Database modernization: Why now?
We consistently hear common realities from leaders: data infrastructure is a critical accelerator for AI adoption, and many organizations haven’t been able to fully realize the value of their data. 60% of AI projects unsupported by AI-ready data will be abandoned.1 Modernization is a key enabler of AI readiness, with 75% of organizations that migrated to Azure reporting significantly reduced barriers to AI and machine learning.2
This highlights a clear opportunity. Organizations that modernize with fully managed, AI-optimized databases can unlock faster performance, real-time insights, and the ability to build intelligent applications and agents at scale.
Today, I am excited to introduce Azure Accelerate for Databases—an offering designed to help organizations modernize their databases and build AI‑ready capabilities on Azure, faster and with greater confidence. Save up to 35% (vs. pay-as-you-go) with the savings plan for databases, receive delivery funding and Azure credits, and benefit from zero-cost delivery support. Azure Accelerate for Databases brings together expert guidance, investments, savings, and skilling into a single offering, helping teams move from legacy constraints to systems ready to support real-time, intelligent applications.
Why Azure Accelerate for Databases?
Azure Accelerate for Databases is built for organizations modernizing at scale while preparing both their platforms and teams for what comes next. Modernization initiatives are often complex, requiring time, investment, and coordination across teams, while legacy environments can leave data fragmented and difficult to operationalize for AI.
Azure Accelerate for Databases is designed to simplify this journey. It brings together Microsoft Cloud Accelerate Factory delivery support, Azure specialized partner expertise, flexible savings and investments, AI-enhanced tooling and assessments, and role-based skilling into a cohesive experience.
The goal is straightforward: to help organizations move faster, reduce friction, and turn database modernization into a durable, AI-enabling strategy.
What you can do with Azure Accelerate for Databases
With Azure Accelerate for Databases, customers can:
Access trusted experts
Modernization outcomes depend on execution as much as strategy. With the right expertise in place, organizations can reduce risk and move forward with greater confidence.
- Engage with Microsoft’s Cloud Accelerate Factory for zero-cost delivery support.3
- Tap into Azure’s specialized partner ecosystem for deep technical and industry expertise.
- Use assessments and AI-enhanced tooling to guide modernization and new development.
Unlock savings and investments
This removes financial barriers so customers can modernize faster, with more predictable economics and more flexibility to keep momentum as needs evolve.
- Access savings up to 35% (vs. pay-as-you-go) with Savings Plan for Databases.
- Advance your project with delivery funding.
- Lower initial costs with Azure credits.4
How the Savings Plan for Databases works
The savings plan for fatabases5 offers a flexible, spend-based pricing model that adapts to evolving database needs. Customers commit to a fixed hourly spend, and savings are automatically applied to the most valuable usage each hour on select services. This helps reduce the complexity of managing multiple reservations and supports scaling without managing individual SKUs, regions, or configurations. When usage exceeds the commitment, pay-as-you-go pricing applies—helping costs remain predictable as usage grows.
Empower skilled teams
Modernization succeeds when teams can operate and innovate confidently. This helps organizations build durable capability—not just complete a project.
- Build capable and confident teams with free, on-demand, self-paced skilling content.
- Grow skills with on‑demand, expert‑led training.
- Cultivate technical specialization with 50% discounts on certification exams.6
One example is Thomson Reuters, which modernized its tax preparation platform by migrating more than 18,000 databases, totaling over 500 terabytes of data, to Azure SQL Managed Instance. The goal was not only to address performance and scalability challenges during peak tax season, but to establish a more resilient and reliable data foundation for the future.
Running on Azure has helped improve application performance and scalability for 7,000 tax firms and 70,000 users. With a modern, fully-managed platform in place, Thomson Reuters is now better positioned to scale services and support continued innovation. The migration was accelerated through Microsoft’s Cloud Accelerate Factory, the zero-cost delivery benefit of Azure Accelerate, which provided hands-on engineering support, automation, and structured execution to help reduce risk and streamline the transition at scale.
Azure Accelerate for Databases is designed to support this kind of modernization progress, so they can build a stronger data foundation for AI.
Get started with Azure Accelerate for Databases
Modernizing your database estate is a critical step in preparing for AI. Azure Accelerate for Databases is designed to make that step more achievable by bringing together the resources, expertise, and investments needed to move forward with confidence.
To learn more, visit the Azure Accelerate for Databases page and explore savings, as well as access expert-led resources.
Join us at the Migrate & Modernize Summit (April 23 and on demand) to learn more about modernizing your database estate.
For more details, connect with your Microsoft account team.
1Lack of AI-Ready Data Puts AI Projects at Risk
2The Total Economic Impact™ Of Migrating To Microsoft Azure For AI-Readiness. Commissioned study.
3Zero‑cost delivery support for eligible customers through Microsoft‑funded programs. Availability and eligibility criteria apply.
4Eligible customers may receive delivery funding (for partner-led services) and Azure credits through approved Azure Accelerate programs. Funding is subject to application, project scope, and regional availability.
5Customers may see savings estimated to be between 0% and 35%. The 35% savings estimate is based on one Azure SQL Database serverless running for 12 months at a pay-as-you-go rate versus a reduced rate for a 1-year savings plan. Based on Azure pricing as of March 2026. Prices are subject to change. Actual savings may vary based on location, database service, and/or usage.
6Skilling benefits are subject to eligibility, approval, and availability.