Let's face it: Microsoft software licenses are expensive. And that's just the way the folks in Redmond want it. Otherwise, that $62 billion a year revenue stream might drop to a mere $52 billion.

But customers shouldn't cry for Microsoft. Instead, if they choose Microsoft products over cheaper open source alternatives, they should take a hard line in negotiations to get as much as they can for as little money as possible.

But managing software licenses may be just as difficult as managing the software itself. That's why Forrester Research just came out with a report titled "Consider These Five Criteria When Choosing a Microsoft Volume Licensing Program."