Introduce competition by highlighting alternative providers that meet similar functionality needs at a lower cost. By informing Cloudmark of these alternatives, you can leverage the price difference to negotiate a better deal.

Request the removal of any uplift percentage increases in the proposed contract. Emphasize that you were not expecting an uplift and that it is common practice for suppliers to lower prices when a customer expands their product suite.

Negotiate to have any auto-renewal clauses removed, as it's a condition from your finance team. This will ensure that future negotiations can take place without being bound by the auto-renewal terms.

If you're planning to significantly increase your user base, emphasize the need for economies of scale in your negotiations. Highlight that you expect pricing to reflect this growth and that you require lower rates as user numbers increase.

Offer to act as a case study or reference in exchange for a more favorable pricing agreement. This could provide significant marketing value to Cloudmark, prompting them to consider a discount for your initial purchase agreement.