What's new in Cloud FinOps?

Send a textIn this episode, Frank and Steve discuss the July 2024 FinOps announcements from AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. They cover topics such as committed use discounts, fully licensed commitments, hibernation for VMs, cost management features, and service discontinuations. The conversation is filled with insights and analysis of the latest developments in the cloud industry.There are new machine types available on GCP, such as the C3 bare metal machine types and the sixth generation Intel-based VMs.Serverless compute options, like Azure Databricks and OpenSearch serverless, provide efficient and cost-effective ways to run workloads without managing infrastructure.Storage enhancements, such as the Convert Azure Premium SSD v2 disk and Amazon FSX for Open ZFS, offer improved performance and cost optimization.Log management tools, like Azure Monitor Logs and AWS Cost Categories, help users collect, analyze, and act on telemetry data from various resources.Cost optimization features, like AWS Focus 1.0 and GCP backup commitment-based use discounts, provide ways to optimize cloud spending. Committed use discounts are available for backup for GKE, allowing users to commit to a consistent amount of usage in exchange for a discounted rate.AWS now offers fully licensed commitments and portable license commitments for purchasing VMware engine commitments, providing customers with more options for using VMware in the cloud.VM hibernation is now generally available in Azure and AWS, allowing users to save compute costs by persisting the VM state in memory and deallocating the VM.Azure has introduced a cost card in the portal, allowing engineers to estimate costs and adjust as needed before deploying VMs.Google Cloud's FinOps Hub now allows users to view their carbon footprint and estimated greenhouse gas emissions for their Google Cloud usage.AWS has announced the discontinuation of several services, including Cloud9, SimpleDB, Forecast, and CodeCommit, indicating a shift in focus and priorities.

Mel, an engineer at PwC, offers a peek into the life of an engineer balancing technical tasks and meetings. She discusses her daily routine, the productivity kill of random meetings, and the benefits of pair and mob programming. The conversation highlights the need for better communication between engineering and finance teams to tackle cost management. Mel also emphasizes the challenges of juggling multiple tools and systems, revealing the intricacies of effective collaboration and debugging in today’s engineering landscape.

Dr. James Mitchell, a commodities trading and renewable energy expert, joins the conversation to explore the financial language in FinOps. He draws intriguing parallels between cloud computing and electricity markets while decoding cloud vendors' jargon. The discussion emphasizes the importance of bridging finance and engineering teams for better collaboration. Additionally, Mitchell examines the concept of isomorphic economies and highlights the challenges of regulating the global cloud industry. Key insights on flexibility in pricing and managing commitments like financial portfolios also emerge.

Send a textIn this episode of What's New in Cloud FinOps, we (Frank and Stephen) discuss the latest news and updates in cloud computing impacting your wallet.We cover topics such as right-sizing recommendations for Amazon RDS, data exports for cost optimization, and improved billing and cost management. We also highlight talks from FinOps X in San Diego and share their favourite sessions. Overall, the conversation provides valuable insights into the latest developments in cloud FinOps, including a rant from Stephen on the hardship that is finding good content for Azure. 

TJ Solis, an expert in FinOps, and Deana Solis, a seasoned professional, dive into the pivotal social dynamics within FinOps. They discuss how trust and communication enhance efficiency in financial operations. The duo emphasizes the need for finance professionals to grasp cloud technology's essence while fostering strong relationships. Anecdotes highlight how adaptable communication elevates analysts to leaders. They also address the balance of compliance and collaboration, along with the importance of personal well-being for success in the FinOps landscape.

Izhak Zimmermann, a FinOps expert, emphasizes the shift from cost-cutting to maximizing business value in cloud operations. He delves into the challenges of understanding cloud costs, advocating for innovative technologies like EBPF sensors. Izhak discusses the importance of leveraging network data to improve cost tagging accuracy and enhance operational efficiency. The conversation also touches on transforming financial metrics into real business value and the need for collaboration between technical and finance teams to drive insights and optimize ROI.

Send a textSummaryIn this episode of What's New in Cloud FinOps, Frank and Stephen discuss a wide range of cloud-related news and updates. They cover topics such as Azure VM hibernation, Azure Compute Fleet, Google Cloud TPU, Amazon EC2 C7i Flex, DynamoDB, AWS Marketplace, Cloud Run, and more. The conversation also delves into the complexities of cloud pricing, energy progress, and the impact of cloud technology on businesses.

Send a textIn this episode, Steve, Frank and Mike discuss the benefits of using the free tier in Microsoft Azure. They explore the various free offerings available, such as Azure Cosmos DB, Azure DevOps, and speech-to-text translation. They also discuss the importance of monitoring costs and implementing processes to prevent unexpected expenses. Mike shares insights on cost optimization for Cosmos DB and announces an upcoming video on the topic.

Send a textSummaryIn this episode, Frank and Steve discuss the latest news from Google, Azure, and AWS.They cover topics such as new instance types, ARM-based CPUs, storage options, cost optimization, and Kubernetes cost allocation. The conversation also touches on the challenges of reducing storage and the importance of billing cost data in Cloud FinOps. In this conversation, Steve and Frank discuss various updates and announcements from different cloud providers. They cover topics such as multiple cloud vendors providing a focused view, cost anomaly detection with AI, maximizing committed use discounts, per-second billing for Red Hat Enterprise Linux instances, migration vs modernization for data workloads, license portability in Amazon WorkSpaces, and Google's investment in digital connectivity to Japan. They also mention the upcoming episode on the free tier game in Azure and their attendance at FinOps  X.

Send a textThis month we talk about the FinOps Framework. The Framework has been vastly improved and updated to match what FinOps practitioners are doing, in the tranches. Who better than Rob Martin to guide us into the Framework?  No-one. And we like him so much that he is the first returning interviewee. --- In this episode, we (SteveO and Frank) interview Rob Martin from the FinOps Foundation to discuss the recent updates to the FinOps framework. We talk about the process of updating the framework, the changes made to the domains and capabilities, and the importance of simplifying the language. We also discuss the first steps for organizations and individuals new to FinOps, including using the framework sub-site and conducting a maturity assessment. The conversation also touches on the significance of visibility and transparency in building trust within the organization, the different personas involved in FinOps a new type of persona called 'allies'The conversation also touches on the upcoming changes to the framework, including updates to the certifications and training. We introduce some of the FinOps upcoming events, including the Members' Summit, FinOps X, and FinOps XE.