Microsoft are retiring a selection of Azure Reserved Instances for older virtual machine families from 1 July, 2026. Why’s that important? Well, although an existing RI won’t disappear in a puff of smoke, when it comes to the end of its term after 1 July, the billing for the VM will move to PAYG. You’ve got some options – renew the RI before 1 July, move to an Azure Savings Plan, or move to a more modern VM with a supported RI.

The announcement is here: https://bit.ly/4wEj8Ho, and there’s a useful Transition Guide here: https://bit.ly/4wEf1ek.