Azure from CDW Simplifies Cloud Billing and Support

Organizations find numerous advantages to running workloads in the cloud, but managing the subscription billing isn’t generally one of them. As CDW works with organizations to manage their cloud services, we have learned that the work required to decipher invoices, ferret out efficiencies and otherwise manage these environments can be considerable.

Learn how CDW can help you bring clarity to your cloud deployment in Microsoft Azure.

That’s why we invite organizations to simplify their subscriptions — and take advantage of our complementary managed services support — by moving them from Microsoft Azure Enterprise Agreements (EAs) to Azure from CDW. The entire process takes about two weeks, start to finish, and requires no downtime.

CDW has been a Gold-level Microsoft partner for more than a decade, and last year, we were proud to become an Azure Expert Managed Services Provider. That designation reflects the exceptional engineering and technical support that we provide as a valuable partner for our customers.

Azure for CDW Addresses the Pain Points of EAs and Cloud Billing

We developed Azure for CDW to help organizations reap the benefits of the cloud — without requiring IT staff to pore over invoices or worry that they haven’t optimized resources.

Invoice descriptions and line items can be confusing, requiring staff to parse out cloud consumption from the processor to the core. Overages, in particular, frequently present a stumbling block. When multiple servers and workloads are involved, consumption management isn’t always straightforward.

All of these details make it harder to feel confident that an Azure environment is running as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible. As experts in cloud management, our advisers provide billing and budgetary support, and they also help customers optimize the entire environment.

When an organization moves to Azure from CDW, we start by assessing its environment using CloudHealth, a tool from VMware that evaluates consumption with an eye toward greater efficiency. Organizations often have unnecessary duplications, servers that aren’t being utilized or opportunities to turn off servers during downtime and spin them up again during production.

Together, these insights can help organizations save money. Equally important, Azure from CDW includes a review for security gaps that could compromise valuable assets in the cloud environment.

The onboarding session includes a detailed walkthrough of CloudHealth. The tool is both user-friendly and robust, making it easy for organizations to use on their own or with ongoing assistance from CDW. In addition, customers have continuous access to our technical and managed services, ensuring that they have a trusted partner who is always available to assist.

Transition to Azure from CDW Quickly and Easily

Organizations don’t need to wait until their EA renewal period to join Azure from CDW. If an organization is in the final year of a three-year agreement and has already used all of its consumption, it can join Azure from CDW at any time. Organizations can transition some or all of their EA subscriptions. For most environments, the transition is simple. Our Azure field solution architects will assess your environment and bring to light any roadblocks that they come across prior to your transition.

Some organizations are hesitant to move their subscriptions, concerned that the transition would involve changes to their computing environment along the lines of a full cloud migration. But Azure for CDW doesn’t change anything about the Azure subscription itself. It simply shifts the billing to CDW, enabling our advisers to provide help in an area where customers often need it.