ParkMyCloud Incorporates New Microsoft Teams Bot for Easier Cloud Cost Control

ParkMyCloud has incorporated a new Microsoft Teams bot that allows users to fully interact with the ParkMyCloud platform directly through the Microsoft Teams chat window, rather than using the web GUI.

This new webhook integration allows a direct notification feed of all ParkMyCloud optimization and cost saving activities to be fed into the chatbot and displayed via the Microsoft Teams channels that users constantly have open. The new integration makes it much easier for users to keep track of their cloud costs, optimize use of cloud resources, and save money on their cloud bills.

ChatOps is proving popular with DevOps teams for manipulating their environments, in particular Slack and more recently Microsoft Teams. Through these platforms it is possible to access the servers and databases they need for work. ParkMyCloud has responded by incorporating a chat bot for Slack, and now the same functionality has been incorporated for Microsoft Teams.

By using these chat bots and configuring them to interact with ParkMyCloud accounts, users can easily assign schedules, toggle instances to switch on or off as required, and temporarily pause schedules on parked instances. If users also add in ParkMyCloud notifications, it provides them with full visibility into their cloud optimization and cost reduction activities through standard Microsoft Teams and Slack channels.

When notifications are incorporated, ParkMyCloud will post messages to chat channels about changes to schedules and send alerts when instances are about to be turned on or off. The new integration allows users to respond to those notifications without leaving the chat channel and assign new schedules, turn systems back on that have been switched off, and put schedules on snooze.

Since the chatbot is open source – written in NodeJS using Microsoft’s botbuilder library – it is easy to modify to suit the needs of individual users. ParkMyCloud has simplified the editing of commands and responses for users who are not experts in NodeJS and is encouraging users to get in touch with suggestions and comments to help improve functionality.

Author: Richard Anderson

Richard Anderson is the Editor-in-Chief of NetSec.news