There’s no denying that cloud computing is part of the future for businesses everywhere. Rather than the costly option of physically owning and maintaining a dedicated IT system of servers and storage, it allows users to access shared technology services using a cloud platform. Microsoft Azure is a leading option for cloud computing, with its ability to offer cloud-based computing services including storage, databases, servers, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence to offer faster innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale.
Microsoft itself claims that more than 95% of Fortune 500 companies are using it, but what are the key benefits of using Microsoft Azure? In this article we are going to take a look and see why an increasing number of businesses are turning to Azure as their cloud service provider of choice.
Top 6 Benefits of Using Microsoft Azure
1. Flexible subscriptions and cost-effective solutions
Due to its “pay-as-you-go” pricing, Azure is suitable for modest budgets, while for larger businesses there’s the opportunity to sign up for longer-term options with discounted rates. Users have full transparency of pricing structures and the ability to cancel their subscriptions at any time. You might also find that Microsoft Azure can save your business money, when you consider the costs of creating and maintaining an in-house IT infrastructure.
2. Scalable – no matter what the size of your business
Whether you’re a small start-up working out of a one-room office or a global corporation, Azure is a great solution for businesses of all sizes. Because Azure scales up or down depending on business needs and companies only pay for what they use, it’s also highly effective for businesses going through periods of expansion, or seasonal businesses who have very busy periods followed by quieter lulls.
3. Compatible with your IT infrastructure
Whether you want to migrate your entire IT infrastructure to the cloud, or adopt a more hybrid model and keep some of your IT infrastructure in-house, Microsoft Azure is both flexible and compatible with your current infrastructure. If you do decide to migrate your infrastructure in its entirety, you’ll find the process painless – the platform can deploy your applications quickly and easily with limited downtime.
4. High-level security
Although security has long been a concern when it comes to cloud-based storage, there’s simply nowhere safer to store your data than in Azure. Microsoft takes great steps to ensure that your data stays safe using a combination of security techniques such as multiple compliance certificates, multi-factor authentication, proxy card access readers and hand geometry biometric readers. There is also a global incident response team that is always on hand to protect your data from any potential cyber threats. Azure can even advise on your current security and give you tips on how to improve this with their secure score function.
5. Disaster Recovery
It’s no secret that backing up your data to the cloud is one of the smartest ways to work. Microsoft Azure offers a secure backup and disaster recovery solution which is easily integrated with on-premises data protection systems. Your backup data will be stored off-site and available in the case of an on-premise IT issue, and multiple copies of backup data can be created and stored in different data centres in the Azure cloud. In the case of a major IT failure, downtime can be limited as you can use the backed-up data to create cloud-based systems and recover business functionality.
6. Speed
One thing Azure does incredibly well is speed, helping companies work efficiently and competitively with its pre-built tools and automated solutions. Microsoft Azure Cloud can significantly improve:
- How quickly applications can be created, tested and deployed.
- How quickly you can scale your business by upgrading your subscription plan or adding new features.
- How quickly you can recover your backup data
How can I find out more about the benefits of Azure for my business?
If you’re impressed by the benefits of Azure and want to find out more about how it can help you run your business more effectively, then please feel free to get in touch with our friendly team for a no-obligation chat with no sales calls or charges. We’re an accredited Microsoft Cloud Partner and have worked with a wide range of valued customers to help them deliver IT solutions and would love to hear from you to see how we could help your business.
