March 2021 Summaries

Vantage has introduced a new feature that allows users to view AWS service cost subcategories, providing a more detailed breakdown of expenses beyond the previous aggregate cost views. This enhancement simplifies the understanding of costs by translating complex AWS billing codes into plain English descriptions. Users can now access detailed cost information, such as the specific contributions of different resources and activities to overall expenses, without needing to alter their existing setups. This feature is available to all users with a connected AWS account, offering insights into costs across all AWS services and subcategories, including storage, data transfer, and request costs. By logging into the Vantage console, users can now analyze costs at a granular level, identifying trends and understanding the specific components driving their cloud spending.

Amazon S3 offers 28 different object storage classes, each with specific pricing based on AWS regions, adding complexity to managing and understanding storage costs. Some storage classes have flat rates, while others feature tiered pricing, where costs decrease as storage thresholds are met. Additionally, certain classes incur overhead charges for storing metadata. To simplify cost tracking, Vantage provides tools that automatically profile all S3 Buckets, compute prices, and offer detailed cost breakdowns without user intervention. Vantage users can access storage summaries and historical trends in their console and receive weekly email reports to stay updated on cost trends.

Vantage has expanded its payment options by allowing customers to subscribe to its Pro, Business, and Custom plans via AWS Marketplace, offering a secure and streamlined payment process that utilizes existing AWS account billing details without requiring a credit card. Previously, subscriptions were only possible through credit card payments processed by Stripe, which sometimes caused operational challenges for customers. The new integration with AWS Marketplace acts as a payment intermediary, ensuring that billing details are never shared with Vantage and that subscriptions can be managed seamlessly. Customers can manage upgrades or cancellations through AWS Marketplace, and while current credit card subscribers are not required to switch, those wishing to transition can contact Vantage support for assistance. However, coupon codes are not compatible with AWS Marketplace payments, and Vantage offers custom tier subscriptions for high-spending AWS users through a "Private Offer" feature.