Azure Updates: JEDI contract; Maps Weather Services; IoT Central; Cloud market analysis

After over a year of debate and fierce market competition among the leading cloud providers, Microsoft unexpectedly beat out of Amazon winning the US Department of Defense JEDI cloud contract. News of the $10 billion contract, which will rehost sensitive military data into the cloud, caused Microsoft's stock to surge as trading opened on Monday, October 28.

In an unusual move, Microsoft is planning to change its global pricing to US dollars from other currencies, with the change set to take effect over the coming year, iTnews reported. The move helps to harmonize prices for Microsoft, but poses challenges for partners competing on price across regional markets and for customers who may see real costs vary more widely due to shifts in the value of the local currency.

Among geographic updates, Azure Monitor's Service Map is available in South Central, West, Central, and North Central US regions as well as East Asia and Central India, while Mv2-series 12 TB VMs are now on offer in the Europe West and North regions.