Discover how the Microsoft Cloud is transforming IT management with its powerful tools and services. Explore the benefits of scalability, cost efficiency, enhanced security, collaboration, and streamlined operations in this insightful article.
Microsoft and Business IT have been closely linked for decades. Considering Microsoft is nearly 50 years old, and many of their products have become industry staples (such as Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, etc.) it makes sense that the Microsoft Cloud is heralded by many as revolutionary for IT management. We spoke with one company that believes this – TechQuarters. Like many London IT support companies, TechQuarters’ infrastructure is built on the Microsoft Cloud, and they have assisted many clients in migrating to it as well.
What is the Microsoft Cloud?
The Microsoft Cloud refers to a suite of cloud-based services and platforms offered by Microsoft, including Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365, for storage, computing, analytics, collaboration, and other business needs. Microsoft has over 200 datacenters around the world supporting its cloud infrastructure. Leveraging the cloud for your IT infrastructure can revolutionise IT management in a number of ways. Below is a breakdown of the different components of the Microsoft Cloud, and how they impact business IT.
Microsoft Azure Services
Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing platform and service provided by Microsoft. It offers a wide range of cloud-based services – such as virtual machines, storage, databases, analytics, and more. Azure’s main purpose is to help businesses build, deploy, and manage applications and services that support the underlying infrastructure of their organisation. Azure is typically deployed by businesses in 3 different ways: Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).
- Software-as-a-Service – A cloud deployment model where software applications are accessed over the internet, and users can utilize them without the need for installation or maintenance. Examples of SaaS in Azure include Azure DevOps, which helps businesses build their own apps in the most efficient way.
- Platform-as-a-Service – A cloud deployment model that provides a platform for developers to build, deploy, and manage applications without worrying about the underlying infrastructure, including servers, storage, and networking. An example of PaaS in Azure is Azure App Services.
- Infrastructure-as-a-Service – A cloud deployment model that offers virtualized computing resources, including virtual machines, storage, and networks. Users have control over the operating systems and applications they want to run on the provided infrastructure. With over 10 years’ experience providing IT support in London, TechQuarters believes Azure IaaS is the best option for businesses.
Benefits of the Microsoft Cloud for IT Management
There are many benefits of the Microsoft Cloud for IT management. Below are a few key examples of how it can be leveraged to make IT more scalable, flexible, cost-effective, and secure:
Scalability and Flexibility
Businesses often use the Microsoft Cloud – specifically Microsoft Azure – to host their workloads, databases, and applications. The benefit of this is that the resources being used to host these digital assets are ample enough that one can easily scale them up or down. New applications and VMs can be deployed in minutes using Azure, and the platform has a range of ready-to-use services that businesses can use to manage their usage – such as Azure Load Balancer.
Cost Efficiency
All resources hosted in the Microsoft Cloud – i.e. databases, apps, VMs, etc. – can be scaled easily. The benefit of this is that businesses will only ever be paying for what they use. This is an improvement on on-premises deployments, where businesses had to purchase more infrastructure they needed, to account for fluctuation.
Another way that the Microsoft Cloud makes business IT more cost-efficient is the fact that businesses don’t need infrastructure hardware whatsoever – so the cost of hardware maintenance and upgrade is eliminated.
Enhanced Security
Azure not only makes managing cybersecurity easier, it can provide more robust security tools than what a business might have been using previously. With tools like Azure AD for identity protection, Azure Firewall, and Azure Sentinel (which leverages AI for advanced threat intelligence), businesses can access cutting-edge security solutions. While providing IT support in Guildford, London, and many other parts of the UK, TechQuarters have always recommended Microsoft Azure is a high-level, yet accessible security resource.