You migrated your IT infrastructure to Microsoft Azure because you know it’s a great way to cut costs, keep your digital estate secure, gain business agility, and ensure availability. But while it provides all those benefits, Azure can easily spiral out of control, especially when working with the wrong technology partner.
Such is the case of one of the organisations we tackled in our recent Cloud & Infrastructure team huddles, where we discussed a real-world incident that was a powerful reminder about Azure cost management. (Check out other real-world topics tackled in our previous team huddles here about Microsoft Secure Score, Azure File Sync, and Microsoft 365 Backup).
The $48,000 Azure bill shock no one saw coming.
This organisation’s Azure bill was a typically averaging $19,000 per month. Unexpectedly , that figure jumped to a staggering $67,000.
The issue was identified as a result of an activity from an applications consultancy and migration work they were conducting with a third-party vendor. The third-party had enabled AI services in Azure for testing purposes, but forgot to turn it off, which consumed massive amounts of computing resources.
It could have been avoided with proactive Azure cost management.
Proactive oversight and clear accountability could have entirely prevented this kind of cost blowout.
At Professional Advantage, we believe in helping our clients gain better control of their Azure cloud environment by:
- Implementing budget alerts.
We help you set up your Azure budgets and spending thresholds and set automated alerts to notify you and your organisation when you are nearing limits. - Having clear governance frameworks.
We work with you to have a structure around who can do what, what they can provide, how resources are monitored, and how costs are allocated and controlled. This allows you to get maximum value from your Azure investment without surprises. - Delivering transparent communication.
We provide timely updates so you can take corrective action and a regular reporting cadence on your Azure spend to ensure you are not overcharged or left in the dark. - Providing proactive client advisory.
We work with you as a true partner, not just a vendor, by conducting regular cost optimisation reviews, providing educational resources on cost management best practices, and clearly documenting client and MSP roles and responsibilities.
Questions worth asking your current Microsoft Azure Partner.
Take a moment to evaluate your current Azure management situation:
- When was the last time your partner proactively contacted you about cost optimisation opportunities?
- Do you receive regular reports on your Azure consumption and spending trends?
- Are there clear approval processes for new service deployments?
- Can you easily understand what you're paying for each month?
If these conversations are not happening, it might be time to reconsider your partnership approach.
Your Microsoft Azure partner should do more than just implement software. They should also watch your back, alert you to changes before they become problems, and treat your success like their own. If you are not getting these, your current partner might be costing you more than you think.
Take the next steps:
