What is Microsoft Azure?
Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing platform developed and maintained by Microsoft that offers a wide range of services to it's users including computing, storage, networking, databases and artificial intelligence. It allows businesses and developers to create, deploy and manage applications through its worldwide network of data centers. Azure supports multiple programming languages, frameworks and tools, helping users scale their operations and innovate efficiently whilst minimising the expenses typically associated with on-premises infrastructure. With services like virtual machines, data storage, machine learning, IoT and security solutions, Azure has been designed to meet the needs of businesses of all shapes and sizes.
What Does Azure Offer?
Scalability - Azure allows you to scale your resources up or down based on your specific demand at any given time. This scalability ensures that your applications and services that are hosted in Azure are able to handle varying workloads efficiently.
Integration - Azure is part of the Microsoft ecosystem and so it seamlessly integrates with other Microsoft products and services including Office 365, Active Directory and Windows Server. These integrations simplify the deployment and management of solutions within the Microsoft ecosystem.
Immediate Cost Efficiencies - Azure offers a pay as you go pricing model, allowing users to pay only for the resources they consume due to the scaling up and down based on demand capability. This can provide significant cost savings.
Global Availability - Azure has an expansive network of data centers located around the world. This global presence allows users to deploy applications and services closer to their users regardless of where they are located in the world which in turn, can reduce latency and improve application performance.
Reliability & Uptime - Microsoft Azure is widely regarded for it's high availability and reliability, with a service level agreement (SLA) that guarantees a certain level of uptime to users. This ensures that applications hosted on Azure are consistently accessible and in the event they are not, issues are quickly identified and resolved.
Hybrid Cloud Capabilities - Azure supports hybrid cloud environments which allows organisations to integrate on-premises data centers with cloud connectivity. This flexibility is crucial for businesses with existing infrastructure investments and means previous investments do not need to be forfeit when there is a need to move some infrastructure to a cloud platform
Varied Service Offering - Azure offers a comprehensive set of cloud services including computing, databases, storage, machine learning & AI and analytics and reporting capabilities. This diversity allows users to build, deploy and manage a wide variety of applications in Azure.
Security & Compliance - Microsoft Azure has extensive security features and compliance certifications which ensures the protection of data and applications. Azure security includes identity management, encryption, threat detection and other security measures to safeguard information which can provide clients with peace of mind and make them more attractive to their clients.
Dev-Ops & Automation - Azure allows developers to build scalable web and mobile applications and provides a variety of development tools for continuous integration, continuous delivery and automation. This helps streamline development processes and can improve collaboration between development and operations teams.
Community & Support - Azure has a large and active developer community which provides a wealth of resources, forums and documentation. Additionally, Microsoft offers robust azure support options to assist users with any issues or challenges they may encounter.
Who Might Use Azure?
Because of the extensive list of services on offer from Azure, it can be beneficial for pretty much any type of organisation. Those who are or want to be fully cloud-based, those who require some of their infrastructure to be cloud-based whilst the rest remains on premise or even those who don't have experience with cloud computing but do have an interest. Here are some key industries that currently utilise Microsoft Azure -
Business Types
Enterprises
Large companies use Azure for it's scalable cloud infrastructure, data storage, security and app development capabilities to streamline their operations and reduce costs.
Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
SMEs can utilise Azure for it's affordable cloud based services including website hosting, databases and backup services.
Startups
Startups may use Azure for its flexibility, allowing them to quickly build, test and scale applications.
Industries
Developers
Individual developers as well as developer teams can use Azure for building, deploying and managing both web and mobile applications.
Government Agencies
Governments often use Azure because of it's secure cloud services that meet compliance standards for data protection, privacy and security.
Healthcare Providers
The healthcare sector uses Azure for secure storage of patient data.
Banks & Financial Institutions
Banks and financial organisations use Azure for security and regulatory compliance as well as it's cloud-based data analysis tools.
Retailers
Retail businesses might use Azure for managing supply chains, customer data and their e-commerce platforms.
How Can We Help?
Our developers are Azure experts with many years of experience delivering solutions on the Microsoft Azure platform for both small businesses and large enterprises. We specialise in cloud migration, helping you seamlessly transition your infrastructure to Azure while providing ongoing support to ensure smooth operations. Our team has extensive experience in building and managing services, including websites, database services, app services and notification hubs. Discuss your requirements with us today to discover how we can provide you with a tailored Azure solution to meet (or exceed!) your needs. Partner with us for exceptional customer service and expert guidance throughout your Azure journey.
FAQs
Q) Is Azure Google or Microsoft?
A) Azure is Microsoft's Cloud Computing Platform
Q) Is Azure PaaS, SaaS or IaaS?
A) Depending on what you use Azure for, it can be classed as all of the above!
Q) Is Azure free?
A) There are free to use services within Microsoft Azure that last up to 12 months from Account Creation. Click here to view the full list of free services.