Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing platform provided by Microsoft. It offers a broad range of cloud-based services, including computing power, storage, databases, analytics, artificial intelligence and more. Here's a simple guide to understanding Azure and why businesses, of all shapes and sizes, need it.
So what is Microsoft Azure?
Azure provides businesses with the ability to access computing resources and services over the internet, eliminating the need for on-premise infrastructure... AKA using 'the cloud'. It features more than 200 products and cloud services and allows you to build, run and manage applications across multiple clouds and premises.
The beauty of this type of technology is that it enables organisations to scale their IT resources up or down as needed, pay for only what they use, and focus on their core business objectives. It's also very customisable and can be tweaked to suit your industry and business needs.
Why do we recommend Azure to businesses, of all sizes, but especially growing SMEs? Here are a few reasons...
1. Seamless - Integration with the Microsoft ecosystem
Azure seamlessly integrates with other Microsoft products and services, such as Windows Server, Active Directory and Office 365, as well as areas like Copilot, Analytics and BI.
The result is a cohesive and unified ecosystem for users, enabling seamless workflows, enhanced productivity and optimised management of cloud resources.
This integration allows businesses to leverage their existing or future Microsoft investments and extend their capabilities into the cloud.
2. Peace of mind - Security and compliance
Azure incorporates robust security measures to protect data and applications. It offers advanced threat detection, encryption, identity management and compliance certifications to help businesses meet their security and regulatory requirements.
Some of the factors that make the Azure environment particularly secure include:
- Physical security: Microsoft operates a global network of data centres that house Azure services with strict physical security controls, including 24/7 monitoring, access controls, surveillance systems, and multi-factor authentication.
- Data Encryption: Azure offers encryption at rest and in transit. Data at rest is encrypted using industry-standard encryption algorithms.
- Network Security: Azure employs various network security measures to safeguard customer data.
- Security Monitoring and Threat Detection: Azure Sentinel is a cloud-native Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solution that uses advanced analytics and AI to identify and respond to threats.
- Compliance and Certifications: Azure adheres to a wide range of industry-specific and global compliance standards.
- Incident Response and Recovery: Microsoft's security team monitors for potential incidents and follows incident response protocols to mitigate risks and minimise impact.
Azure's strong focus on compliance with industry standards ensures that sensitive data remains secure and confidential. Apart from obvious ethical reasons, protecting any data your business holds is actually the law. As a business owner, you may be held liable if customer data is leaked.
3. Grows with you - Scalability and flexibility
Azure enables organisations to scale their applications and services easily, depending on what's going on in your business. Whether there is a need for more computing power, storage capacity or bandwidth, Azure can rapidly accommodate the growing demands. This scalability ensures that businesses can handle sudden spikes in traffic without disruptions.
Start to thrive and need more resources quickly? Alternatively, are things slowing down due to seasonal spikes? With Azure you can scale accordingly and easily.
4. Reasonable on the budget - Cost efficiency
Azure's pay-as-you-go model enables businesses to optimize their IT spending. It eliminates the upfront costs of hardware and infrastructure, as well as the upgrade expenses associated with traditional on-premises solutions. With Azure, businesses can dynamically adjust their resources and only pay for the services they use, helping to reduce overall IT costs.
5. Go global - International reach
Azure has data centres located in regions worldwide, ensuring high availability and low latency for businesses operating in different geographical locations. This global infrastructure allows organisations to deploy their applications closer to their customers, improving performance and user experience.
Azure versus other cloud providers
There are two other major cloud service providers: AWS (Amazon Web Services) and Google Cloud Platform.
The main benefit of Azure is the seamless integration into the Microsoft ecosystem.
In addition, Microsoft Azure allows organisations to innovate, deploy applications quickly, and scale their operations while reducing the burden of managing on-premises infrastructure.
With its wide range of services and seamless integration with Microsoft's ecosystem, Azure is a valuable platform for businesses of all sizes and industries, with more than 95% of Fortune companies trusting their business on the platform.
Your Microsoft Azure partner
Diamond IT has made significant investments in our expertise within the rapidly expanding area of cloud infrastructure, and have recently achieved Microsoft's Solutions Partner for Infrastructure (Azure) accreditation.
This achievement signifies our deep knowledge and capabilities in Azure-based solutions. With our extensive 27 years of experience in the industry, we have effectively supported, monitored, and managed our customers' cloud migration journeys, both during the initial transition and for their ongoing cloud needs in the future.
How Diamond IT can help you with cloud solutions
Diamond IT's Cloud Computing Team is committed to understanding your organisation's unique requirements and collaborating with you to offer the most suitable infrastructure solution. Our team of experts specialise in providing flexible and scalable options to access the resources you need, regardless of your location.
We have established partnerships with various vendors, enabling us to offer a wide range of options, additionally our own Diamond Cloud solutions delivery reliable compute, backup and voice options tailored to meet your specific needs.
Our Business Technology Managers (BTMs) and Business Technology Consulting team are here to guide you through making the best decisions around cloud solutions to support your business.
Our team is here to help. Contact us today on 1300 307 907.
