January 2023 Summaries

Vantage has introduced a new feature allowing users to save customized settings for Cost Reports, including groupings, date ranges, and date bins, which can be shared with teammates to ensure a consistent view. Previously, users could only temporarily modify these settings while viewing a report, leading to difficulties in sharing specific visualizations with others. Now, once a report is saved with customized defaults, these settings will persist and be visible whenever the report is accessed, and they will also appear on the Overview widget. This enhancement aims to streamline the process of sharing and analyzing cost data across teams, as any saved settings will also be reflected in notifications through email or messaging platforms like Slack and Teams. The update is available at no additional cost to all Vantage users, including those on the free tier, and is intended to improve the efficiency and consistency of cost management.

Vantage has expanded its Autopilot feature to include AWS services such as RDS, ElastiCache, Redshift, and OpenSearch, allowing users to receive reserved instance purchase recommendations and potentially save up to 76% compared to on-demand costs. Previously, Autopilot was limited to managing automated transactions for EC2 reserved instances, with recommendations for other services requiring manual analysis by the customer. Now, users can access a detailed dashboard displaying their reserved instance coverage rates and usage data, enabling them to make informed decisions about instance purchases without additional costs. Although the selling of reserved instances is restricted to EC2, the new Autopilot extension provides approval-based workflows for other services, allowing users to visualize potential savings and adjust purchases accordingly. This enhancement is available to all Vantage users, including those on the free tier, facilitating a more efficient and cost-effective management of AWS resources.

Vantage has introduced Team-Based Access Controls for its Enterprise customers, allowing for more granular permissions management across organizations. This feature enables teams to have isolated access to specific items such as cost reports, folders, and resource reports within Vantage, addressing previous limitations of workspace-based access where shared items couldn't be viewed across different workspaces. The new system allows users to be granted roles such as Owner, Editor, or Viewer, with permissions managed via a "Manage Access" button. This enhancement aims to streamline collaboration by giving teams control over their resources while maintaining security and preventing interference with other teams' work. It is designed to be cost-free for Enterprise tier users, with existing roles and permissions remaining in place unless modified. Users are also given the ability to manage access through Vantage's API, providing flexibility in permissions assignment.

Vantage has introduced Cost Allocation Segments, a feature designed to allow FinOps teams to accurately allocate cloud costs to specific business units without duplicating expenses or needing to tag resources. This new feature, available at no additional cost to all Vantage users, enables the creation of hierarchical structures that facilitate comprehensive cost accountability and reporting, addressing previous limitations in cost visibility and management. Segments can be nested to support detailed organizational hierarchies and prioritize cost allocation, ensuring clarity and governance across teams and sub-teams. While existing Cost Reports cannot be directly transitioned into Segments, users can create new Segments to enhance cost tracking and reporting, with the ability to refresh segment data daily. This advancement aims to streamline the process of mapping costs to business units, providing a more organized and efficient method for large enterprises to manage cloud expenditures.