IT Spend Optimization in 2026: what changed
A cloud-billing standard passed, and no large cloud exports it. Licenses and hardware from Microsoft, VMware and Dell: supplied and integrated.
What changed this year for IT spend visibility across cloud, SaaS, licenses and hardware, and what to put in your requirement.¹
Every date comes from the vendor's or publisher's own page. Third-party reports are marked.
1. FOCUS 1.4 is ratified
FOCUS 1.4 was ratified on June 4, 2026, and the open-source FOCUS Validator added it in release 2.2.1 on August 5, 2026.
Power supply shelves in an AI server rack, the kind of hardware line a cost record has to carry. From ServeTheHome's film.
2. No large cloud exports it yet
On September 27, 2026, AWS, Microsoft and Google Cloud exported FOCUS 1.2 and Oracle 1.0. The design maps each provider's export separately, with 1.2 as the floor.
Open liquid-cooled GPU racks in a Microsoft Azure hall. Azure is one of the large clouds whose FOCUS 1.2 export the design maps separately.
3. AI charges wait for FOCUS 1.5
FOCUS 1.5 is planned for ratification on December 3, 2026, adding AI model identity and token billing. Until then, AI model and token charges are separated by tagging.
Hands at work inside a liquid-cooled GPU server, the hardware behind the AI charges that FOCUS 1.5 will name. From the operator's own film, July 2026.
4. Keep the history yourself
A SaaS-management vendor ceased operations on August 6, 2026 and deleted all customer data. The design keeps cost and asset history in a store the client owns, which platforms read.
Storage servers on test in Supermicro's factory: the kind of store a client can own for its cost history. From ServeTheHome's film.
What this means for a buyer
Cost data stays in a format anyone can read, and in a place the client controls.
Read the full blueprint, or request a quote for IT Spend Optimization.