Businesses are moving what internal operations they can into the cloud at an ever-growing rate. As of last year, the cloud shift affected over $1.3T in IT spending alone. At the head of that shift sits Microsoft Azure, which has proven to be one of the best cloud storage options for small businesses today.
In this blog, we’ll discuss why Microsoft Azure is so helpful to small businesses and review some of the features most beneficial to your business.
What is Microsoft Azure?
Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing platform, which is an all-encompassing term to refer to services that support computers, including servers, storage, networking, software, and more. Azure offers services via the cloud for convenience and continuity and is included as part of your Microsoft365 package.
Iaas and Paas capabilities.
Azure offers an enticing combination of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS). IaaS allows small businesses to outsource their infrastructure, including storage, network, servers, and virtualization, while only paying for what they use. This allows businesses with a small IT department or no central data center building to forgo buying expensive IT equipment or hiring more staff.
PaaS allows businesses to build web applications and software without purchasing and maintaining any underlying infrastructure, saving organizations the typical stress that comes with developing and launching these tools. These can be custom-built and structured around business operations, like a new inventory management system that tracks products for a warehouse. Your team can focus on your business operations instead of worrying about operating systems and software updates!
Virtual network and desktop.
Azure’s Virtual Network allows you to create your own protected and private network in the cloud, enforcing privacy through its highly-secured virtual environment! Even better, whole teams can be productive remotely or in-house with Azure Virtual Desktop, allowing your business applications to be delivered to any device in your network.
Do everything (and almost anything) with Microsoft Azure.
There are numerous functions that can be accomplished with Microsoft Azure. Among the resources Azure offers are media services, machine learning, virtual machines, mobile apps, web apps, analytics services, and even Amazon Web Services. All of which can be deployed at once to your entire team.
There’s plenty of storage, too. With Azure Files, all your files and important documents are stored without needing your own server. For teams who prefer local storage, Azure Disk Storage offers high-durability block storage. Both come with top-of-the-line security measures that keep your data locked down and safe.
What radius180 can do to help.
If your business is ready to switch your computing platform to Microsoft Azure, we’re ready to help you Do A 180. Unsure of where to begin, however? Simply contact us, and we’ll start a customized IT plan for your business infrastructure: 856.282.1131
