Learn about how NBA used Azure to deliver innovative experiences to fans to keep them engaged and assist referees to make consistent calls across all games.
In today's dynamic business landscape, cloud computing has emerged as a game-changer, and Microsoft Azure stands at the forefront of this transformation. Azure offers a wide array of services and solutions that empower organizations to scale, innovate, and optimize their operations. In this blog, we delve into the world of Microsoft Azure, its significance, impact, release history, and how to get started with this cutting-edge cloud computing platform.
Microsoft Azure is a comprehensive cloud computing platform provided by Microsoft. It offers an extensive range of services, including virtual machines, web applications, data storage, analytics, artificial intelligence, and more. Azure enables businesses to build, deploy, and manage applications and services using Microsoft's globally distributed network of data centers. This cloud platform provides the flexibility, scalability, and agility required to thrive in today's competitive digital landscape.
Microsoft Azure was introduced in 2008 as a response to Amazon EC2 and Google App Engine. It has evolved through different stages with initially named as Windows Azure as it began with limited services for ASP.NET web apps and worker roles. Over time, it added SQL Azure, diversified programming languages, and services like content delivery networks.
The second generation embraced open-source software (OSS) and shifted to Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) for more control. The name changed to Microsoft Azure, focusing on Linux support and IaaS capabilities.
The third era emphasized big data, analytics, and IoT. Microsoft partnered with Hortonworks, launched Azure Data Lake, and integrated IoT capabilities.
In the fourth phase, Microsoft became a cloud leader by venturing into AI and machine learning. Azure ML Studio enabled training models. Partnerships with Intel, NVIDIA, and Qualcomm optimised AI for Azure IoT Edge.
Today, Azure Arc manages diverse workloads from one control point. With over 600 services, Microsoft Azure blends SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS, shaping a customer-friendly cloud service platform.
The adoption of Microsoft Azure enables businesses to leverage cloud technology to enhance operations, improve efficiency, and drive innovation, while also benefiting from the expertise and resources of one of the world's leading technology companies.
Businesses that are currently operating on Microsoft Windows Server and Active Directory will discover that transitioning to Azure offers an appealing upgrade. Microsoft Azure grants businesses access to globally distributed datacenter hardware, licenses, and support, accompanied by the cost advantage of a diminished financial burden. This is because there is no need to allocate expenses related to deploying on-premises hardware or leasing dedicated servers in a conventional datacentre.
Azure benefits businesses of all sizes by providing the tools needed to innovate, scale, and transform their operations.
Azure offers a rich set of tools for application development, testing, and deployment, facilitating efficient DevOps practices.
Azure simplifies infrastructure management, allowing IT teams to focus on strategic initiatives rather than routine maintenance.
Azure's AI and machine learning capabilities empower data scientists to build and deploy advanced models for predictive analysis.
Azure allows businesses to scale resources up or down based on demand, enabling cost-effective operations and optimal performance.
Azure reduces upfront infrastructure costs and offers cost-effective solutions tailored to each business’ needs with pay for what you need as pay as you go pricing.
Learn about how Fujitsu increased efficiency and reduced costs by migrating on-premise datacentres to Azure and modernising with a cloud-first strategy.
"By migrating to Azure, we have more scalability, flexibility, and efficiency, along with reduced upgrade-related costs for our online presence, than when we kept it in on-premises datacentres" - Christian Walter: Head of Web and Collaboration Fujistu
Azure has data centers distributed around the world, allowing organisations to deploy applications and services closer to their users, reducing latency and improving performance.
Azure provides a comprehensive set of security features, including encryption, identity and access management, and compliance certifications. This helps businesses meet regulatory requirements and secure their data.
Azure supports hybrid scenarios, enabling organisations to integrate on-premises infrastructure with cloud resources seamlessly. This is particularly useful for businesses gradually transitioning to the cloud.
Azure offers robust backup and disaster recovery solutions, ensuring data and applications are protected and can be quickly restored in case of outages or data loss.
Azure DevOps services and tools enable businesses to automate application development, testing, and deployment processes, leading to faster and more reliable releases.
Learn about how Fujitsu increased efficiency and reduced costs by migrating on-premise datacentres to Azure and modernising with a cloud-first strategy.
"With Azure DevOps, we can do parallel development, which makes us faster and more flexible in updating our online presence." - Christian Walter: Head of Web and Collaboration Fujistu
Azure offers a range of AI and analytics services, allowing businesses to gain insights from their data, make informed decisions, and add AI capabilities to their applications.
Azure's elasticity allows businesses to easily adjust resources based on traffic spikes or seasonal variations, ensuring optimal performance during peak times
Azure provides a platform for experimentation and innovation, allowing businesses to quickly prototype and test new ideas without the need for significant upfront investments.
Azure's integration with Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) facilitates collaboration and productivity through seamless access to tools like SharePoint, Teams, and OneDrive.
Learn about how South Australian City of Marion adopted Microsoft Purview Records Management and Azure to digital transform the way traditional government records are managed. According to Leader Karlheins Sohl at City of Marion, the cloud transformation signifies both a cultural and technological change. This shift involves people becoming more involved in generating and managing information and being empowered to utilise updated record and information services effectively.
Azure offers industry-specific solutions and templates that cater to the unique needs of various sectors, such as healthcare, finance, retail, and more.
Microsoft Azure for Financial Services >
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Get ready to unlock the full potential of your IT investments, both in the short and long term. Embrace Azure IaaS and open up exciting avenues for innovation through incredibly secure, reliable, and flexible cloud services. Give your IT a modern makeover with top-notch cloud infrastructure, and make your app migration journey smooth and confident.
Azure provides services like Azure HDInsight, Data Lake Analytics, and Azure Synapse Analytics (formerly SQL Data Warehouse) for processing and analyzing large datasets.
Azure offers AI services such as Azure Cognitive Services and Azure Machine Learning for adding AI capabilities to applications.
Azure offers various storage options, including Blob storage, Azure SQL Database, Cosmos DB (NoSQL), and more. These services are suitable for storing and managing structured and unstructured data.
Azure DevOps provides tools for building, testing, and deploying applications efficiently.
Azure supports hybrid scenarios, allowing you to connect on-premises infrastructure with cloud resources, providing greater flexibility and data management options.
Azure IoT Suite allows you to connect, monitor, and manage IoT devices and process the data they generate.
Azure's Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) offerings like Azure App Service allow you to deploy and manage web applications without managing the underlying infrastructure. It's suitable for building and hosting websites, APIs, and mobile backends.
Azure provides a scalable and flexible infrastructure for running virtual machines. This is commonly used for hosting applications, development environments, and running Windows or Linux-based workloads.
Evaluate your existing infrastructure and applications to determine which workloads are suitable for migration to Azure.
Book a FREE Azure Express Solution Assessment with Konverge
It is an economic assessment performed against your on-premises Windows Server and/or Linux* server workloads, delivered at no cost performed by Microsoft specialist consultants.
An Azure Express Solution Assessment provides meaningful insights that can help your business:
Understand Azure's pricing model, monitor resource usage, and consider utilizing tools like Azure Cost Management for cost optimization.
Ensure your team has the necessary skills to manage and operate Azure resources effectively. Microsoft offers extensive training resources.
Plan your migration carefully, considering factors like data transfer, application compatibility, and potential downtime.
Implement best practices for securing your applications and data, and ensure compliance with relevant regulations.
Implement proper backup and disaster recovery strategies to protect your data and applications from unexpected failures.
Leverage Azure's scalability to handle fluctuating workloads efficiently.
Utilise Azure's monitoring and management tools to gain insights into your applications' performance and health.
Understand the available support options from Microsoft and consider what level of support you might need. At Konverge we offer 24/7 support. Speak with us about how we can assist your business needs today.
Transferring data in and out of Azure can incur costs. Understanding the pricing model is crucial to avoid unexpected expenses.
While Azure offers high availability, no cloud service can guarantee 100% uptime. Understanding Azure's Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for different services is essential.
Azure's vast array of services can lead to complexity in managing resources. Proper planning and governance are necessary to avoid over provisioning or inefficient resource usage.
While Azure's global data center presence reduces latency, it's important to consider the location of your data center relative to your users to minimize delays.
While Azure provides strong security measures, the responsibility for securing applications and data also lies with the user. Compliance requirements vary by industry and region.
Migrating applications and data from Azure to another cloud provider or on-premises environment might be challenging due to potential vendor-specific dependencies.
Microsoft has launched a hub platform for the startup ecosystem and founders in Australia and New Zealand. This includes an expansion of programs aimed at meeting the requirements of regional startups in various development stages. The new Microsoft platform will provide support to founders in Australia and New Zealand throughout their startup journey, offering access to benefits exceeding US$300,000. These benefits encompass credits, access to technology tools and resources needed to build and run business.
Microsoft has provided student grants with USD $100 of Azure credit for university or school students to be used within 12 months, with access to free products. See the Microsoft website for terms and conditions around eligibility.
Get started with Azure and find out what you can do with Azure cloud computing services. Get USD $200 Azure credit to explore for 30 days.
Discuss your business needs with an Azure expert at Konverge, and find out how you can leverage our knowledge, skills and Infrastructure as a Service to get you started with Azure today.
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From its flexibility and security to its impact on various stakeholders, Azure empowers businesses to navigate the digital age successfully. As technology continues to evolve, embracing Azure can position businesses for long-term success in a rapidly changing world.
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