage.

How DCG Redefines the Unified Support Cost Model

DCG takes the complexity, unpredictability, and spend-based inflation of Unified Support and replaces it with a model built on transparency and measurable delivery. Instead of pricing tied to Microsoft consumption, costs align directly to engineering work, SLA performance, and real operational value.

This gives organizations and your infrastructure teams a support structure they can forecast, measure, and defend, without the uncertainty of uplifts or bundled waste. It’s a shift from reactive coverage to accountable, data-backed service.

Direct-to-Senior
Engineer Support

You Pay for Resolution, Not Entitlements 

No more automatic annual cost increases. No consumption-based inflation. No forced bundles. No more “use it or lose it” entitlements. Quarterly right-sizing options. Clear engineering logs for audit trails 

You get costs you can justify and performance you can measure.

<15 min

Critical Response

<1 hr.

Standard Response

Verified

Measured, Reported

92% tickets

Solved In-House

<10%

Microsoft Escalation

24/7

Global Support

70m USD

in Client Savings

1M

Users Supported

43%

Average Customer

ROI

Post Go-Live

Severity Level

Severity A (SEV/A) - Tier 1

Severity B (SEV/B) - Tier 2

Severity C (SEV/C) - Tier 3

Business Impact

Critical

Moderate

Minimal

Response SLA Detailed

< 15 Minutes

< 4 Hours

< 8 Hours

What DCG Changes For Your Organization

From Spend-Based Support to Transparent, Controllable Support

Predictable Budgeting 

A support model that behaves financially, not erratically. 

Commercial Flexibility

Quarterly adjustments, not annual lock-ins. 

Measurable Performance

SLAs that are verified, reported, and tied to engineering time.

Vendor Leverage 

Receive competitive, customized proposals that reflect your true requirements. 

Reduced Total Cost of Support

Less downtime, faster resolution, and no spend-based inflation. 

Complete Transparency 

You can finally see what you’re paying for and why. 

By working with DCG for support of their Microsoft products and services, FHI has experienced a dramatic improvement in the quality and responsiveness of their Microsoft Support. This has driven additional business units within FHI to begin utilizing DCG’s Advanced Support for their Microsoft products and services.

Tom Maloney
Director Infrastructure & Operations, FHI 

Share your renewal cycle, Unified tier, and current spend.

We’ll map the financial impact and provide a contract-level comparison.