Microsoft and AWS launched a managed multicloud interconnect for private, high-speed connectivity between Azure and AWS. The service is in public preview across four cross-cloud region pairs, with preview options capped at 1Gbps.
Preview scope, capacity, and release path
The collaboration merges AWS Interconnect – multicloud and Azure Multicloud Interconnect into a single logical resource exposed through a standardized OpenAPI specification. At general availability, the companies say the service will support up to 100Gbps from day one, but formal service-level agreements and higher-bandwidth tiers are not yet available.
Current preview access is limited to one interconnect per customer per supported region. The four cross-cloud region pairs are US East, US West, Australia/APAC, and Germany/Europe.
How the service is built
The service uses Azure ExpressRoute and AWS Direct Connect, with provider-managed physical and logical connectivity rather than customer-stiched cross-connects. On the AWS side, it provides Layer 3 private networking between VPCs and other cloud environments and integrates with AWS Transit Gateway and Cloud WAN.
Pricing is still open
The companies are not charging service fees or Azure-side data egress charges during the preview. Production pricing has not been disclosed.
Read for telecom operators
Telecom operators will see a cloud-managed alternative to private circuits and managed MPLS in a part of the stack they have traditionally sold. The open question is whether the eventual pricing stays close to the preview terms or shifts into territory that is harder for carriers to ignore.
Microsoft says the Azure-AWS pairing is the combination customers ask about most often.