Azure and AWS connect clouds in public preview

For an admin who wanted to connect Azure and AWS, the work previously began with network components, routing and BGP sessions for exchanging routes. Now Microsoft and AWS are putting a joint network connection between the two clouds into public preview: With Azure Multicloud Interconnect and AWS Interconnect – multicloud, customers are supposed to be able to set up private connections between their cloud environments without assembling the necessary components themselves.

At its core is an open API specification for connecting different clouds. AWS introduced it in late 2025 and moved it to general availability in April 2026; Microsoft has now adopted it for Azure. On AWS, the connection can be set up through the console, command line or API, with a Direct Connect Gateway serving as the connection point. Azure requires an ExpressRoute Virtual Network Gateway for this. Separate, non-overlapping IP address spaces remain mandatory so that routing rules remain unambiguous.

The providers handle provisioning the connection. Customers therefore do not have to order cross-connects or operate routers and BGP peering between the clouds themselves. This reduces some of the coordination required across provider boundaries. Their own network planning does not disappear, however: Routes, security rules and connecting VPCs — virtual private AWS networks — and Azure Virtual Networks remain their responsibility.

The catch is in the technical fine print: The preview is limited to 1 Gbit/s and comes without an SLA, meaning there are no guaranteed service levels. Microsoft will initially charge neither an Azure service fee nor Azure egress costs; AWS also describes the preview connection as free. However, only one interconnect is provided per customer and supported region. On the Azure side, Australia East, East US, Germany West Central and West US are supported; on the AWS side, N. Virginia, N. California, Sydney and Frankfurt.

For companies with separate teams and contracts, starting an Azure-AWS connection is consequently easier: They no longer have to provision and operate the link between the clouds themselves. The boundaries remain visible — IP address spaces, routes and security rules still have to align. AWS plans to remove the preview connections before general availability; Microsoft says bandwidths of up to 100 Gbit/s should then be possible.