Skip to content

docs(announce): Add v15 release announcement draft - #2394

Draft
Michael Flanakin (flanakin) wants to merge 19 commits into
devfrom
flanakin/v15-blog
Draft

Michael Flanakin (flanakin) wants to merge 19 commits into
devfrom
flanakin/v15-blog

Conversation

@flanakin

@flanakin Michael Flanakin (flanakin) commented Oct 28, 2026 •

Copy link
Copy Markdown
Collaborator

Draft of the v15 announcement (announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md), built from the v15 changelog, the published release, and the roadmap, following the v13 and v14 structure.

Needs a voice pass before publishing: the standard release intro and the feedback-ask closing are kept from v12 to v14.

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

Timing: FinOps hubs release and its Allyte blog post go first; this announcement follows (earliest Wed Nov 4). Hold until MSBrett publishes the six Learn pages that 404 today (see comment). Needs the FinOps blog publish date and LinkedIn post (Social media section).

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Center the plugin on AI assistants, add Agent Plugins platform list, clarify
private networking changes, add FinOps hubs quality and ecosystem sections,
reframe open data section, positive framing, and refresh social copy.

Co-Authored-By: flanakin <flanakin@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
…dards

Co-Authored-By: flanakin <flanakin@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
@flanakin Michael Flanakin (flanakin) changed the title Add v15 release announcement draft docs(announce): add v15 release announcement draft Oct 28, 2026

Copy link
Copy Markdown
Collaborator Author

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

The reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.

🤖 [AI][Claude] Chief of Staff review

Summary: Strong structure and mostly accurate against the v15 changelog and release. Four claims need fixing before publish (version/roadmap, install command, ecosystem framing). Several links 404 today, tone and voice need a pass. Checked against the changelog, v15 release, roadmap, milestones, plugin docs, Deploy-FinOpsHub, and link status; I did not read other reviewers' comments.

🚫 Blockers (4)

  1. "FOCUS 1.5 is coming in v17" contradicts the milestone (issue 2120 is v16). "By the end of the year" has no source.
  2. "FinOps toolkit MCP server" is listed as on the roadmap but isn't there and has no issue.
  3. claude plugin add microsoft/finops-toolkit isn't a valid Claude Code command.
  4. Ecosystem section singles out Allyte (the author's company) and FinOpsHubs.com. The ecosystem page and listing template promise no ranking or featured placement.

⚠️ Should fix (6)

  1. "Cowork" and the supported-client list (ChatGPT/Codex, Kiro, VS Code, Copilot) aren't backed by the repo or agent-plugins.org.
  2. "October 28 office hours" claim has no source.
  3. Learn and docs-site links 404 today (plugin overview, run-hubs-locally, Initialize-FinOpsHubLocal, both Get-FinOps* data cmdlets, AOE reference). Confirm they're live at publish.
  4. Title, preview, and internal post use "FinOps toolkit 15"; the PR's own new standard says "FinOps toolkit v15".
  5. The quality section and others dwell on errors and internals, against the new "stay positive" rule and hard for non-engineers.
  6. "Deployment options aren't remembered" is unsourced and negative.

💡 Suggestions (4)

  1. Voice pass: intro is boilerplate, sections open on features, "great time" appears twice, "meeting you where you already work" reads generic.
  2. "Programmatic access" for the two new cmdlets is stronger than the changelog ("generate open data files").
  3. Private networking framing: changelog says v15 added VNet and private modes; also note -DisablePublicAccess is now deprecated.
  4. Guideline wording: "positive spin".

Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread docs-wiki/Coding-guidelines.md Resolved

Copy link
Copy Markdown
Collaborator Author

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

The reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.

🤖 [AI][Claude] Release Manager review

Summary: Structure and section order match v13/v14, and almost every feature and fix claim traces to the v15 changelog, release body, and code. Four things need fixing before publish: the Claude Code install command doesn't exist, several links 404 today, the v17 claim contradicts the milestone, and one claim has no source. Checked against the v15 tag (changelog, release body, roadmap, Bicep, Deploy-FinOpsHub.ps1, Learn docs), the v15/v16/v17 milestones, and live URLs.

🚫 Blockers (3)

  1. Install command claude plugin add isn't a Claude Code command (L17)
  2. Six links return 404 today (L15, L31, L33, L63, L111)
  3. "FOCUS 1.5 is coming in v17" contradicts the milestone (L126)

⚠️ Should fix (8)

  1. "October 28 office hours" attribution has no source (L95)
  2. Ecosystem section singles out Allyte and FinOpsHubs.com (L71-74)
  3. Missing upgrade caveat: Az.Accounts 2.17.0 minimum (L116-120)
  4. Missing upgrade caveat: -DisablePublicAccess is deprecated (L41)
  5. AOE ingestion change: state what existing users must do (L112)
  6. Stay-positive violations (L17, L35, L43, L45, L52, L61)
  7. Opening paragraph is the boilerplate intro, not Michael's voice (L3)
  8. "Deprecated in September 2026" is the wrong tense (L112)

💡 Suggestions (3)

  1. Link the reingest steps (L67)
  2. Add the AOE Reservations Usage workbook regression fix (L113)
  3. Don't promise "more by the end of the year" (L126)

Checked and fine: five agents, Costs()/Prices()/Recommendations()/Transactions(), Database Viewer and az login, 16 GB / PowerShell 7 / Parquet / read-only mount, -NetworkMode values and the NAT Gateway UI label and Advanced tab path, ISF and eligibility claims, the Agent Plugins client list, section naming and order, version and product-name qualifiers, and the social posts.

Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
- Fix Claude Code plugin install commands (marketplace add, then install)
- Remove unverified Cowork claim; list all compatible clients from agent-plugins.org
- Reframe hub fixes and private networking positively; add upgrade notes
  (-DisablePublicAccess, -NetworkMode private, Az.Accounts 2.17.0, AOE ingestion)
- Fix AOE reference link; add Advisor, Reservations Usage workbook, and gzip thanks
- Use "FinOps toolkit v15" in title, preview, and internal post
- Disclose Allyte relationship; refine voice and openings
- Tighten Stay positive guideline; align announce title template

Co-Authored-By: flanakin <flanakin@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
- Reframe AI plugin section, plugin compatibility, and install steps
- Warm intros for local hubs and private networking
- Restructure FinOps hubs quality and commitment discount sections
- Generalize first-reference guidance in announce command

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Comment thread .claude/commands/announce.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
@flanakin Michael Flanakin (flanakin) added this to the v15 milestone Oct 28, 2026
…stall commands

- Fold office hours into the Allyte official support bullet
- Remove single-contributor thank-you
- Match AOE upgrade line to the Upgrading AOE docs
- Fix Claude Code install commands in the plugin overview and docs site

Co-Authored-By: flanakin <flanakin@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Comment thread .claude/commands/announce.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
- Use "FinOps toolkit 15" / "FinOps hubs 15" naming; "v15" only standalone
- Reframe AI plugin as collaboration; verified agents, install steps, MCP link
- Rework local hubs, private networking, quality, ISF, and ecosystem sections
- Generalize spell-out standard in Coding-guidelines and announce command
- Revert announce title format to {N}

Co-Authored-By: flanakin <flanakin@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
- Intro summarizes what's new for private networking and commitment data
- Add inline ChatGPT and Codex CLI install steps
- Clarify local hub as an additional option, compare network modes with cost direction
- Drop redundant "ready-made" and "in FinOps toolkit 15"

Co-Authored-By: flanakin <flanakin@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Co-authored-by: Michael Flanakin <flanakin@users.noreply.github.com>
- Reframe fixes as improvements; move first ingestion and Data Explorer items to other updates
- Clarify consistent savings fix; reorder commitment discount section (eligibility first)
- Frame agents as staff you direct; focus on NAT Gateway in intro, preview, and social

Co-Authored-By: flanakin <flanakin@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Co-Authored-By: flanakin <flanakin@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
This reverts commit 40022f9. The rewrite went beyond the requested changes.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
@flanakin Michael Flanakin (flanakin) changed the title docs(announce): add v15 release announcement draft docs(announce): Add v15 release announcement draft Nov 2, 2026

Copy link
Copy Markdown
Collaborator Author

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

The reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.

🤖 [AI][Claude] PR Review

Summary: No blockers. Facts check out against the changelog and plugin files (five agents, NAT Gateway, Sweden Central and Japan, Az.Accounts 2.17.0). Findings are about tone, disclosure, and one unsupported claim, all with ready-to-apply wording. The Learn 404s are already covered in the existing comment, so I did not repeat them.

⚠️ Should fix (4)

  1. L89: drop the negative Microsoft Support framing and "official"; lead with what Allyte offers.
  2. L87: make the Allyte affiliation explicit and keep the call-out neutral, since the ecosystem page lists other options and Finozio may be added.
  3. L91: the data and access claims need a source or softer wording.
  4. L79: lead with the fix, not the bug.

💡 Suggestions (1)

  1. L91: trim from about 200 words to about 60 (same comment as item 3).

No markdown linter was available locally. Each suggestion replaces one plain paragraph line and keeps the existing links.

Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
@flanakin

Copy link
Copy Markdown
Collaborator Author

🤖 [AI][Claude] ⚠️ Should fix

Lines 55 and 57 say the same thing twice: ingestion and hub queries both "use the engine's index instead of scanning every row." Reword one so each bullet says something different.

Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved
Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Resolved

- **Consistent savings.** The Summary page in the Data Explorer dashboard now excludes commitment purchases the same way the Rate optimization page does, so savings and effective savings rate (ESR) match across both. Commitment discount savings also compare against the Production price when a reservation price has Dev/Test variants.
- **Fewer unnecessary contracted cost changes.** FinOps hubs now update contracted cost only when the value needs to change, and keep an existing contracted cost when the unit price is missing. As a result, the `x_SourceValues` change history shows only meaningful changes.
- **Steadier contracted cost.** Contracted cost now changes only when the value actually changes, and an existing value is kept when a row has no unit price. The `x_SourceValues` history lists only real changes, so it's easier to trust and audit.

Copy link
Copy Markdown
Collaborator Author

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

The reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.

Steadier? What made it "unsteady"? Why does it change? "changes only when the value actually changes" isn't clear. This isn't any clearer than any previous version. Make it clear!

Comment thread announce/2026/2026-10_v15.md Outdated

Reservations rely on instance size flexibility (ISF) data to group SKUs and compare sizes. The new [Instance size flexibility](https://learn.microsoft.com/cloud-computing/finops/toolkit/open-data?wt.mc_id=MVP_599157#instance-size-flexibility) dataset in open data maps each ARM SKU to its flexibility group and ratio, is sourced from the Azure Reservations Catalogs API, and covers every Azure region. Power BI reports and Azure Optimization Engine used to read ISF data from files hosted outside the toolkit, which Microsoft is retiring. The new dataset ships with the toolkit and refreshes weekly. If you're using Power BI reports or Azure Optimization Engine, you'll want to upgrade those as well to ensure you're leveraging the new ISF dataset.

If you're building commitment discount automation via scripts, you may also be interested in the new [Get-FinOpsInstanceSizeFlexibility](https://learn.microsoft.com/cloud-computing/finops/toolkit/powershell/data/get-finopsinstancesizeflexibility?wt.mc_id=MVP_599157) and [Get-FinOpsCommitmentDiscountEligibility](https://learn.microsoft.com/cloud-computing/finops/toolkit/powershell/data/get-finopscommitmentdiscounteligibility?wt.mc_id=MVP_599157) commands in the FinOps toolkit PowerShell module. These give you programmatic access to the same data, in a more queryable manner that you can integrate cleanly into existing PowerShell or other scripts.

Copy link
Copy Markdown
Collaborator Author

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

The reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.

Why did we drop this? It was good.

Suggested change
If you're building commitment discount automation via scripts, you may also be interested in the new [Get-FinOpsInstanceSizeFlexibility](https://learn.microsoft.com/cloud-computing/finops/toolkit/powershell/data/get-finopsinstancesizeflexibility?wt.mc_id=MVP_599157) and [Get-FinOpsCommitmentDiscountEligibility](https://learn.microsoft.com/cloud-computing/finops/toolkit/powershell/data/get-finopscommitmentdiscounteligibility?wt.mc_id=MVP_599157) commands in the FinOps toolkit PowerShell module. These give you programmatic access to the same data, in a more queryable manner that you can integrate cleanly into existing PowerShell or other scripts.
If you're building commitment discount automation via scripts, you may also be interested in the new [Get-FinOpsInstanceSizeFlexibility](https://learn.microsoft.com/cloud-computing/finops/toolkit/powershell/data/get-finopsinstancesizeflexibility?wt.mc_id=MVP_599157) and [Get-FinOpsCommitmentDiscountEligibility](https://learn.microsoft.com/cloud-computing/finops/toolkit/powershell/data/get-finopscommitmentdiscounteligibility?wt.mc_id=MVP_599157) commands in the FinOps toolkit PowerShell module. These give you programmatic access to the same data, in a more queryable manner that you can integrate cleanly into existing PowerShell or other scripts.

## Find help in the FinOps toolkit ecosystem

The FinOps toolkit is free and open source, and a growing ecosystem helps you get more out of the toolkit. The new [FinOps toolkit ecosystem page](https://microsoft.github.io/finops-toolkit/ecosystem) lists independent tools and organizations that build on or support the toolkit. While I am biased, there are two I want to call out: a path for official support for the FinOps toolkit and a richer experience for navigating your data in FinOps hubs for free.
The FinOps toolkit is free and open source, and a growing ecosystem helps you get more out of it. The new [FinOps toolkit ecosystem page](https://microsoft.github.io/finops-toolkit/ecosystem) lists independent tools and organizations that build on or support the toolkit. I want to call out two from Allyte, which I'm affiliated with: support plans for the FinOps toolkit and a free portal for exploring your FinOps hubs data. The ecosystem page lists other options, too.

Copy link
Copy Markdown
Collaborator Author

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

The reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.

Suggested change
The FinOps toolkit is free and open source, and a growing ecosystem helps you get more out of it. The new [FinOps toolkit ecosystem page](https://microsoft.github.io/finops-toolkit/ecosystem) lists independent tools and organizations that build on or support the toolkit. I want to call out two from Allyte, which I'm affiliated with: support plans for the FinOps toolkit and a free portal for exploring your FinOps hubs data. The ecosystem page lists other options, too.
The FinOps toolkit is free and open source, and a growing ecosystem helps you get more out of it. The new [FinOps toolkit ecosystem page](https://microsoft.github.io/finops-toolkit/ecosystem) lists independent tools and organizations that build on or support the toolkit. I want to call out two from Allyte, which I'm affiliated with: support plans for the FinOps toolkit and a free portal for exploring your FinOps hubs data. These are just two of the partners you'll find on the ecosystem page, but their unique offers address common feedback we've heard over the years.

[Allyte](https://allyte.com) now offers support plans for the FinOps toolkit. The FinOps toolkit office hours, which Allyte runs, are a great place to start. If you need more, the plans add direct access to experts, regular coaching sessions, and advisory for Microsoft FinOps in general, from the people closest to the toolkit, when and where you need it.

When I started the FinOps toolkit, I always had a vision of building a native portal experience that makes it easy to understand and optimize costs. Today, FinOps hubs give you that core platform – open, scalable, and extensible – but you're often hit by limitations of reports and dashboards that are never as interactive as you might need them to be. [FinOpsHubs.com](https://finopshubs.com) is an initial step in that direction. And we're happy to offer it to the community **for free**. Your data stays under your control, and you get a richer way to navigate that data in a free, scalable analytics experience designed to evolve around your needs. No data to move. No special access. Just sign in and get answers. And, as the former product manager for Cost analysis in the Azure portal, you'll find it familiar with additions that help you do more than you've been able to in the past. And of course, this is just the start. We're eager to build this out and help you achieve more through AI backed by intelligent tooling that connects people and streamlines processes. We're looking forward to hearing your feedback and seeing where this goes!
When I started the FinOps toolkit, I envisioned a native portal experience that makes it easy to understand and optimize costs. FinOps hubs give you the core platform: open, scalable, and extensible. The built-in reports and dashboards are great starting points, but they're never as interactive as you might need. [FinOpsHubs.com](https://finopshubs.com) is an initial step toward that vision, and Allyte offers it to the community **for free**. It connects to the FinOps hub you already run, so there's no data to move, and adds a richer, more interactive way to navigate your data on top of what's built into the toolkit. As the former product manager for Cost analysis in the Azure portal, I designed it to feel familiar, with additions that help you do more than you could before. This is just the start. We're eager to build it out and add AI-backed tooling that connects people and streamlines processes. We'd love to hear your feedback!

Copy link
Copy Markdown
Collaborator Author

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

The reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.

Suggested change
When I started the FinOps toolkit, I envisioned a native portal experience that makes it easy to understand and optimize costs. FinOps hubs give you the core platform: open, scalable, and extensible. The built-in reports and dashboards are great starting points, but they're never as interactive as you might need. [FinOpsHubs.com](https://finopshubs.com) is an initial step toward that vision, and Allyte offers it to the community **for free**. It connects to the FinOps hub you already run, so there's no data to move, and adds a richer, more interactive way to navigate your data on top of what's built into the toolkit. As the former product manager for Cost analysis in the Azure portal, I designed it to feel familiar, with additions that help you do more than you could before. This is just the start. We're eager to build it out and add AI-backed tooling that connects people and streamlines processes. We'd love to hear your feedback!
When I started the FinOps toolkit, I envisioned a native portal experience that makes it easy to understand and optimize costs. FinOps hubs give you the core platform: open, scalable, and extensible. The built-in reports and dashboards are great starting points, but they're never as interactive as you might need. [FinOpsHubs.com](https://finopshubs.com) is an initial step toward that vision, and Allyte offers it to the community **for free**. It connects to the FinOps hub you already run, so there's no data to move, and adds a richer, more interactive way to navigate your data on top of what's built into the toolkit. If you've used Cost analysis in the Azure portal, it should feel familiar, while being both faster and more flexible.

This branch has not been deployed

No deployments
Sign up for free to join this conversation on GitHub. Already have an account? Sign in to comment

Labels

Needs: Review 👀 PR that is ready to be reviewed

Projects

None yet

Development

Successfully merging this pull request may close these issues.

2 participants