License Consulting Group (LCG) is a software asset management and licensing advisory firm serving mid-market and enterprise organisations across multiple software vendors. The firm provides compliance-oriented advisory, software licence optimisation, and vendor negotiation support. This review examines LCG's capabilities, where it fits in the competitive landscape, and how it compares to specialist and multi-vendor negotiation advisory firms.
License Consulting Group (LCG) is a software asset management advisory firm with a focus on helping organisations understand, manage, and optimise their enterprise software licensing positions. The firm serves clients across multiple industry verticals and covers the main enterprise software vendors including Microsoft, Oracle, IBM, SAP, and Adobe. LCG's advisory model is grounded in compliance-first thinking — establishing a clear baseline of what licences an organisation owns and how they are deployed before moving to optimisation and negotiation strategies.
LCG appears in several of our vendor advisory rankings at mid-tier positions, reflecting a firm that delivers competent SAM-led advisory without the deep negotiation execution credentials of the top-ranked specialists. The firm is a credible choice for organisations that need structured SAM programme support alongside vendor advisory, particularly in Microsoft and IBM licensing where compliance complexity is high and LCG has developed focused expertise.
LCG's methodology is rooted in software asset management best practice: establishing discovery and inventory processes, performing licence reconciliation (comparing deployed software against owned entitlements), identifying compliance gaps and over-deployment risk, and building the licence position knowledge that informs renewal and negotiation strategies. This SAM-first approach is the right foundation for any organisation that lacks a clear view of its software estate — you cannot negotiate effectively from a position of ignorance about your own deployment profile.
The SAM methodology works particularly well for organisations that are new to structured software asset management, have significant unmanaged software estates, or are preparing for a likely vendor audit. For these scenarios, LCG's structured approach provides defensible licence positions and reduces the risk of expensive audit findings. See our SAM advisory guide for a detailed overview of how SAM programmes support commercial outcomes.
Where the SAM-led approach has limitations is in the transition from compliance management to aggressive commercial negotiation. SAM advisory firms are culturally oriented toward risk management and compliance — the discipline of knowing exactly what you have deployed. The best negotiation advisors add an additional layer: using that position knowledge as a foundation for commercial strategy, leveraging deployment data to build negotiation anchors, and deploying vendor-specific tactics to extract maximum commercial value from renewal conversations. This transition from compliance management to commercial advocacy is where firms with deeper negotiation execution credentials outperform SAM-first advisory. The EA negotiation guide explains this distinction in more detail.
License Consulting Group's core services include: software asset management programme design and implementation, software licence compliance reviews and effective licence position (ELP) calculations, vendor audit response support, licence optimisation and true-up planning, renewal strategy advisory, and vendor negotiation support. The firm covers Microsoft licensing (EA, MPSA, CSP, NCE), Oracle licensing (Database, Technology, Applications), IBM licensing, SAP licensing, and a range of other enterprise software vendors.
Engagement models are typically project-based, with clearly scoped deliverables. For organisations wanting ongoing SAM programme management, retainer arrangements are available. The firm operates with a practical, process-oriented style that suits procurement and IT asset management teams looking for structured deliverables and methodology-driven engagements. LCG's pricing is generally accessible relative to the Big 4 consulting firms and some larger specialist advisory firms, making it a practical option for mid-market organisations or those with bounded advisory budgets.
The firm's geographic focus is primarily US and North American enterprise, though it advises clients on globally applicable licensing frameworks. International organisations with complex multi-territory licensing arrangements may find LCG's regional depth somewhat limited for highly specific EMEA or APAC deal dynamics.
LCG's primary strength is its methodical, compliance-grounded advisory approach. For organisations that need to establish or improve their SAM programme as a foundation for better vendor negotiations, LCG provides structured, practically deliverable advisory. The firm's multi-vendor coverage is a genuine advantage over single-vendor specialists for organisations managing complex mixed software estates.
The firm's IBM licensing advisory deserves particular mention. IBM's licensing complexity — particularly around IBM PVU licensing for virtualised environments, IBM IPLA terms, and IBM sub-capacity licensing rules — requires specific product expertise that many generalist advisors lack. LCG has invested in this area and provides credible IBM licensing advisory for compliance and optimisation scenarios.
The primary limitation is negotiation execution depth. While LCG provides negotiation support as a service, the firm's cultural orientation is toward compliance management rather than commercial advocacy. For the most complex, high-stakes vendor negotiations — Oracle ELA/ULA structuring, SAP migration commercial negotiations, large-scale Microsoft EA restructuring — firms with dedicated negotiation execution practices and gain-share fee models that signal confidence in outcomes typically deliver stronger results. See our Oracle advisory rankings for a comparison of the top execution-focused firms.
License Consulting Group appears in our vendor advisory rankings at positions reflecting solid mid-tier capability. The firm ranks above tools-focused vendors like Flexera and Snow Software (which provide SAM tooling rather than advisory), but below firms with deeper negotiation execution credentials and multi-vendor strategic advisory practices.
In our Microsoft EA rankings and IBM advisory assessments, LCG's multi-vendor coverage earns a credible position for organisations that need advisory across both vendors simultaneously. In our Oracle rankings, LCG ranks below Oracle specialists like Palisade Compliance and execution-focused multi-vendor firms like Redress Compliance.
The ideal LCG client profile is a mid-market enterprise that needs to build structured SAM capability while addressing licensing compliance across multiple vendors. For these organisations, LCG provides a practical combination of programme advisory and vendor-specific licensing knowledge at accessible engagement economics. Larger enterprises with more complex, high-stakes negotiations across major vendors typically benefit from advisors with stronger negotiation execution credentials. Our SAM advisory guide covers how to match advisory needs to the right type of firm.
Need SAM advisory and negotiation support across multiple vendors?
License Consulting Group earns a score of 7.4/10 — a competent SAM and licensing advisory firm with genuine multi-vendor coverage and a solid compliance-grounded methodology. The firm is at its best for organisations building or improving SAM programmes as a foundation for better vendor commercial management, particularly for Microsoft and IBM licensing complexity.
The key consideration is whether your primary need is SAM programme support and compliance management, or aggressive commercial negotiation execution. For the former, LCG provides good value. For high-stakes Oracle ELA negotiations, SAP S/4HANA commercial strategy, or complex multi-vendor portfolio renegotiations where the financial stakes demand the sharpest possible negotiation execution, firms with deeper commercial advocacy credentials and outcome-based fee structures will deliver better results.
LCG provides solid SAM-led advisory — but for high-stakes Oracle, SAP, or complex multi-vendor negotiations, the right match depends on your specific needs. We'll help you find it.