The introduction of cloud computing made it possible to store and manage your data more efficiently which revolutionised the way in which we worked
As more cloud managed services are being adopted as the standard technology for accessing IT infrastructure, software, and hardware, they can also provide greater assistance to businesses looking to improve efficiency and boost productivity.
What type of cloud computing is Azure?
At its core, Microsoft Azure is a public cloud platform. With public cloud, all software, hardware, and infrastructure are owned and managed by the cloud provider. This is shared with other organisations (also known as cloud tenants) and each user accesses their services and manages their account through a web browser.
Microsoft Azure has over 200 applications and offers more than 1,000 technical capabilities. Instead of storing, managing, and processing data on your own computers or server, you can offload this to Azure.
Azure offers three main cloud service models to help businesses:
- Infrastructure as a service (IaaS): users rent or lease servers for computing and storage in the cloud and can run an operating system or applications without the maintenance and operating costs of those servers.
- Platform as a service (PaaS): a platform for users to develop, run, and manage applications (such as databases or serverless code), without having to build and maintain the cloud infrastructure needed to do so.
- Software as a service (SaaS): software that is completely available via a cloud service, such as Microsoft 365. Instead of installing and maintaining software, users only need to manage the configuration and data within.
What can Microsoft Azure do?
Microsoft Azure is a collection of services in the cloud that are alternatives to physical hardware and software. Setting it up does not usually take long and scaling can be done easily. Azure is a cloud-based service and does not require any upfront purchase of server hardware. Instead, it operates on a subscription-basis, renting server processing power.
Businesses of any size can use cloud-based services and applications that fit with their operational needs, and only pay for what they use. This makes Azure suitable for organisations that want to offload all their computing to the cloud, or retain some computing and storage on-site, known as hybrid cloud.
The benefits of cloud computing with Azure are many:
Speed
Microsoft has developed some of the most fully automated solutions which can change in a moment as you need them. With data centres worldwide, users have the best chance of getting their data when they need it.
Unified delivery pipeline
Azure rolls out new updates with a view to creating as little disruption as possible to existing applications and services. Upgrading one cloud service will not interrupt another, so there is no wondering if things will ‘break’ with security patches, changing service levels or offerings.
User-friendly interface
Implementing new software or applications can be fraught for businesses, as they can be challenging to learn to use and operate. When companies are already invested in Microsoft infrastructure, Azure is an excellent choice as it is easily migrated and makes hybrid cloud computing a breeze.
Enhanced flexibility
Scalability is incredibly important in today’s rapidly evolving world of technology and business. Azure enables your business to access more storage, computing, or support with a simple click, upgrading to higher service levels as needed. A static data centre requires new hardware, as well as deployment and monitoring, all costly exercises – especially if the need for more resources is temporary. Azure allows you to reduce the higher-level services if they are no longer needed.
Storage and disaster recovery
Rather than having to make a capital expense for equipment and then paying for heating, power, and cooling, you can use Azure for your storage solutions. This way you only pay for what you need and remove redundancy costs. Cloud-based data storage is faster, has more storage space, and is less prone to disruption.
Security
Microsoft Azure’s security is one of their main talking points. They spend more than a billion dollars a year on research and development to make their cloud safe. The company advertises its multiple layers of security as a way for businesses to take advantage of remote data centres without risking confidential data. Azure has more compliance certifications than any other provider, and is an excellent choice for high-risk industries such as government and healthcare.
Cost
Purchase, deployment and maintenance of hardware and software on-premises is always a huge capital investment. It can be hard to justify the expenditure on upgrades and training of staff, especially as technology changes so quickly. With Azure, this is no longer an issue. With different service levels and costs attached, your business pays for what it needs and no more. There is no need to worry about the extra costs of upgrades and replacing legacy hardware, or operational disruption as technology fails.
If your business is looking to transform the way you work by moving to the cloud, speak to the Azure specialists at INTELLIWORX. We are a certified Microsoft Gold Partner and have extensive experience helping businesses to migrate to the cloud.
