Microsoft Azure: What Is It, and How Can It Help Your Business?

Cloud computing has come a long way in a short time, and in recent years, many cloud-computing services have sprung up and are offering businesses a whole range of online services to help them reach new levels of efficiency, productivity and profitability. One of the early and big names in the cloud-computing world is Azure from Microsoft.

The American software giant that developed the Windows operating system and Office suite of productivity programs and tools offers companies the customary flexibility and scalability of the cloud while also ensuring their data is highly secure and protected from hacking and other threats. Azure is comprised of more than 160 physical data centres located around the world, each containing tens of thousands of servers in what Microsoft says is "one of the largest interconnected networks on the planet.”

Altogether, this incredibly popular cloud solution offers over 200 produces and services to companies to help them work better, faster and smarter. Azure has become such a trusted cloud provider that it is now used by 95% of Fortune 500 companies — but it's not just for giant corporations. Azure, just like other cloud offerings, is designed for businesses of all sizes and longevity, including those just starting out.

What Can You Do with the Azure Cloud?

Companies looking to outsource their IT and make big savings on infrastructure and staff salaries, whilst also getting the best in technology and support, stand to gain vastly from the Azure cloud. Now you can transition your systems or network to the cloud and have them ready and available to use from wherever you and your employees happen to be in the world — including at home as remote and flexible working continues to rise.

If you have an IT partner, you can discuss your plan to move to the cloud with them and explore what solutions are available for your business, whether ready-made or if there are certain customised solutions that would be better for you. Here at ITRM, we help companies to transition to the Azure cloud — seamlessly so that there's no disruption to their business — and if you'd like to have a chat with us about it, we're happy to give you a free consultation.

Just because Azure is from Microsoft doesn't mean you can only run Windows, Office and other products from the company on the Azure cloud — the platform supports almost any application or program, made by almost every company, in its infrastructure. Further savings are delivered by the fact that there's nothing to pay upfront, and instead of having to pay for the cost of a program you want to use, and then downloading and installing it, you just pay a relatively small fee for access and it runs in the cloud.

How Secure Is Cloud Computing with Microsoft Azure?

With cybersecurity at the forefront of every company's mind these days, as massive attacks are occurring almost daily - costing firms untold reputational and financial harm - many wonder how secure they will be if they shift their IT to the cloud. Microsoft invests a significant amount into Azure every year to ensure companies' personal and client data stays out of the reach of cybercriminals’ grubby hands.

Azure uses different layers of security to protect it's hardware and software as well as clients' precious data, and it has a team of over 3,500 cybersecurity experts working around the world to safeguard it all. This is done at a global scale so anything detected in one part of the world is dealt with and blocked across the globe in minutes. And, Microsoft goes a step further in protecting data by deploying machine learning and other forms of intelligence to detect threats and root them out before they have a chance to erupt into something problematic.

Add to this the availability of automatic backups and multiple levels of redundancy — should something go wrong — and with Microsoft Azure, your business is pretty much on cloud nine.

Thinking about a move to the cloud? Get in touch with us to discuss a transition and find out how your company can become so much more efficient.