Welcome to the latest edition of our “What’s New?” series, where we dive into the exciting updates and enhancements in Surveil Product Release 3.6. At Surveil, we are committed to continuously innovating and improving our platform to meet the evolving needs of our partners and customers. In this article, we will explore the newest features, enhancements, and general fixes and updates that have been meticulously designed to enhance your experience and drive greater value from our solutions.
Whether you are a long-time user or a prospective partner considering Surveil, this update is packed with valuable insights into how we are making our platform more powerful, user-friendly, and efficient. Let’s take a closer look at what’s new in the Surveil platform and how these changes can benefit you.
Surveil for Azure
RI & Savings Plan Benefits
Pages listing the Reserved Instance and Savings Plan benefits has been added to the portal.
Azure – Metrics VMs with Azure Backup Enabled
Azure Metrics have been created that will list the number of Azure VMs with backup enabled Using the backup Meter Category. The system will list the number of VMs backed up in Azure and the associated cost as two metrics, that can be used by a partner to identify, if Azure Backup is in play for an end customer. The partners in question will sell 3rd party products based on this to the customer.
Azure Kubernetes Metrics
Additional Metrics have been introduced to fine tune Azure Kubernets. Two new AKS Metrics are available to determine the daily cost and daily distinct resource costs within tenants that have Kubernetes clusters. This data is for use within future Navigator campaigns.
Azure – Onboarding Selected Subscriptions
The ability to select Azure subscriptions for analysis has been included in the onboarding process. This addition allows for Azure Administrators to view which Azure subscriptions are available in the onboarding tenant and to select all or a subset of them to be included during onboarding.
Azure – RI and SP Usage Metric and Alerts
New Metrics for Alerting have been made available to notify users when utilization dips below a 50% threshold with regard to RIs’ and Savings Plan usage. In conjunction with the utilization listings of RIs’ and Savings Plans have been introduced that list the number of SP or RI contracts with utilization below 50%. These metrics are able to generate alerts, which would include the contracts in question and their current utilization. Should a contract suddenly drop to 0%, this condition raises an immediate alert.
Azure – Chargeback/Showback Chart View
A new chart view page for the Chargeback/Showback report has been added
Add Azure Tags as Scope Option in Budget Alerts
It is now possible to select Azure tags as opposed to Smart Tags only when setting a Scope within the Budget Alerts configuration. When setting up Azure Budgets, this addition provides the ability to make use of Azure tags when configuring the budget Scope. There is the ability to select multiple Azure tags (with no values) or a single Azure tag with multiple values.
Azure – Savings Plans Lookback Period
It is now possible to change the lookback period for Savings Plans in the platform. The Savings Plan lookback period parameter for the last 30 days can now be adjusted via the Saving Plan – Virtual Machine pipeline. Savings Plan recommendations are based on the last 30 days (calendar), the below lookBackPeriod is being exposed for configuration.
Azure – Recommendation Planner Add Subscription Column
The ability to filter recommendations by Subscription has been included.
Azure: VM Optimizations – Generate cost Savings for Low/Idle
The Azure recommendations now generate a cost saving for the low/idle VM utilization triggers. Azure recommendations align the full running cost of the VM as a saving when triggered by the idle / low utilization rule. There is a caveat that the maximum saving is achievable should the customer remove the VM or decide to run a start-stop routine.
Azure – KPI Effective Savings Rate
A KPI / Metric has been included that tracks the Effective Savings Rate (ESR). The Effective Savings Rate is a KPI to track the efficiency of using committed usage discounts (CUDs) for example RIs and SPs. The KPI calculation is (Contracted Cost – Effective Cost) / Contracted Cost. The platform is now able to compute the Effective Savings Rate on a per subscription basis.
Notes:
- Cosmos DB ESR and Databricks ESR are not calculated – Microsoft does not always provide Amortized costs data for these 2 categories.
- This functionality is applied to new data from activation onwards (no historical data).
Multi-Cloud
Multi-Cloud – AWS Recommendation Ingestion
The platform is now able to ingest and display AWS Cost Optimization Recommendations. Additional policies within AWS need to be enabled to allow for the ingest and display of AWS Cost Optimization Recommendations in the platform.
The required policies are:
- CostOptimizationHubReadOnlyAccess – to get access to optimization recommendations list
- AWSBillingReadOnlyAccess – for future use
The onboarding script has been updated to facilitate the auto addition of these policies, and existing customers can manually add the outstanding policies.
A new UI page will display the AWS Recommendations in the Multi-Cloud menu area.
Surveil for Microsoft 365
Import M365 Pricing from exported Excel format
The Export and Re-import of M365 SKU pricing has been extended to PAYG / CSP based onboarded customers.
Mailbox data
A new view is available for Mailbox data analytics across the range of types (user, shared etc.) and shows mailboxes by type with Smart Tag filters for business context.
SKU Pricing: Add an indicator to show when RRP pricing is being used
An indicator has been added to the M365 Pricing page.
Add in Date Select field to Alerts
An “Event Date” column and “Event Date” filter has been added to the Security Alerts page where all events will have an associated event date aligned.
Benefits Tracker
A new M365 Benefits Tracker UI view is now available and shows accumulated savings and recommendations. The M365 Benefits Tracker for recommendations spans across categories (Financial, Operations, Adoption, Security) from 30 days to 6 months with per-user details and recommendations.
Defender API data
To determine vulnerabilities across devices and applications in the customer tenant, there is a requirement to enable additional M365 API permissions for Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) to access this data. The Security Exposure report enables analysis by Smart Tag, CVE, device, app and identity with details on the CVE and remediation recommendations.
Defender security exposure
A new view is available and shows device and app exposure score with Smart Tag filters for business context, and the ability to drill into specifics to find actionable insights with CVE details.
Notes: This is dependent on customer tenant approval of the Windows Defender ATP permissions
Windows 365 Usage rule logic
A usage of Windows 365 Intune rule for all UPNs that have an enabled Service Plan ID has been added to Surveil.
New Pipelines Introduced
New Pipeline rules have been introduced to cater for more granular recommendations. These new Pipeline rules are as follows:
- Downgrade from Project P5 or P3 to Project P1 if features are not used
- Overlap Office 365 E3 licenses
- Overlap Office 365 E1 licenses
Surveil Navigator
3 New Personas
Navigator now includes three distinct personas—Sales Leader, Sales Account Manager, and Presales Specialist. Each persona is designed with unique visibility and permissions, providing a tailored experience based on their role. Sales Leaders have comprehensive access to insights and trends, Sales Account Managers focus on assigned customers and opportunities, while Presales Specialists gain visibility into technical onboarding and service opportunities. These personas ensure the right level of access, enhancing user efficiency and security within the Navigator platform.
New Metrics
Navigator introduces a new set of metrics for enhanced tracking and analysis across campaign modules, covering M365, and Azure services. This release adds a range of new metrics to Navigator, enabling more granular analysis across campaign modules. The new metrics include D365 (Business Central, Customer Engagement, F&O), M365 (Copilot, E5 Suite, BP Suite, E3 Suite, W365), and Azure (VMWare Solution, Virtual Desktop, Site Recovery), tracking. These metrics provide partners with the opportunity more effective campaign against these areas.
Licensing Enhancement
When assigning a license, the capability to select the duration of the license you are assigning to the tenant now exists.
Tenant: Azure Subscription add Columns and correct Health Status
Navigator now adds “State” and “Subscription ID” columns to Azure subscriptions. Additionally, it corrects the health status by excluding disabled, deleted and expired subscriptions from the reader status. These updates provide partners with clearer insights into their active Azure subscriptions, allowing for better management and more accurate reporting of subscription health across tenants. This improvement reduces clutter and ensures the focus is on active, relevant subscriptions.
Filter to Tenant Metrics
Navigator introduces filtering options for tenant metrics, allowing users to sort and view data by the current month, previous month, or configure a custom period to suit their needs. These filtering options allow for more precise analysis of tenant data, helping users monitor performance trends, make data-driven decisions, and improve reporting accuracy
Tenant: M365 Subscriptions Enhancement
Navigator now enhances M365 subscription tracking by differentiating between CSP and non-CSP subscriptions and displaying renewal dates for all CSP M365 subscriptions. Additionally, it sets the foundation to determine how much, or little is CSP owned.
Top Cards to Data Grid Pages
This release enhances key data grid pages across Navigator, adding top cards with high-impact insights and relevant metrics, such as renewal dates, user activity, savings potentials, and spending summaries. These include breakdowns for Azure and M365 activations, end-user activity, and operational health indicators for both M365 and Azure subscriptions. Filters and configurable columns are now available to refine data views based on user preferences, improving access to essential metrics. Enhanced filtering and column settings ensure that partners can easily navigate large datasets, making it simpler to prioritize actions and monitor organizational health effectively.
M365 Subscription Costs from CSP
This release enhances cost tracking for M365 subscriptions with insights, including unit price per transaction and average unit price for CSP subscriptions.
Enhanced Customer Health Status
Navigator now provides a more detailed customer health status by modifying the M365 health indicator based on API permissions. Health status is now color-coded.
“Active” CSP customers Attribute
Navigator now distinguishes active and inactive CSP customers based on recent invoice activity, with an easy toggle feature for campaign use. This release introduces a new attribute for CSP customers within Navigator, marking them as Active if they have invoice charges within the last 12 months, and Inactive if charges are over 12 months old. Partners can now quickly toggle this “Active” CSP status on or off within the tenant profile, enabling more accurate and targeted campaign use. This update helps partners streamline segmentation and better manage customer engagement based on recent activity.
EA to CSP Planner
The EA to CSP Planner module allows CSP partners to perform subscription-specific analyses to highlight potential savings when switching end-customers from EA to CSP agreements. CSP partners can set and adjust discount levels, view the direct benefit of the transition, and assess key performance indicators (KPIs), such as per-subscription savings, total savings across selected subscriptions, and average savings. The module integrates with Navigator’s AI Assistant for fast insights and can be launched as a campaign within Navigator, allowing partners to select subscriptions and apply customizable discount rates as variables to optimize results and streamline cost-saving recommendations for customers.
CSP Direct Customer Views
The new Direct Customer views for CSP provides T1 Providers/Reseller with a streamlined data grid focused solely on direct customers. This view mirrors the existing customer view, maintaining a consistent column layout while offering a tailored view of key top-card metrics. These top cards include the total count of active customers, total customers, the percentage of licensed customers (M365/Azure), and the count of current sales opportunities, supporting easy tracking and efficient management of direct CSP relationships.
Revenue Data structures and Campaign Views
This release adds three revenue structures: Fixed Fee (a static value set at the campaign level for each tenant), Variable Fee (a dynamic value set per tenant), and Banding (defined at the partner level but configurable at the campaign level). Campaign views are expanded to include “Manage,” where partners can modify or duplicate non-default campaigns and delete inactive ones, “Results,” providing a data grid view of matching customers, and “Revenue Configuration,” allowing partners to set, manage, and assign various revenue models within campaigns. This enhancement offers partners greater flexibility and control over their revenue strategies.