# AWS Systems Manager now manages your Azure VMs too, and drops the extra fee!

Hi everyone, it's me! Today's news is about AWS Systems Manager. If you're running a multicloud setup, this one's for you, so let's dive in!

## What was announced?

On the AWS What's New page, AWS announced that Systems Manager now supports managing Azure Virtual Machines! By creating a new "Cloud Connector," you can automatically deploy the SSM Agent to your Azure VMs, no more manual agent installs or worrying about per-instance fees.

Once connected, Azure VMs show up right alongside your EC2 instances in a unified view. And familiar Systems Manager tools like Session Manager, Automation runbooks, Run Command, State Manager, Patch Manager, and Inventory now work across both AWS and Azure from a single workflow!

## The story so far

Until now, managing non-AWS servers (hybrid and multicloud nodes) through Systems Manager meant signing up for the "Advanced Instances Tier," which charged a per-node fee. On top of that, bringing an Azure VM under management required manually installing the agent.

## What changes

With this release, the Advanced Instances Tier is gone entirely! That means you can connect any number of hybrid and multicloud nodes with no upfront per-node fees. For anyone running both AWS and Azure, this lightens both the operational load and the bill!

## Dive Deep

There is one pricing detail worth noting. While the upfront per-node fee is gone, starting **September 30, 2026**, pay-as-you-go pricing kicks in for Session Manager sessions and Run Command invocations on non-EC2 nodes. Think of it as shifting to a pay-for-what-you-use model.

Getting started is simple too: just create a Cloud Connector, and the SSM Agent is automatically deployed to your Azure VMs. Not having to manage agent versions or installations yourself is a nice touch! The feature is available starting today.

## Wrap-up

- AWS Systems Manager now supports managing Azure Virtual Machines
- Creating a Cloud Connector automatically deploys the SSM Agent
- The Advanced Instances Tier is gone, so there's no more upfront per-node fee
- Starting September 30, 2026, non-EC2 nodes move to pay-as-you-go pricing

This update is a great fit if you're already running AWS and Azure together, or planning to bring your hybrid environment under one roof!