The weather may be frightful in most parts of the U.S. right now, but these cloud cost updates are pretty delightful (if we do say so ourselves). Here’s the top cloud news that dropped in January 2025:
- DeepSeek R1 is now available for Azure customers to use.
- The next (virtual) State of FinOps meeting will be February 20.
- CloudZero is throwing a Capture the Flag themed FinOps event in March, and you’re invited.
- AWS released a post explaining some cost optimization features you may want to take advantage of.
Enjoy!
Top Cloud Cost News From January 2025
Microsoft added DeepSeek R1 to its Azure AI Foundry
While this update isn’t directly related to cloud costs, we do feel it’s important to cover the broad changes AI is bringing to the industry. AI, after all, has completely changed the landscape of the entire internet in just a few short years, and depending on whether you got ahead of the wave or let it crash over your head, your bottom line has probably been affected one way or the other.
China released the latest iteration of its DeepSeek AI model, DeepSeek R1, on January 20. For better or worse — depending on who you ask — it has taken off like a rocket.
Now, you too (as an Azure user) can use DeepSeek R1 in your development. Microsoft quickly added the model to its Azure AI Foundry, a collection of more than 1,800 AI models Azure supports.
Microsoft says this addition will help developers “leverage cutting-edge intelligence” using R1’s “powerful, cost-efficient model.” We translate that to mean: This is the next big thing, and it’s here. If you’re an AI developer who wants to build cost-efficient products with AI, this could be a great opportunity to experiment with a brand new, completely open-source model.
The FinOps Foundation announced February 20 as the date of its next State of FinOps virtual meeting
Curious about the industry data that fuels the FinOps Foundation’s FinOps best practices and guidelines? Tune in on February 20 to the next virtual State of FinOps meeting.
Speakers will cover topics including FinOps for AI and machine learning, as well as current challenges and optimization practices for FinOps practitioners. You’ll also hear some event announcements, community updates, and an outline of what to expect if you attend FinOps X 2025.
CloudZero announced that we’ll be hosting a playful, competitive FinOps challenge in March
Who says learning about FinOps can’t be fun? Not us!
Join us on March 13 for our FinOps in Action—Capture the Flag Challenge. This event is an opportunity to get to know us at CloudZero, learn more about FinOps, develop some crucial skills, and let your hair down a little in the process with some friendly competition.
By participating, you can earn a CloudZero Practitioner certificate, brush up on some key FinOps knowledge, and spend the day doing something far more fun than sitting in front of your computer.
AWS released a post on “re:Invent 2024 cost optimization highlights that you were not expecting”
If you missed re:Invent 2024 (and the recap), you might not have heard about AWS’s latest cost optimization updates. If you’re an AWS user and you’re not in the mood for needlessly leaving money on the table, give this blog post a quick read.
In it, the author explains how AWS has begun using some new automation tools to improve cost efficiency for its users. You’ll learn about intelligent prompt routing and caching, intelligent file storage, and scaling resource usage in a few AWS programs.
Keeping Up On The News Is Important, But Taking Daily Steps Toward Cost Efficiency Is Crucial
There’s no need to wait for major cloud providers to provide cost optimization tips or for new AI models to improve cost efficiency. You can take action to control your cloud spend right now.
CloudZero gives you a detailed picture of where every dollar of your cloud budget is going and why. You’ll be able to see when a program or feature is draining your resources, when a customer costs way too much for the revenue they bring in, or when you have a sudden unexplained spike in usage before these anomalies have a chance to impact your next cloud bill.
All you have to do is let our expert team help you set up an account, and then you can sit back and watch as a tidal wave of useful, actionable data rolls in.
to see the benefits of CloudZero for your business.
The Cloud Cost Playbook
The step-by-step guide to cost maturity
