What Are the Benefits of Microsoft Azure?

When a lot of people think of Azure, they think of large enterprises. But small businesses, startups and beginners can all benefit from Microsoft Azure.

In fact, 40 percent of Microsoft’s Azure revenue now comes from startups. There are over 350 million Azure directory users, with 10,000 new Azure customers being added every week.

Let’s take a look at why Microsoft Azure can be an excellent choice for small businesses and startups — and how companies can get started today with Azure for beginners.

What Are the Benefits of Microsoft Azure?

Azure is a flexible, lean and agile platform — startups are able to pay only for the resources and functionality they need, while being able to easily scale upward or downward. Benefits of Microsoft Azure for startups and Azure for SMB companies include:

• Microsoft Azure is open source and supports many open-source integrations and utilities. Many startups and SMBs operate with open-source solutions; Microsoft Azure provides an ecosystem that can work as readily with open source programs as it can with services such as Office 365.
• Azure provides resources on a global scale. There are currently 34 local regions under the banner of Microsoft Azure, providing reliable connectivity and low latency. With Azure, organizations are able to ensure that their services run as quickly as they need to — during the most challenging times of developing a business.
• Microsoft Azure can be used for practically anything. Azure can provide resources to virtual machines, mobile apps, web apps, media services, machine learning, notification hubs, analytics services and even Amazon Web Services. Microsoft Azure can be an all-in-one deployment solution.
• Azure has superb security and reliability. A startup cannot afford to have a major security incident, nor can startups afford to lose the majority of their data to a criminal attacker. With malicious attacks becoming more commonplace every day, the support and security provided through Microsoft Azure is critically important.

Microsoft Azure is a robust technology platform. Through the use of Microsoft Azure, even small companies and startups can operate on a level playing field with larger entities. Still, because Microsoft Azure is an immense and complex platform, the services of a Microsoft expert may be required.

How Much Does Azure Cost?

Azure is a cloud service. You pay for both the services you receive and the resources that you consume.

In totality, cloud services tend to be far less expensive than other services. When you aren’t consuming many resources, you pay very little. But cloud services can also be somewhat volatile. It can be difficult for organizations to plan on erratic numbers when it comes to their server-side infrastructure — but this is what must be done by those using Azure.

Regardless, Azure is often used by SMBs and startups because they only need to pay for the services and resources that they’re using. As an organization ramps up, this can be critical.

An MSP will be able to help you determine how much Azure will cost. Further, they can help you calculate your costs every month to ensure that you aren’t blind-sided and that your cash flow remains positive.

According to Microsoft itself, Azure services should cost about five times less than Amazon Web Services. At the same time, the service offerings between Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services aren’t identical — companies should take a look at the features and functionality they need before they make a final decision.

In addition to the cost of the cloud solution, Azure’s costs might include the costs of supporting, managing and maintaining the system. With an MSP, you can pay a low monthly fee for this type of service. Otherwise, employees may need to troubleshoot and manage the cloud solution themselves.

How Can Companies Get Started with Microsoft Azure?

Transitioning to Microsoft Azure can be complex. But an MSP can help. Managed services providers can audit your systems and determine the best ways to transfer your infrastructure to Microsoft Azure.

Without an MSP, you may not be properly leveraging all the resources and functionality that Microsoft Azure can offer. You may not be able to support your systems with your employees — and you may find yourself taking more time managing your system and its data. But an MSP can provide not only the initial setup for Microsoft Azure but also continued support for employees and stakeholders.

There are many MSPs out there that are certified to work with Microsoft Azure; it’s important to work with a Microsoft expert. MSPs will be able to complete your initial transition to Microsoft Azure, as well as further explaining the benefits of what Microsoft Azure can do for you.

Not only is Microsoft Azure great for startups and small businesses — but there’s an entire Microsoft for Startups program devoted to helping startups and SMBs. If you’re interested in learning more about Microsoft Azure for Small Business, contact us today at Red River.