Macquarie Cloud launches SaaS offering for Azure customers

Macquarie Cloud Services has launched its Macquarie Guard Software as a Service (SaaS) offering for Azure customers.

The company said the "global first" solution automates practical guardrails into Azure services to enable "continuous cost optimisation and governance, accelerated development and greater speed to market."

Available on the Microsoft Marketplace, Macquarie Guard allows Azure customers on Microsoft agreements to draw down on their Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment (MACC) to unlock credits and incentives faster. 

Macquarie Guard features Macquarie Cloud Services’ intellectual property and associate services architecture, as well as more than 50 unique function applications.

“Macquarie Guard is the culmination of the unique IP across our 120-strong team and our experience providing leading Azure cloud services to Australian organisations,” Macquarie Cloud Services head of Azure Naran McClung said.

“Our purpose is to help customers that are underserved and overcharged succeed."

"We’re ready to bring that expertise and our NPS-proven service to a whole new segment, right as organisations are increasing their cloud footprint and looking to technologies like AI and machine learning.”

“Macquarie Guard’s AI-powered guardrails help organisations liberate their teams from burdensome resource and infrastructure management and spend more time on meaningful and secure change."

The launch follows Microsoft recently announcing it would invest A$5 billion in the next two years to bolster Australian cyber security, cloud and AI capabilities. 

“Customers are truly seeing what real transformation mean by leading with securing their data,” Microsoft's ANZ chief partner officer Vanessa Sorenson said. 

“Macquarie Cloud Services is part of this transformation journey Microsoft is on."

"Together we can provide a secure lens and guardrails around customers’ cloud environments, safeguard their data, and service what they truly need to transform.”