News
Stay up to date with what’s changing across the public cloud landscape
This page brings together the updates that matter to your business, from funding opportunities and product changes to new programmes and technical shifts. It’s designed to help you understand what’s changed and where to focus next.
Monthly update
For a complete overview of programme changes, product updates and opportunities, download the latest monthly update.
The PDF includes detailed guidance across key solution areas, along with upcoming events and partner actions to consider.
Azure VM Lifecycle
Microsoft has introduced a formal lifecycle model for Azure VM families, with growth restrictions now applying to several older series ahead of retirement dates between March 2027 and November 2029. Customers should review affected workloads and plan migrations to recommended newer VM generations. Reservations are also restricted as retirement approaches and do not transfer or cancel automatically when the VM type changes.
Read more on page 8
Microsoft Azure Promotions
From 12 October 2026, Microsoft is introducing time-bound discounts across selected Azure and Fabric offers. Eligible customers may receive up to 30% off Azure Data Modernisation, up to 20% off Fabric capacity, and up to 15% off selected App PaaS and Data Services pay-as-you-go usage for Foundry customers. Partners retain Partner Earned Credit, measured before the promotion; eligibility should be checked with ArrowSphere and your Cloud PDM.
Read more on page 7
Usage-Based Billing
From 1 December 2026, usage-based billing will be enabled by default for new Microsoft 365 Copilot Business subscriptions purchased through CSP. Pay-as-you-go access will support eligible experiences including Copilot Cowork, Work IQ APIs and GitHub Copilot Harness. A default monthly limit of 4,000 Copilot Credits per user will apply, although administrators can adjust it. Partners should prepare customers for spending-cap configuration and ensure billing teams expect Azure charges linked to Copilot Credit usage.
Read more on page 17
Copilot Cowork Billing
Copilot Cowork uses consumption-based billing through Copilot Credits rather than a traditional per-user licence. Charges apply only when Cowork performs work, with usage tied to tasks or compute activity. The Copilot Studio monthly credit pack does not fully support Cowork, so customers need an Azure subscription and must connect the relevant environment to Azure consumption through the Power Platform admin centre or Copilot Studio. Usage can then be monitored in the Power Platform admin centre or Azure Cost Management.
Read more on page 21
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