27. April 2026
Leveraging the full lifecycle of assets is economically sound—and this includes software assets. At the same time, organisations can achieve significant cost savings in procurement, even in the so-called “cloud-first era”.
Geopolitical developments, the growing demand for digital sovereignty and a general sense of transformation are shaping current discussions—particularly when it comes to cloud computing and software strategies. According to Melanie Achten, Managing Director of MRM Distribution, these factors are currently driving increased demand for on-premises solutions. As a result, interest in used software is also rising—“quite simply because it costs around one third less than most cloud-based models,” Achten explains.
Potential in the Hybrid Software Era
For many providers of used software, including MRM, day-to-day business is no longer limited to on-premises licences. Instead, the real opportunity lies in supporting the transition towards hybrid IT environments or even “Microsoft 365-only” scenarios. This shift also presents a valuable opportunity for resellers and system integrators. In most cases, moving to the cloud raises the question of how to handle existing on-premises licences that are no longer required. “MRM partners can consistently capitalise on this by offering us their clients’ surplus licences for purchase,” says Achten. She refers to this approach as “Smart Licensing” — a concept that views licensing not as an isolated task, but as a strategic lever. The goal is to design IT architectures where costs do not spiral, but instead create financial flexibility. According to Achten, savings of well over 30% are not uncommon in such scenarios. Importantly, this approach extends beyond Microsoft licensing to include areas such as virtualisation, artificial intelligence, hyperautomation and document management.
Interview with ITBusiness and Melanie Achten, Managing Director of MRM.
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