More and more businesses are ditching their on-premise servers and migrating to the cloud. While it might be quite a project to make that switch, cloud computing is much more reliable and consistent than in-house IT infrastructure. There are also a great number of cloud solutions available, but a lot of businesses struggle to find one that aligns with their immediate and long-term goals. Here at Corporate Technologies, we help many of our customers make the transition to Microsoft’s Cloud service called Azure.
What is Microsoft Azure?
Azure Cloud Services is an example of a platform as a service (PaaS). Their technology helps organizations store and manage their data, providing scalable and stable cloud storage with backup and recovery solutions for businesses of any size! In 2018, Microsoft Azure announced that “more than 95 percent of Fortune 500 companies trust their business on Azure today.” Here are some reasons businesses continue to trust Microsoft Azure Cloud Services:
Data Security
Cloud computing is often times more secure than on-premise servers because of unauthorized access and building security breaches. Microsoft employees do not have access to your data by default. Additionally, data that is in storage and in transfer can be encrypted to ensure confidentiality. In general, Microsoft provides some of the most advanced and reliable security technology in the industry, which is why they are trusted by so many companies. When managing security incidents for Azure, Microsoft follows a five-step security process of Detect, Assess, Diagnose, Stabilize, and Close. This model has led Azure to receive over 90 compliance certifications – more certifications than any other cloud provider.
Privacy
When you migrate to Azure, you are still able to manage all the aspects of your data. Microsoft communicates detailed information about what they are doing with your data, how they are going to manage it, where it is physically located, who is going to have access and under which terms, etc. If you decide to leave the service, Microsoft obeys a strict process in removing all of your data from their systems.
On-Demand Scalability
Unlike other vendors, the Azure Cloud Services provides on-demand scalability. Scalability is the foundation of any adequate cloud provider and should be a primary concern for all businesses as they change throughout time. Whether this change looks like growth or downsizing, Azure is designed to suit your needs. It simultaneously scales up or down with your organization by allowing users to increase or decrease storage space and adjust their service agreements at any time.
Cost Comparison
When deciding on whether to migrate to the cloud, it is crucial to keep in 
mind your IT budget. Azure’s multiple payment plans give you the option to use whatever works best for your business. Their “pay-as-you-go” plan allows you to only to purchase what you need and none of the extras. When comparing the costs of Azure Cloud Services and on-premise servers, Azure is going to be less expensive by a very slim margin. Essentially, the cost of both options is nearly identical when all the variables are taken into account.
Less Hassle
When using on-premise servers, keep in mind that you will need to migrate to another one every 3-5 years. That is the typical lifespan of a server. Once a server hits that five year mark, the servicing cost and likelihood of it failing increase significantly. The hassle really comes in when it is your task to find the new server(s), compare prices and have someone complete the switch. A typical migration from one server to another takes about 60 hours of labor. However, once your server is in the cloud with Azure, you no longer have to worry about server upgrades. Microsoft automatically replaces its internal equipment behind the scenes. All you have to do is pay your regular monthly fee.
to get more information on how you can transform your organization with cloud computing!
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