Formerly known as Windows Azure, Microsoft Azure is a public cloud computing platform that provides various services, such as analytics, virtual computing, integration, identity, storage, and networking. In addition, Microsoft Azure provides infrastructure as a service (IaaS), software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and serverless cloud computing, which, together with its many tools, help businesses manage their challenges while meeting their organizational goals.
Below are some ways that Azure can help a business grow and stay ahead of the competition.
One benefit of Azure is that it is designed for all businesses, regardless of size. It operates on a pay-as-you-go pricing model, and it can be scaled to meet the IT demands of a particular company, making it the preferred solution for both small and established businesses. Additionally, Azure helps save on in-house IT costs such as hardware and maintenance while enabling companies to launch and store their internal and external applications in the cloud.
Microsoft Azure also helps businesses to enhance and implement security backup, compliance, and disaster recovery. Azure can back up data in almost any language. It also allows the user to define the frequency and extent of the data backup schedule, which can be daily, weekly, or monthly.
Furthermore, many high-risk entities, such as government agencies and health care, financial services, and manufacturing organizations, rely on Azure for cloud services because of its many compliance certifications, which ensure that the end users and the platform are protected. Services such as offline cloud services, customized security needs, and restructured customer apps have enabled these entities to address unique needs without compromising data security.
Another advantage of Azure is that it enables businesses to innovate with Internet of Things (IoT) industry solutions. Azure makes the perfect choice for companies seeking to move toward IoT solutions because of its flexibility, scalability, and security. IoT enables companies to connect various devices to the cloud using solutions that fit in with the existing infrastructure to collect new information. Azure IoT solutions assist in analytics, remote monitoring, and predictive maintenance. Monitoring multiple devices helps a company gain insight when making business decisions; it also improves the customer experience, lowers costs, reduces complexity, and speeds up development.
Microsoft Azure provides rapid deployments through IaaS and PaaS. A hybrid cloud environment allows companies to decide whether to operate separately or use a public cloud. This enables a company to meet its IT and service needs without necessarily maintaining the underlying infrastructure.
Azure complements and expands a company’s IT infrastructure, allowing its IT personnel to focus on the business rather than worrying about equipment maintenance and in-house capabilities. Azure makes it easy and quick to deploy current apps, and its integrated development setting allows teams to master the platform quickly. In addition, compared to Google and Amazon, Azure provides faster content delivery while enhancing the user experience due to Microsoft’s extensive global footprint.
As most enterprises continue to redefine the way they do business, it is evident that companies can reap great success with cloud-powered business solutions. A study reveals that almost 90 percent of Fortune 500 companies use Microsoft Azure to drive their business.
Azure comes with various customer support plans, which vary in terms of choice and price. The basic support is available to all Azure users, while developer, standard, professional direct, and premier support are available at a monthly cost.
