With Windows Server 2008 / 2008 R2 going out of extended support, how can you continue to get support on legacy kit you haven’t moved into the cloud yet?
Robert Smith, Microsoft Alliance Manager at Sol-Tec
As you are hopefully aware, Windows Server 2008 / 2008 R2 is going out of extended support on 14th January 2020. Support for SQL Server 2008 / 2008 R2 already ended on July 9th 2019.
Many companies still depend on these legacy bits of kit to keep their organisations running and upgrading and updating can be a challenge. Hopefully you are on your way to moving most of your workloads to upgraded systems, but what about those that you haven’t been able to move yet?
The good news is, there is a way to have your cake and eat it!
By migrating these effected workloads to Azure Virtual Machines, you gain access to three years of Extended Security Updates for both SQL and Windows Server at no additional charge, over and above the standard virtual machine pricing. This means you can move your workloads to Azure, save money on expensive end of support contracts and work to migrate these VMs to a more modern platform as time allows.
There are additional substantial savings to be made by taking advantage of Azure Hybrid Benefit, a mechanism whereby you can bring your existing Windows Server and SQL Server on-premise licences with software assurance into Azure – this can save you up to 55% on SQL costs alone!
There is a great calculator here that will help you understand the estimated savings you could make.
By committing and reserving resources in advance, you can realise even greater benefits, with reductions of up to 72% compared to pay-as-you-go pricing on selected Azure services. Microsoft offers monthly payment options at no additional cost, allowing you to budget and forecast more effectively, while offering ease and flexibility should your needs change. You can even cancel at any time and return your remaining months reservation for a fee.
In fact, with a combination of Azure Hybrid Benefit, Azure Reserved Instances and the Extended Security Updates, Azure works out 5 times cheaper than using AWS!
We know that this can be a complicated area, but we are here to help.
We are experts at helping customers migrate their legacy workloads to the cloud to realise significant cost and efficiency savings. Let us help you understand what part of your estate can be moved to Azure, saving you money and keeping your legacy environment supported, secure and compliant.
Just contact our Azure Experts at info@sol-tec.com or give us a call on 01189 514 200.
