Top Cloud Cost News From August 2023

The latest cloud cost news is primarily good news: Each of the major cloud providers released changes that could improve your bottom line:

• Google’s virtual machine updates should make them more cost-efficient, and its cybersecurity update could help you avoid attacks
• Microsoft announced a new storage tier for users with massive volumes of data
• AWS improved the efficiency of Amazon S3 access
• Additionally, the FinOps Foundation is putting on a series that will allow you to rub elbows with FinOps experts

Dive into the details below.

Cloud Cost News From August 2023

Google’s AI-based virtual machines just got more powerful (and cost-efficient)

During the Google Cloud Next 2023 conference, Alphabet announced its latest developments coming through the pipeline. Along with some other exciting changes — like a new enterprise-level version of Google Kubernetes Engine — the company has released several updates to its existing AI-assisted virtual machines.

The changes were focused around optimizations that should make the VMs more powerful, enabling them to tackle increasingly complex AI processes. Along with the power boost, we should see some improvements to cost efficiency. If your company has been using Google Cloud VMs, keep an eye on your cloud bill to see whether the updates do indeed make a positive difference in your bottom line.

AWS made Mountpoint for Amazon S3 available for general use

Amazon may have made S3 services much more cost-efficient by releasing access to its open-source Mountpoint file client. Mountpoint can help users read and access large amounts of data stored in Amazon’s Simple Storage Service with greater speed and throughput than ever before.

Amazon believes this will result in lower compute costs, so keep an eye on your S3 costs to see how you fare!

The FinOps Foundation continued its Roadshow event series

If you’re a fan of networking with other knowledgeable FinOps experts, consider joining one of the FinOps Foundation Roadshows that take place in various locations. These events are hotspots for FinOps practitioners to gather together, enjoy some food, and discuss FinOps topics in a leisurely, intimate environment.

The latest Roadshow took place in San Francisco on August 30th, but the Foundation is gearing up to host further events:

• Washington DC on October 17th
• Paris on October 18th
• Seattle on November 15th
• Las Vegas on November 28th

Check the FinOps Foundation’s events page to stay up to date on these Roadshow meetups and decide which one you’d like to join.

Microsoft released a new data storage tier designed to save you money

Any business that deals with large volumes of unstructured data knows how difficult it can be to store all of that information in a cost-effective way.

Typically, most companies end up dumping their unstructured “blob” data in whatever storage tier they’re already using, with little regard as to how much they’re paying to keep those gluts of data around.

Azure users with massive storage requirements should therefore be excited to learn that Microsoft has made its Azure Blob Storage Cold Tier available to the public.

As the name suggests, this is essentially a low-cost cold storage for data blobs that you don’t want to delete, but you also don’t need to keep handy for daily operations.

If you’ve got enormous data blobs clogging up your usual storage choices, consider moving them to Azure Blob Cold Storage to see if that makes a significant difference in your storage-related costs.

Google debuted a new security feature that could save your company from malicious attacks

While this isn’t a direct cost most business leaders take into consideration, it’s a sad fact that a devastating cyber attack could leave you vulnerable to stolen data, pricey ransoms, and a loss of customer trust.

At the beginning of August, Google made Attack Path Simulation available within the premium version of Security Command Center. This new release will allow users to simulate and root out potential pathways for cyber attacks within their Google Cloud environments.

It will also provide security scores that represent a user’s vulnerability to attacks, so companies can close security gaps in order of priority.

Staying Up To Date On Cloud Cost Developments Is Half The Battle …

… The other half is taking action to optimize your business.

That’s where CloudZero comes in. With our cost optimization platform, you can analyze your costs in fine detail to see how every new cloud feature or update changes your bottom line. This means you never have to be caught unaware by a sky-high cloud bill again.

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