First, let’s settle the common myth that moving to the cloud will save you money – it won’t. However, the cloud offers far more capabilities than your current IT Infrastructure, increasing elasticity and scalability while stretching the overall value of your IT dollar. In this feature, we are going to be focusing specifically on Microsoft Azure. With 56 regions and availability in 140 countries, Azure is a great foundation for your cloud architecture.

Let’s get started.

What IS Microsoft Azure?

Azure is a dynamic set of cloud services that can help with current, future and unknown business challenges. What Azure does is give you the ability to build, manage, and deploy applications on a massive scale while maintaining end-user experience with familiar Microsoft tools.

The Benefits?

Similar to other public cloud providers, Azure offers flexibility and the ability to scale as needed which enables growth-minded businesses. Azure provides services that are not available in a traditional Data Center, and provides high-availability with the proper architecture and design. Azure enables you to easily consume Windows licensing with a pay-as-you-go model.

Azure differentiates from other public cloud providers by offering 40% savings on Microsoft licensing with the Azure Hybrid Benefit program. Additionally, there is three years of extended support on Windows Servers or SQL servers running 2008 / R2 (support expired in 2019). Azure also delivers the ability to run Windows 10 VDI’s (virtual desktop infrastructure) without dedicated hardware. Microsoft licensing is usually a challenge to manage, but with Azure managing and maintaining services or support gets a little bit easier.

While Azure provides access to multiple third-party solutions, it also offers a variety of its own services that are available to you. Check out the graphic below that highlights many of Azure Platform and Infrastructure Services.

Azure is not bulletproof. The proper design, implementation and maintenance is necessary to ensure your cloud environment is designed for availability. This makes managing, deploying and optimizing not only more efficient, but cost-effective as well. Expertise within Cloud Architecture & Cloud Operations is critical, and selecting the right partner to guide and/or optimize your journey to the cloud can be the difference between success and failure.

With Cloud computing and Azure, you’re always in the driver seat; riding in the latest, most up-to-date model.

If you’re interested in learning more about the business benefits Azure provides and how PCI can help your cloud efforts, visit our website www.pciconnected.com/services/cloud-services/ to learn more, or get in touch with sales@pcibuf.com!