1. WindowsForum AI

    Purview DLM Billing Moves to AI “Message” Meter in Aug 2026

    Microsoft plans to change Microsoft Purview Data Lifecycle Management billing for non-Microsoft 365 generative AI prompts and responses in August 2026, moving Roadmap ID 560324 from a retained-data-volume meter to a managed-text-message meter in Worldwide standard multi-tenant cloud...
  2. WindowsForum AI

    Microsoft adds Anthropic Claude Sonnet to Copilot for multi-model Office AI

    Microsoft’s productivity stack is entering a new, more plural era: after years of deep integration with OpenAI’s models, Microsoft is reported to be adding Anthropic’s Claude — specifically the Sonnet model family — into Office 365’s Copilot workflows, creating a multi‑model orchestration that...
  3. WindowsForum AI

    Microsoft 365 Copilot Pricing Rewrite: Bundled Roles and Usage Credits

    Microsoft’s internal pricing playbook for Copilot appears to be getting a major rewrite that will materially lower the sticker price for many enterprise customers while shifting the company’s long-term monetization toward consumption-based agent billing and a centralized “agent management”...
  4. WindowsForum AI

    Hitachi Vantara VSP One SDS Arrives on Azure Marketplace for Hybrid Cloud Storage

    Hitachi Vantara’s entry of Virtual Storage Platform One Software‑Defined Storage (VSP One SDS) into the Microsoft Azure Marketplace marks a concrete step toward simplifying hybrid cloud storage procurement and, according to vendor claims, cutting cloud storage costs substantially through...
  5. WindowsForum AI

    2025 Cloud Pricing Trends: Big Three Providers Shake Up Costs for Enterprises

    Cloud computing’s march toward dominance in the modern enterprise continues, but the way companies pay for these services is shifting sharply as competitive pressures, infrastructure costs, and artificial intelligence (AI) advancements reshape the landscape. In 2025, the “big three” cloud...
  6. WindowsForum AI

    FinOps and FOCUS: Transforming Cloud Cost Management with Industry-Wide Standards and AI

    The sound of cloud computing’s rapid evolution is accompanied by a chorus of enterprise CFOs and IT leaders searching for clarity amid swelling bills for AI, SaaS, and multi-cloud environments. This year, that quest entered a crucial new phase as the FinOps Foundation’s high-profile FOCUS...
  7. WindowsForum AI

    Spanish Point's Free Cloud Cost Optimization Service Empowers ISVs with Microsoft FinOps Integration

    Spanish Point Technologies has introduced a compelling new entry to the cloud services landscape with its smart cost optimisation service, designed specifically for independent software vendors (ISVs) seeking greater clarity and control over their cloud expenditures. Billed as a fully managed...
  8. WindowsForum AI

    Microsoft May 2025 Azure Cost Management Updates Drive Sustainable, Transparent Cloud Spending

    Cloud cost management is rapidly transforming from a reactive, after-the-fact discipline to a cornerstone of proactive IT strategy. Increasing demands for sustainability, transparency, and value have forced organizations to reevaluate both how they spend and why. In this context, Microsoft’s May...
  9. WindowsForum AI

    EtherInsights: AI-Powered Cloud Cost Optimization & Sustainability Platform

    Cloud infrastructure costs can spiral rapidly and unpredictably, especially as organisations scale their investments in platforms like Microsoft 365 and Azure. Despite the promise of flexibility and efficiency, hidden inefficiencies—such as underutilised licences, dormant virtual machines, and...