Cost-Savings Spotlight: Maximizing Savings with Microsoft Hybrid Benefit

When it comes to optimizing cloud costs, many businesses focus on storage, compute, and scaling strategies—but there’s a powerful, often-overlooked opportunity hiding in plain sight: the Microsoft Hybrid Benefit for Windows Server.

Here’s the bottom line: As soon as your Windows Server runs more than 5 hours a day, you should be leveraging the Hybrid Benefit and purchasing your Windows Server licenses through a CSP partner. Why? Because this simple switch can save you up to 40% on server costs annually.

Why the Hybrid Benefit Matters

The Microsoft Hybrid Benefit allows you to use your existing on-premises Windows Server licenses with Software Assurance or qualifying subscription licenses to run Windows Server VMs in the cloud at a significantly reduced cost. Instead of paying the full price for Windows Server instances in the cloud, you can apply your licenses and pay only for the underlying compute costs.

Why 5 Hours is the Magic Number

The 5-hour threshold is a practical benchmark for cost efficiency. When a Windows Server runs more than 5 hours a day, the costs of pay-as-you-go licensing can exceed the annual cost of a purchased license through a CSP partner using the Hybrid Benefit. By avoiding high hourly rates and leveraging your own licenses, you unlock substantial savings over time.

How It Works

Evaluate Your Usage: If your Windows Server runs more than 5 hours a day, it’s time to consider the Hybrid Benefit.

Purchase Licenses Through a CSP Partner: To qualify for the Hybrid Benefit, you need on-premises core licenses for Windows Server from an applicable program with active Software Assurance or qualifying subscription licenses. As a CSP partner, Alta Cloud offers the corresponding server licenses, ensuring you meet the requirements.

Activate the Hybrid Benefit: Apply your purchased licenses to your cloud VMs and watch your costs drop.

Real-World Impact

Imagine a business running multiple Windows Server instances as part of its infrastructure. By switching to the Hybrid Benefit model and purchasing licenses through a CSP partner, this company could redirect significant budget towards innovation, growth initiatives, or simply improving their bottom line.

Don’t Leave Money on the Table

In the world of cloud operations, every dollar saved is a dollar that can be reinvested into your business. The Hybrid Benefit is an easy win—don’t miss out on this often-overlooked strategy to reduce your cloud costs by up to 40%.

Need help evaluating your options or setting up the Hybrid Benefit? At Alta Cloud, we’re here to help you every step of the way.  Let’s optimize your cloud spend and fuel your future growth.

Reach out to us today! 📩