With ARM gaining momentum across cloud, edge, and developer environments, multi-architecture is no longer an edge case—it is a core consideration for modern engineering teams. And it goes beyond technical compatibility. Embracing both ARM64 and x64(x86_64) architectures can unlock material savings, increase deployment flexibility, and reduce long-term infrastructure and vendor risk. In this two-part series, we explore why multi-architecture makes strategic sense—and where it is already being deployed to drive measurable impact. Part 1 focuses on the business drivers: cost efficiency, future-readiness, and matching workloads to the most effective compute platform. Part 2 covers the practical side of adoption, including implementation patterns, security considerations, and emerging platform tooling that simplifies the journey.
Adopting a multi-architecture strategy often starts with economics. AWS Graviton instances, based on ARM64, offer 20–40% lower pricing than comparable x64 instances. In production environments, teams running compatible workloads—such as microservices, APIs, or CI/CD pipelines—report 30–40% lower compute costs. This is not theoretical—CloudOptimo’s Graviton benchmarks show ~30% better price-performance.