TOP 9 BENEFITS OF MANAGED SERVICES FOR MICROSOFT AZURE

Today, more than 70% of companies have services in the Microsoft Azure cloud. With more than 200 service offerings, the Azure service line is robust and complex. True to Microsoft’s software approach, Azure offers a complete ecosystem of products for businesses of all sizes. The problem is the complexity of these service offerings. Which service is right for your organization? How can you track usage across a set of services? These complexities are best handled by an Azure managed service provider strictly devoted to designing the right set of services, deploying them seamlessly and then ensuring their success on the ground.

Managed services for Azure that can help strategize, implement and manage your use of these services. From consulting to full-blown deployments, security and user access management, Azure managed services offer benefits to enterprise companies seeking an outsourcing partner to guide them in their cloud journey.

WHAT ARE MANAGED SERVICES FOR AZURE?

Managed services for Microsoft Azure refer to various third-party offerings to help companies manage and optimize their Azure deployments. These services can include:

• Monitoring and management: Providers can monitor and manage Azure resources, such as virtual machines, storage accounts and databases, to ensure they run efficiently.
• Backup and disaster recovery: Managed service providers can help organizations create and maintain backup and disaster recovery solutions for their Azure resources. This service ensures a quick recovery during an outage or other disruption.
• Secure deployments: By implementing security measures, third-party companies can help organizations secure their Azure deployments. These services could include network segmentation, firewalls, intrusion detection and more.
• Migration help: These providers help companies migrate existing on-premises applications and data to the Azure cloud. This process includes strategy, deployment and ongoing monitoring if needed.
• Secure testing: This service helps companies develop, test and deploy applications more efficiently. Providers can help organizations implement DevOps best practices such as continuous integration and delivery.
• Ongoing support: Management of your cloud ecosystem is a critical service managed services companies offer. These experts can provide technical support for Azure deployments to help end-users troubleshoot problems as they arise.

Managed services for Azure can help organizations improve their Azure deployments by providing the expertise, tools and support needed to address these resources effectively. Why do companies need this service? What are the benefits of managed services for Azure?

NINE BENEFITS OF MANAGED SERVICES FOR AZURE

No matter the size of your business or the industry you’re in, managed services for Azure provide several benefits, including:

1. Reduced costs: Increasingly, IT departments focus strongly on the bottom line, even as companies call on them to innovate in cloud environments. Working with managed services for Azure cuts expenses by optimizing their deployments and cutting costs.
2. Increased efficiency: An Azure managed service provider helps organizations automate and streamline their workflows. This type of efficiency can increase the productivity of your entire IT team, the functionality and efficiency of software products and improve the end-user experience.
3. Improved security: Microsoft Azure offers several security configurations and solutions, but you must understand these offerings. An Azure managed services provider works in these environments daily and helps you make the most of your security with a proactive plan to optimize these and other external tools to protect your data. A managed service provider can establish best practices for everything from credentials and password management to staying on top of the latest cybersecurity threats.
4. Expertise: Azure managed support services provide access to a team of skilled and certified professionals who specialize in the nuances of Azure architecture, deployment and management. Enterprise organizations recognize the complexity of cloud environments and the need for specialized knowledge to navigate potential challenges. By leveraging managed support services, businesses can tap into the collective expertise of seasoned professionals, ensuring that their Azure infrastructure is configured and managed according to best practices.
5. Flexibility: These providers offer wide-ranging services that help use all of the Azure tools at your disposal. These services include basic monitoring and management to fully managed solutions. Organizations can select the level of support that best meets their needs and budget.
6. Focus on Core Competencies: By outsourcing the management of their Azure infrastructure to a specialized team, enterprise organizations can free up valuable internal resources and focus on their core competencies. Partnering with an Azure managed service provider allows businesses to direct their energy and expertise towards strategic initiatives and innovation, leveraging Azure as a reliable and efficiently managed foundation for their digital endeavors.
7. Compliance: Maintaining compliance within the Azure cloud requires new workflows and tools. If your organization is highly risk-averse, this means months of work as you conduct an assessment to understand the tools and prepare for audits. But a Microsoft Azure managed service provider already understands the Azure architecture. They often specialize in Azure native tools over retrofitting your existing compliance software into the cloud environment. These experts can help you prepare for audits by pulling the documentation you need and ensure your architecture meets compliance rules.
8. Scalability: Enterprise organizations operate in dynamic environments where the need for scalability is a critical business concern. Managed services for Azure are designed to accommodate the changing needs of businesses, allowing them to scale resources up or down as demand fluctuates. This flexibility is particularly beneficial for enterprises with seasonal variations in workloads or those undergoing rapid growth, as it ensures that the Azure infrastructure aligns seamlessly with the organization’s evolving requirements.
9. Fast Issue Resolution: Azure managed support services include robust monitoring tools that keep a constant eye on the health and performance of a company’s Azure environment. This proactive approach allows for the early detection of potential issues, minimizing downtime and optimizing system performance. Additionally, managed support services often include rapid response mechanisms, ensuring identified problems or issues resolve promptly, before they impact the end-users or business operations.

You must live within the architecture to deploy effectively in a Microsoft Azure environment. For existing cloud infrastructures in Azure, a partnership with a managed services company outsources the nuts and bolts of maintaining these services. The most significant benefit of partnering with a Microsoft Azure managed services provider is that you cut the time necessary to learn these structures. Instead, you can lift and shift into the cloud, knowing that the process is seamless without the typical user error that comes with learning new infrastructures and tools. The added benefit is that this frees up your IT team to focus on other business strategies.

WHAT PROBLEMS DO MICROSOFT AZURE MANAGED SERVICES SOLVE FOR ENTERPRISE ORGANIZATIONS?

 

Microsoft Azure managed services address a range of challenges faced by large organizations as they navigate the complexities of cloud computing.

COMPLEXITIES OF CLOUD MANAGEMENT

Problem: Cloud environments, especially those as comprehensive as Microsoft Azure, can be intricate and challenging to manage. The complexity of provisioning resources, configuring services and ensuring optimal performance can overwhelm internal IT teams.

Solution: Azure managed services simplify cloud management by providing expertise in Azure architecture, deployment and ongoing operations. This service allows enterprises to offload the complexity to a team of specialists who can navigate the intricacies efficiently.

LACK OF IN-HOUSE TIME OR EXPERTISE

Problem: Many organizations lack the in-house expertise required to manage and optimize a cloud environment effectively. Other organizations struggle to free up internal IT teams to focus on innovative new projects. Instead, these resources tie up in “keeping the lights on.” A skills or time gap can lead to misconfigurations, security vulnerabilities and inefficient resource utilization.

Solution: Azure managed services offer access to a team of certified professionals with expertise in Azure. These experts handle tasks such as infrastructure setup, performance optimization and troubleshooting, ensuring that the organization benefits from the collective knowledge of seasoned professionals.

PROACTIVE ISSUE RESOLUTION AND DOWNTIME PREVENTION

Problem: Reactive approaches to IT issues can result in downtime, decreased productivity and potential financial losses. Identifying and resolving problems after they occur can be detrimental to business operations.

Solution: Azure managed services incorporate proactive monitoring tools that detect issues in real-time. This service enables the support team to address potential problems before they impact the organization, reducing downtime and ensuring a more stable and resilient Azure environment.

SECURITY CONCERNS

Problem: Security is always a top concern for enterprises in every industry. Managing security in a cloud environment with third-party vendors requires constant vigilance. Most businesses struggle to implement and maintain robust security measures to protect their sensitive data.

Solution: An Azure managed service provider offers comprehensive security features, from threat detection and identity management to compliance monitoring. These services help enterprise organizations meet regulatory requirements and maintain a secure Azure infrastructure. In this environment, the Azure managed services team act as data stewards, actively mitigating potential security threats before they happen.

OPTIMIZING COSTS

Problem: Cloud costs can spiral out of control without proper monitoring and optimization. Enterprise organizations may struggle to understand their usage patterns, leading to overspending on unnecessary resources.

Solution: Azure managed services include tools and practices for cost optimization. This involves identifying unused resources, implementing cost-saving measures and providing insights into potential areas for improvement. The goal is to align Azure spending with the organization’s budgetary constraints and business goals.

SCALABILITY CHALLENGES

Problem: Enterprises often face challenges in scaling their cloud resources up or down according to changing demands. Inefficient scalability can lead to underutilized resources or performance issues during peak periods.

Solution: Azure managed services enable organizations to scale their Azure infrastructure seamlessly. This flexibility ensures that businesses can adapt to changing workloads, whether it’s accommodating rapid growth or managing seasonal variations in resource needs.

MAINTAINING COMPLIANCE

Problem: Many industries have strict regulatory requirements regarding data storage and processing. Ensuring compliance with these regulations can be complex and time-consuming, particularly at a time when these rules are constantly changing. Some heavily regulated industries, such as government organizations or healthcare providers, could use a helping hand in maintaining compliance with these rules. That’s where an Azure managed services provider can help.

Solution: Azure managed services assist in maintaining compliance by implementing best practices and monitoring adherence to regulatory standards. This solution helps organizations meet industry-specific requirements and avoid potential legal and financial repercussions.

RED RIVER—YOUR MICROSOFT AZURE MANAGED SERVICES PROVIDER

Cloud adoption correlates with higher company performance. While evidence of the benefits of cloud adoption are often anecdotal and company-specific, new research from MIT shows cloud adoption improves productivity and revenue, positioning these organizations for adoption of the latest innovations—like artificial intelligence (AI).

Yet two-thirds of the enterprise organizations that have undertaken cloud migrations say they don’t realize the full benefits of this strategy. This research suggests that cloud migration is more complex than most companies expect. Yet the promise of adopting Azure or other cloud services is excitingly tangible for anyone contemplating the move.

There is often a trial-and-error period associated with any new service. This reality is particularly true during cloud migrations, which are often complex and often uncharted territories for existing IT teams moving from on-premises applications. Companies must partner with a trusted expert advisor to make the most of these highly delicate and strategic undertakings. The alternative is to run the risk of an extended trial and error period as you learn the ropes in the Azure cloud.

Microsoft Azure managed services offer companies a way to reach the full potential of their cloud deployments faster and with a higher success rate instead of doing it themselves.

Red River has more than 25 years of experience serving customers in and out of complex cloud environments. As an approved Azure managed service provider, we offer proven expertise in architecting, deployment and management of all your infrastructures. A partnership with Red River ensures access to our expert U.S.-based team of specialists. Enterprise organizations highly regulated and complex industries rely on our service every day to ensure their service offerings.

If you’re considering cloud or seeking better management of the on-premises, cloud or hybrid infrastructures, call on Red River for peace of mind.

Q&A

WHAT IS MICROSOFT AZURE?

Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing platform and infrastructure created by Microsoft for building, deploying and managing applications and services through a global network of data centers. Azure offers wide-ranging services from virtual machines, storage, networking and databases, to machine learning, analytics and Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities.

WHAT DOES AN AZURE MANAGED SERVICE PROVIDER DO?

An Azure managed service provider is a third-party company that offers management and support services for Azure cloud. The services include monitoring, provisioning and troubleshooting Azure resources, as well as providing expertise and guidance on best practices for managing workloads on Azure.