Windows Server SA Cuts Azure Costs

• Azure Hybrid Benefit for Windows Server can cut 25% to 45% off Windows Server workload fees in Azure.
• Several tips can maximize savings.
• Complying with the terms of the benefit can be difficult because tracking and reconciliation tools are limited.

Azure Hybrid Benefit (AHB) for Windows Server, a Software Assurance (SA) benefit associated with Windows Server core licenses, allows customers to significantly reduce the cost of running Windows Server–based workloads in Azure. AHB for Windows Server can cut between 25% and 45% off workload runtime fees and deliver aggregate savings over 20 times the cost of SA coverage for the underlying core licenses. However, AHB does introduce a license compliance burden. Azure currently lacks both built-in mechanisms to enforce AHB rules and AHB-specific monitoring tools to track usage, so customers bear the responsibility for building their own compliance tools and processes.