cloud costs

Cloud computing has always promised agility, productivity, and unlimited scale, but rarely do the default settings underpinning these promises curtail security in as direct a way as Microsoft's implementation of default outbound access for Azure virtual machines. As Azure races toward retiring...

Cloud adoption, once seen primarily as an IT modernization step, is now recognized as a make-or-break business transformation lever—one that will define industry winners and losers over the next half-decade. As Gartner’s latest research underscores, the next evolutionary phase of the cloud...

Microsoft’s cloud licensing practices have created a complex and costly dilemma for enterprises heavily invested in Windows Server and SQL Server applications when migrating to public clouds other than Azure. While the cloud promises scalability and flexibility, the reality for many...

The UK cloud computing sector is currently facing intense regulatory scrutiny, particularly focusing on the licensing practices of major cloud service providers Microsoft, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Google Cloud. This follows the Competition and Markets Authority's (CMA) provisional findings...

When enterprises consider migrating their IT infrastructure to the cloud, those heavily invested in Microsoft technologies face a uniquely complex challenge. The expectation that migrating Microsoft server applications—such as Windows Server and SQL Server—to cloud platforms other than...

The ongoing competition tug-of-war in the cloud services market highlights a critical point: Microsoft's licensing policies for its software, particularly Windows Server, heavily influence the viability and economics of multi-cloud deployments. According to Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft's...

Microsoft's shift in cloud licensing practices has stirred up significant challenges for enterprises heavily invested in its ecosystem, particularly when migrating to cloud infrastructures. The 2019 licensing changes introduced a new layer of costs for running Microsoft server software, such as...

Switching to the cloud represents a major shift for enterprises entrenched in Microsoft infrastructure, yet the pathway is fraught with complex licensing and technical challenges that make departing from Redmond’s ecosystem far from straightforward. Recent submissions by Amazon and Google to the...

When enterprises heavily invested in Microsoft infrastructure migrate to the cloud, they find themselves facing a daunting paradox. Despite the widespread appeal of Linux as a cost-effective, flexible cloud operating system, many companies cannot simply rewrite their existing Microsoft-dependent...

Microsoft’s licensing practices for Windows Server in the cloud have become a significant point of contention in the competitive cloud computing market, especially regarding how these practices impact major cloud rivals like Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud. Since Microsoft’s 2019...

Microsoft's licensing policies regarding Windows Server software have ignited significant controversy in the cloud computing market, drawing attention from major cloud providers and regulators alike. Recent statements and filings reveal the extent to which these licensing changes have become a...

Microsoft’s Cloud Lock-In: The Stark Cost of Ditching Windows for Linux in the Era of Hyperscale Cloud A transformative shift is happening in enterprise IT, with organizations moving massive workloads from on-premises servers to the cloud. Yet, beneath the hopeful rhetoric of flexibility and...

Despite Microsoft’s powerful AI story fueling headlines and stock prices, there are subtler, less glamorous currents shaping its cloud business. Azure’s 31% growth in the most recent fiscal Q2, though substantial by industry standards, masked a clear and potentially worrying trend: non-AI cloud...

In today’s rapidly evolving IT landscape, one sector's journey can illuminate best practices for us all. Recent insights from Africa’s mining industry—long seen as rugged and traditional—reveal a compelling narrative of digital transformation, cost optimization, and innovative cloud strategies...

As the dust of 2024 settles, Microsoft has unveiled an extensive review of its strides in Microsoft Cost Management, a suite of tools and enhancements designed to help organizations control, analyze, and optimize their cloud costs. Whether you're a FinOps wizard looking to impress the higher-ups...

November is a month filled with excitement for Azure enthusiasts, as it marks the annual Microsoft Ignite conference—the tech giant's largest showcase for innovations, ideas, and future directions. This year isn’t any different, especially for those journeying down the path of financial...