Cut operating system (OS) costs while running secure, consistent workloads on Azure. Effective June 2, 2026, Microsoft made Azure Linux available in public preview. Summary Microsoft released Azure Linux, a cloud-optimized Linux distribution built for Azure, in public preview Azure Linux eliminates OS
Keep your servers secure without the downtime of constant reboots. Effective May 15, 2026, Microsoft offers hotpatch enabled by Azure Arc at no additional cost for Windows Server 2025. Summary Hotpatch enabled by Azure Arc is now available at no additional cost for
Bring cloud-managed virtual desktops to your existing on-premises infrastructure. Effective May 4, 2026, Microsoft launched Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid in public preview, extending its cloud-managed Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) service to on-premises environments. Summary The Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) service remains in Azure,
Protect your Azure compute savings: effective July 1, 2026, Microsoft Azure will discontinue new purchases and renewals of Reserved Virtual Machine (VM) Instances for select VM series. Existing reservations are not affected and continue to deliver their discount until the end of their term. Summary Starting July 1, 2026, new purchases and renewals
Reduce object storage costs automatically: effective April 14, 2026, smart tier for Azure Blob Storage and Azure Data Lake Storage is available. Summary Smart tier for Azure Blob Storage and Azure Data Lake Storage continuously analyzes real access patterns and automatically moves data between the hot, cool, and cold tiers Frequently accessed data remains performant in hot, while inactive
Cloud strategy is no longer an either-or decision. Most organizations need both a private datacenter and a public cloud, so each application can run where it performs best and costs the least. Customers have asked us how to structure a successful hybrid approach, so here is a solid
Microsoft quietly introduced native electronic signatures in Microsoft 365, called “Microsoft eSignature”. For many organizations, this raises a simple question: Can Microsoft eSignature replace Adobe Acrobat or DocuSign – or not? Summary Microsoft eSignature supports simple electronic signatures (SES) only It is not
Effective March 18, 2026, Microsoft introduced a new Azure Savings Plan for Databases. It enables organizations to reduce Azure database costs with a flexible, spend‑based pricing model. Summary Microsoft launched a new spend-based savings plan for Azure database services Discounts apply automatically across
Keep data, workloads and operations entirely within your own boundaries: Effective February 24, 2026, organizations can run Azure infrastructure, Microsoft 365 server workloads and even large AI models fully on-premises. This is relevant for governments, regulated industries, defense, critical infrastructure and all organizations that