Welcome to August’s edition of Azure News, collecting the latest updates in the world of Azure. As always, if you need any further information on anything we share in this month’s newsletter, or if you have any Azure queries, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Node4 acquires risual to strengthen Microsoft Cloud capabilities
We’re pleased to share the news that Node4 has completed the acquisition of Stafford-based risual, an IT managed services and solutions provider that employs 170 staff across the UK.
It’s an exciting move that will extend our cloud capabilities, thanks to risual’s significant experience, expertise and knowledge. As a Microsoft Gold Partner, a Microsoft Expert of 17 years and an Azure Expert MSP, risual is perfectly placed to enhance our ability to provide our cloud-based services and solutions to our customers.
Oracle Database Service now available for Microsoft Azure
In an exciting move, Microsoft has partnered with Oracle to announce the availability of Oracle database for Microsoft Azure customers, via Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI).
This allows Azure customers streamlined provisioning, access and monitoring of Oracle databases services from the comfort of their familiar cloud environment. Users can also build and migrate new applications within Azure, before connecting them to Oracle’s database services, such as Autonomous Database.
Event: Handling the Shift to Hybrid Cloud
Find it hard to get your cloud modernisation journey in gear? Then our Driving Day event on Thursday 30th September could be just what you need.
Hosted at the Land Rover Experience site in London, our Handling the Shift to Hybrid Cloud event combines our Azure expertise, a revolutionary new product for the cloud migration market and a Land Rover driving experience.
Can’t make it but want to find out more about our first-to-market Azure Hybrid Cloud solution? Our bi-weekly virtual sessions are here to help. Register and find out more about the future of cloud migration with our experts.
Microsoft Inspire 2022 delivers Azure Stack HCI updates
The tech giant’s biggest partner event of the year, Microsoft Inspire, continued its annual tradition of offering public previews for the latest in Azure, which you can find more about below.
Azure Remote Support – designed to give Azure engineers the ability to directly access on-premises clusters, Remote Support aims to reduce resolution times for a wide range of issues. Engineers can be given access to gather their own logs and resolve problems remotely, eliminating the need for unnecessary calls and customers needing to upload logs themselves.
Azure Stack HCI, version 22H2 – available as a free update later this year after it passes public preview, the 22H2 version of Stack HCI is headlined by improvements to storage, networking and the core hypervisor.
Azure Marketplace for Stack HCI – after consistent feedback, Microsoft is implementing the ability for users to access virtual machine images from the marketplace. This will allow the ability to retrieve high-quality imagery from Windows Server 2022 Azure Edition and Windows 10/11 Enterprise multi-session for Azure Virtual Desktop.
Node4 confirmed as a Microsoft Azure Specialist for ISVs
We’ve another big announcement to make in this month’s newsletter – Node4 is pleased to be confirmed as an Azure Specialist for ISVs for the second year running, one of a small group of partners accepted into Microsoft’s strategic programme.
This is a significant moment for us as a business, and comes as a result of a multitude of reasons; not least our successful delivery of projects for healthcare ISVs, DevOps capability and our longstanding advocacy of ISVs.
Read the full announcement here.
MCA and EA customers can now use Microsoft Cost Details API
Microsoft has announced general availability of Cost Details API, exclusively for Microsoft Customer Agreement (MCA) and Enterprise Agreement (customers). Providing download of granular cost details (aka usage details) on demand, it replaces the previously used Usage Details API and offers a host of benefits, including enhanced security, scalability and purchase amortization.
Public preview announced for Update Management Center
Microsoft has announced details of its Update Management Center (UMC), the next step in its Azure Automation Management solution. This new iteration brings the immediate benefit of having zero onboarding steps, alongside no dependency on both Azure Automation and Log Analytics.
According to Microsoft, the UMC’s aim is to ease the process of automating and managing the process of patching both the Windows and Linux operating systems, a critical step in maintaining system stability and security. It does this by offering a consolidated view of all machines in order to manage the process of rolling out updates centrally, whether devices are on-premises or located in public clouds.
NVads A10 v5 virtual machines let you choose the right size for your workload
Microsoft has announced general availability of NVads A10 v5 GPU accelerated virtual machines, the next option in its efforts to expand flexibility for customers running graphics-heavy visualisation workloads in the cloud.
Offering a more affordable option, these virtual machines are available with a variety of price options, including pay-as-you-go, one-year and three-year Azure Reserved Instances alongside Spot virtual machine pricing for both Windows and Linux deployments.