03/25/2026
Microsoft’s latest licensing changes have reshaped how enterprises buy and manage Online Services, and now the spotlight is on Azure strategy.
In this week's featured blog, Trace3 Cloud FinOps experts Jon Oates and Christopher Tilstra break down what the removal of EA waterfall discounts really means for your Microsoft spend, why Microsoft’s “volume to value” approach changes the rules, and how disciplined Azure consumption is now essential for controlling total costs.
They outline how Trace3’s Azure CSP program brings:
🔹 Flexible, month-to-month Azure terms with flat discounts
🔹 Consolidated billing across Azure, M365, and security services
🔹 Unified licensing + FinOps guidance to model future spend, avoid renewal surprises, and align costs to your cloud transformation goals
If your next renewal is on the horizon, reassess your Microsoft strategy and check out this post: https://blog.trace3.com/azure-in-the-era-of-microsofts-licensing-reset