Microsoft Azure is the backbone of the software giant’s cloud services, The cloud computing platform gives customers access to a variety of cloud services, allowing them to combine and expand to construct and scale services and applications. The sky is the limit, as the name implies, but this doesn’t get us any closer to the actual benefits that Azure gives.
Even under the best of conditions, cloud computing is a challenging subject to explain, and maybe never more so than in the case of a vast platform like Azure. Here’s a crash course on Microsoft’s cloud platform: what Azure is, why it’s essential, and how harnessing Azure and the power of the cloud may help your business.
What is Microsoft Azure?
Microsoft Azure is a public cloud computing platform. This equates to an infinite number of data centres throughout the world, each built with powerful, networked computers. These computers may be used to deliver a wide range of services that are outside the reach of most organisations. They can leverage Azure to pay only for the resources they require at the time they need them.
Microsoft Azure services are classified into over 20 different categories, ranging from analytics to integration to content delivery. Computing and storage are arguably the most prevalent. Virtual machines (VMs), which are basically computer operating systems hosted in the Cloud, may be created using compute resources. These virtual machines enable you to design, test, and run applications of many types and purposes.
Storage in Azure takes many different forms, from traditional disk space for servers to structured data (formatted, searchable information found in databases) or unstructured data (text files, images, videos etc). Azure also has large storage solutions such as Azure Data Lakes which can be used for analytical or data warehouse type projects or long-term archiving.
The value of cloud computing
Organisations gain from cloud computing in two ways: stability and scalability. IT infrastructure can get complicated when running both new and legacy applications, this is not only costly to deploy, but also difficult to maintain and demands substantial expertise and resources.
Furthermore, the resources required to provide secure and reliable access vary according to how demanding they are, how popular they become, and how long you intend to host them. For example, you may require a large number of resources when running specific line of business applications and require significant investment in both hardware and software. When you look to consolidate applications or decommission services, you’re ;eft with hardware and software licences that are no longer required, meaning you haven’t maximised your investment.
Running your own servers and IT infrastructure is a 24-hour job. With numerous services required around the clock to keep your IT infrastructure running, such as internet connectivity and power, and as we see more and more people accessing systems out of normal business hours, an outage outside this may be harmful, both financially and in terms of reputation. Even if look to oursource the management of your IT systems, their inability to access your physical infrastructure may prevent them from resolving any problems.
By outsourcing your cloud computing requirements, you can avoid all of these issues. By utilising Microsoft Azure – or any other cloud service provider – you gain access to almost limitless resources that are managed and maintained for you. This allows you to alter your investment as your needs change, eliminating the risk of downtime or data loss.
How Microsoft Azure can help your business
The key benefit of Azure for organisations is its versatility. Azure, as a flagship Microsoft product, has the ability to provide on-demand vast processing power and storage space. Their global network of data centres enables access to the Azure suite of services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with the ability to scale your investment in accordance with your needs. Whatever service you desire, you can rest assured that Azure has the capability and infrastructure to provide it without any fuss.
Aside from that, it’s the sheer number of options that Azure provides organisations, as well as how it allows smaller enterprises to compete on a level playing field. Large-scale software design and management resources were formerly limited to industries that could afford the hardware; now, organisations of all sizes can build leading apps, run internal software, and analyse massive amounts of data. Renting hardware on the Cloud allows organisations to experiment with software deployments in previously unimaginable ways.
Your IT Team may create a wide range of cloud-based applications using familiar programming tools and languages. You can also expect total compatibility with apps like Office 365 as a Microsoft product, allowing you to link all of your Microsoft products into a unified ecosystem. Aside from that, Azure offers a wide range of pre-built software for a variety of industries, including software tailored to financial institutions and the public sector.
Azure not only delivers a reliable and trustworthy platform, but also one with a wide range of capabilities and opportunities. The hundreds of services that can be instantly added with Azure make it easy to implement new IT projects and begin changing your organisation.
The enormity of Azure and the promise of cloud computing make it a complex issue to analyse, but the benefits to your organisation are enormous.
Whatever software you use to run your business, internal or external, Azure can provide a secure and stable platform – and m-hance can help you get started with Azure. Contact your Account Manager or a member of the m-hance team right away to learn more about Azure and how you can leverage the power of the Cloud.