Azure virtual machines to get Arm support, promising better value than x86 VMs

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What you need to know

Azure Virtual Machines now have preview support for Ampere Altra Arm-based processors.
Microsoft stated that Azure VMs using Arm deliver "up to 50 percent better price-performance than comparable x86-based VMs."
Preview support is currently available for VMs running Canonical Ubuntu Linux, CentOS, and Windows 11 Professional and Enterprise Edition on Arm.

Microsoft recently added preview support for Azure virtual machines using Arm-based processors. The new virtual machines use Altra Arm-based processors and should deliver better value than existing VMs on the market. Microsoft explained in its post announcing preview support that Arm-based VMs should get up to 50% better price-performance than x86-based virtual machines. Ampere also shared a blog post on the news.

"We see companies using Arm based architectures as a way of reducing both cost and energy consumption," said Canonical Vice President of Public Cloud Alexander Gallagher. "It's a huge step forward for those looking to develop with Linux on Azure and we are pleased to partner with Microsoft to offer Ubuntu images."

The director of PM for Azure Host OS and the Windows OS platform, Hari Pulapaka, took to Twitter to discuss the news.

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We are now supporting Arm on Azure as well. This has been a long journey to bring up Ampere on Azure with Windows as the Root Host OS! we are also supporting Windows 11 Arm VMs in preview for developers! https://t.co/mCcCsBpiWoWe are now supporting Arm on Azure as well. This has been a long journey to bring up Ampere on Azure with Windows as the Root Host OS! we are also supporting Windows 11 Arm VMs in preview for developers! https://t.co/mCcCsBpiWo— Hari Pulapaka (@TheRealHariP) April 4, 2022 April 4, 2022

At the moment, preview support is available for virtual machines running Canonical Ubuntu Linux, CentOS, and Windows 11 Professional and Enterprise Edition on Arm. Other operating systems, including Red Hat Enterprise Linux, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, Debian, AlmaLinux, and Flatcar, will work with the VMs in the future.

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Sean Endicott is a News Writer at Windows Central, where he covers Windows 11, Surface hardware, Microsoft 365, AI, apps, and the broader PC ecosystem. Since joining the site in 2017, he has written well over a thousand articles across the Microsoft landscape, covering breaking news, analysis, and feature reporting.

He writes Windows Wrap, a weekly column covering the biggest stories in Windows and the PC industry, and what they mean for the platform going forward.

Before joining Windows Central full-time, Sean worked in journalism and media production after earning a First Class degree in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University. Outside of tech, he is an award-winning American football coach based in Nottingham, England, and was named BAFCA Youth Coach of the Year in 2024.