Azure Updates: AI; Cost Management; Topology; Storage

Microsoft CVP Jessica Hawk weighed in on the latest trends in AI, data and digital apps. To enhance AI readiness, Microsoft is encouraging customers to evaluate apps in AI Studio before deploying. Customers can use Cloud for Retail and features like the data connector for Sitecore Order Cloud into Microsoft Fabric as “AI-ready” data tools. Microsoft has also premiered the LLMOPS Maturity Model, new SQL Database Hyperscale pricing, and closer collaboration with partners through the Azure Migration and Modernization Program.

Microsoft recapped Cost Management updates for the month of January. Based on customer feedback, Microsoft added billing tags, exports, pricing updates, documentation updates, and more customer input on the pricing calculator.

In a separate announcement, Microsoft shared a string of updates related to topology. Multi-region and multi-subscription visualization, geo view, actionable connectivity insights, drilldown from region to resources in a subnet, automatic grouping, and node highlighting are all part of this package. “Topology allows visualizing the resources in a network, acquire system context, understand state and debug issues faster…[U]nified topology leads to upgrading the network monitoring and management experience in Azure. Replacing the Network Watcher topology, this topology will allow the users to draw a unified and dynamic topology across multiple subscription, regions, and resource groups (RGs) comprising of multiple resources and actionable connectivity and traffic insights,” a Microsoft contributor wrote.