Microsoft Azure, Microsoft SQL Server

Microsoft SQL Data Warehouse Reserved Capacity available

Gold Microsoft Partner

Microsoft Azure Reservations are a way of pre-paying for an Azure resource over a one or three-year term to get the most cost-effective pricing. The Reservations family continues to grow: it started with Reserved Instances, a way of pre-paying for Azure virtual machine base compute, and was extended with Reserved Capacity, a way of pre-paying for Azure SQL Database compute capacity. In 2018, Software Reservations for SUSE Linux software and Reserved Capacity for Azure Cosmos DB throughput were added to the family.

Now the family also includes Microsoft SQL Data Warehouse Reserved Capacity. Microsoft SQL Data Warehouse Reserved Capacity allows customers to buy compute Data Warehouse Units (cDWU) with either 1-year or 3-year options for discounts of up to 65%. Reserved Capacity can be shared by multiple warehouses in the same region and there are exchange and cancel options available if business needs change. Additionally, there are new RedHat Enterprise Linux Software Plans where the rules are stricter in terms of exchanging and cancelling, but discounts of up to 18% are still available.

For further information on Microsoft SQL Data Warehouse Reserved Capacity, please visit https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/azure-sql-data-warehouse-reserved-capacity-and-software-plans-now-generally-available/.

The following link gives you an overview of Reservations and if you expand the “Buy a reservation” link at the left you can get details on the current five members of the Reservations family: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/billing/billing-save-compute-costs-reservations.

Microsoft Azure, Oracle Cloud

Microsoft and Oracle interconnect Microsoft Azure and Oracle Cloud

Microsoft and Oracle

Microsoft and Oracle announced a cloud interoperability partnership enabling customers to migrate and run mission-critical enterprise workloads across Microsoft Azure and Oracle Cloud. Enterprises can now seamlessly connect Azure services, like Analytics and AI, to Oracle Cloud services, like Autonomous Database. By enabling customers to run one part of a workload within Azure and another part of the same workload within the Oracle Cloud, the partnership delivers a highly optimized, best-of-both-clouds experience. Taken together, Azure and Oracle Cloud offer customers a one-stop shop for all the cloud services and applications they need to run their entire business.

For more information on this interoperability partnership, please find the both announcements here:

https://news.microsoft.com/2019/06/05/microsoft-and-oracle-to-interconnect-microsoft-azure-and-oracle-cloud/

https://www.oracle.com/corporate/pressrelease/microsoft-and-oracle-to-interconnect-microsoft-azure-and-oracle-cloud-060519.html.

 

Microsoft Azure

Microsoft Azure Data Centers open in Africa

Gold Microsoft Partner

Microsoft announced the availability of two new Azure data centers in Africa – Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Currently only the Azure services are available, and Office 365 is coming in the third quarter of 2019 and Dynamics 365 in the fourth quarter. For further information on the Microsoft Azure Data Centers opening in Africa, please visit: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/microsoft-opens-first-datacenters-in-africa-with-general-availability-of-microsoft-azure/.

Microsoft Azure

Microsoft Azure DevOps Server 2019 available

Gold Microsoft Partner

Microsoft announced the availability of Microsoft Azure DevOps Server 2019, previously called Visual Studio Team Foundation Server. There are no changes to the licensing of this version, and you can buy Server and Client Access License (CAL) licenses through a Volume Licensing agreement. Alternatively, Visual Studio standard subscriptions include rights to the Server license and one User CAL, and all users licensed for Azure DevOps Services have CAL rights too.

Azure DevOps Server 2019 brings the power of Azure DevOps into your dedicated environment. You choose when to apply updates, and you can install them into any datacenter or into sovereign clouds.

For further information about Microsoft Azure DevOps Server, please visit https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/now-available-azure-devops-server-2019/.

Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider, Microsoft Enterprise Agreement, Microsoft Open License, Microsoft Server & Cloud Enrollment, Promotions

Microsoft Azure N & H Series Promotion

Gold Microsoft Partner

Microsoft announced the Microsoft Azure N & H Series Promotion, valid until August 1st, 2019. Customers receive a discount of 56% for NCv1 and 40% for NVv1 and Hv1 virtual machines. This offer applies to all customers (New/Renewal/Mid-Term) in the licensing programs according to the categories.

The following link provides an overview of the different series of virtual machines in Microsoft Azure: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/virtual-machines/series/.

Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Enterprise Agreement, Microsoft Enterprise Subscription Agreement, Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Products and Services Agreement, Microsoft Worldwide Government Partner

Microsoft Identity and Threat Protection available

Gold Microsoft Partner

Microsoft announced the availability of the Microsoft Identity & Threat Protection license, which includes the following products:

  • Microsoft Cloud App Security,
  • Azure Active Directory Plan 2,
  • Azure Advanced Threat Protection,
  • Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection and
  • Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection Plan 2 (Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection + Office 365 Threat Intelligence).

Available in the licensing programs according to the categories.

For more information about Microsoft Identity and Threat Protection, please visit https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2019/01/02/introducing-new-advanced-security-and-compliance-offerings-for-microsoft-365/.

Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Enterprise Agreement, Microsoft Enterprise Subscription Agreement, Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Products and Services Agreement, Microsoft Worldwide Government Partner

Microsoft Information Protection & Compliance available

Gold Microsoft Partner

Microsoft announced the availability of the Microsoft Information Protection & Compliance license, which includes the following products:

  • Azure Information Protection P2 and
  • Office 365 Advanced Compliance (Advanced eDiscovery, Advanced Data Governance, Customer Key, and Privileged Access Management).

Available in the licensing programs according to the categories.

For more information about Microsoft Information Protection & Compliance, please visit: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2019/01/02/introducing-new-advanced-security-and-compliance-offerings-for-microsoft-365/.

Microsoft Azure

Microsoft Azure Reservations

Gold Microsoft Partner

Microsoft Azure Reservations are a way of pre-paying for an Azure resource over a one or three-year term to get the most cost-effective pricing. The Reservations family continues to grow: it started with Reserved Instances, a way of pre-paying for Azure virtual machine base compute, and was extended with Reserved Capacity, a way of pre-paying for Azure SQL Database compute capacity.

Now the family also includes Software Reservations for SUSE Linux software and Reserved Capacity for Azure Cosmos DB throughput.

The following link gives you an overview of Reservations and if you expand the “Buy a reservation” link at the left you can get details on the current four members of the Reservations family: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/billing/billing-save-compute-costs-reservations.

Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Visual Studio

Microsoft Visual Studio Team Services becomes Microsoft Azure DevOps

Gold Microsoft Partner

Microsoft announced that Microsoft Visual Studio Team Services becomes Microsoft Azure DevOps. To read the full announcement, please visit the site: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/release-notes/2018/sep-10-azure-devops-launch. In this context you might also be interested in the Azure DevOps billing FAQ: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/organizations/billing/billing-faq?view=vsts&tabs=new-nav.

Microsoft Azure, Microsoft SQL Server

Microsoft Azure Hybrid Benefit for SQL Server Options

Gold Microsoft Partner

The Microsoft Azure Hybrid Benefit for SQL Server allows you to choose where you use a Microsoft SQL Server license: either on-premises or in Microsoft Azure. Not only that, you’re allowed to choose between a Microsoft Azure virtual machine (Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)) or the Microsoft Azure SQL Database service (Platform as a Service) (PaaS)). This article describes the details of the two options: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/sql-database/sql-database-paas-vs-sql-server-iaas. Customers are eligible for the Microsoft Azure Hybrid Benefit by having active Software Assurance on their licenses or buying a Server Subscription.