Working in the area of IT for the past 7 years and gaining insight about this new world of technology, the conclusion I’ve come to is that some people see cloud computing technology as a time saver, while others use it on a daily basis to manage a large volume of needs.
Before we begin, let me give a brief summary of the topics we will be discussing:
1. Case study on Microsoft Azure in Cloud Computing 2. Microsoft Azure Features list 3. Advantages and Disadvantages of Azure 4. Microsoft Azure cloud services pricing 5. Microsoft Azure cloud services revenue 6. Microsoft Azure cloud services market share 7. Top companies using Azure 8. Fortune 500 companies using Azure 9. Microsoft Azure target market 10. Microsoft Azure reviews 11. FAQ 12. Conclusion:In this case study on Microsoft Azure in cloud computing, the focus is on Microsoft Azure which is a cloud computing platform and infrastructure created by Microsoft. Allows you to create, deploy and manage a wide range of applications and services in the cloud through a global network of Microsoft-managed data centers. So, instead of worrying about managing your own or on premises infrastructure, consider using tools such as Azure DevOps, Azure Virtual Machine or Azure SQL Database among others, offered by a cloud platform such as Microsoft Azure. These tools, known as Platform as a Service (PaaS), can help you build production-ready applications for your end customers more efficiently.
You can choose and configure these services to meet your specific needs this includes things like virtual machines, web and mobile applications, data storage, analytics, Internet of Things (IoT) solutions and so on.
Cloud computing offers a range of benefits to enterprises, and Microsoft Azure has played a key role in making it a reality.
In this article, we will explore the capabilities and potential benefits of Microsoft Azure for businesses, or people like me who are interested in exploring new technologies and testing out new environments.
Before we go into details, let me mention that it is worth noting that Microsoft Azure, like other cloud platforms such as Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) , helps you integrate your existing infrastructure with Azure services provisioning across three cloud options: public, private, and hybrid cloud.
With Microsoft Azure allows you to use your own on-premises infrastructure while using the cloud to host and manage your applications. This means you can get the business benefits of Azure, such as increased scalability and flexibility, while still using your current processes and systems. It’s like having the best of both worlds.
Microsoft Azure Features list
| Virtual Machines | Web and mobile apps | Data storage | Security | Integration | Networking | Functions | Container services | Artificial intelligence | DevOps | Analytics |
| Create & setup virtual machines in the cloud, host applications or operate OS Linux and Windows | Offers tools for building and deploying web and mobile applications that support many popular languages and frameworks such as C#, Java, Node.js, PHP, Python, Ruby, .NET and ASP.NET | Store and manage data, which includes Azure SQL Database, a relational database service, Azure Table Storage, a NoSQL key-value store, and open source databases Cosmos, MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB | Identity management services, such as Azure Active Directory, including support for multi-factor authentication and single sign-on | Integration, messaging, data integration and API management services | Virtual and public private network service, Azure Load Balancer, a load balancing service | Serverless computing service that allows code to be executed in response to events, on a schedule or on demand | Containerized application management, supports Docker and Kubernetes, and have fully managed containers | Azure Cognitive Services, a suite of APIs and utilities that enable developers to easily add AI capabilities such as language understanding, image and video analysis, and speech recognition to their applications | Development tools, services and functions that allow teams to plan, develop, deliver and maintain software, (using for my documenting procedures, and scripting). | Azure Stream Analytics, a real-time data stream processing service, and Azure HDInsight, a Hadoop-based big data analytics service. |
To mention Microsoft Azure features includes a range of tools for building and deploying applications, such as Visual Studio and Git, as well as management and monitoring tools like Azure Monitor and Azure Security Center. In addition to Azure feature, also offers integration with a wide range of other Microsoft products and services, such as Office 365 and Dynamics, and Azure Active Directory and Azure Logic Apps.
You may have noticed that some Microsoft Azure features are labeled as private or public in its official documentation. You may be wondering what does Azure public and private preview features mean? In this context, Azure public preview features are those that are available for anyone to try, but may not yet be fully supported or stable.
Private preview features are only available to a select group of users who have been invited to test them. These features may also not be fully supported or stable.
Basically, Azure Private Preview features are new or improved Microsoft Azure features that are available for a limited group of Azure customers to try before they become generally available. Since most Azure features are introduced in Private Preview before they move on to Public Preview.
That Azure feature is not covered by Azure support policies and are not recommended for production use, but are typically more stable and complete than Public Preview features. Private Preview features are typically available to a select group of Azure customers who have been invited by Microsoft to participate in the preview program.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Azure
Advantages of azure:
- Scalability: Azure allows you to scale up or down your resources according to your needs, so you only pay for what you use.
- Azure has data centers around the world, so you can choose the region closest to your users to reduce latency.
- Support for deep learning: Azure delivers a range of tools and services for building and deploying deep learning models, including pre-built virtual machines and GPU-powered instances.
- Microsoft Azure has a strong and easy-to-manage knowledge base that is a good resource for those new to cloud computing or unfamiliar with Microsoft Azure products. The Azure documentation and technical documentation on the Microsoft Learn website cover a wide range of topics and are regularly updated with the latest information. If you are looking to learn more about Microsoft Azure and stay up-to-date with new trends in products and services, these sites can be a good starting point:
Technical documentation | Microsoft Learn
Azure documentation | Microsoft Learn
- Azure has strong support for open source technologies, including the ability to run many popular open source applications natively on the platform.
Disadvantages of Azure
- Complexity: Azure has a wide range of products and services, which can be overwhelming for users who are new to the platform.
- If not properly managed, Azure’s costs can become expensive. However, Microsoft provides tools such as Azure Advisor and Role-Based Access Control to assist with managing billing.
Microsoft Azure cloud services pricing
Cost of Microsoft Azure cloud services depends on the specific service you use and the options you choose. In general, Microsoft Azure charges usage-based services, which means that you only pay for the resources you use.
If you are looking for a quick response, these choices are the most applicable:
– Azure Pricing Calculator to get an estimate of the cost of a particular Azure service.
– Interested to see an estimate of the cost for those options. You can also use the Azure Cost Management to track your actual usage and costs over time.
If you are looking for examples of exactly how they charge you, image you have virtual machine to host your application or website, you will be charged based on the number of cores, the amount of memory and the type of storage you choose. For example, a virtual machine with 4 cores, 8 GB of memory and standard SSD storage might cost $0.12 per hour.
Other example for Web and mobile apps, you will be charged based on the number of requests, the amount of data transferred, and the compute time you use. For example, a web application that receives 50,000 requests per month and uses 1 GB of data transfer might cost $0.50 per month.
Let’s also cover about Microsoft Azure services demand with revenue, market share, and top companies using Azure.
Microsoft Azure cloud services revenue
Based on information provided directly through their platform published this year October 2022.
announced the following results for the quarter ended September 30, 2022, as compared to the corresponding period of last fiscal year:
- Revenue was $50.1 billion and increased 11% (up 16% in constant currency)
- Operating income was $21.5 billion and increased 6% (up 15% in constant currency)
- Net income was $17.6 billion and decreased 14% (down 8% in constant currency)
- Diluted earnings per share was $2.35 and decreased 13% (down 7% in constant currency)
- Revenue in Intelligent Cloud was $20.9 billion and increased 20% (up 25% in constant currency)
- Server products and cloud services revenue increased 22% (up 26% in constant currency) driven by Azure and other cloud services revenue growth of 40% (up 46% in constant currency)
Microsoft Azure cloud services market share
Since its launch in February 2010, Azure has been consistently gaining customers and closing the gap with AWS, its best-known rival. Although initially seen as the less popular choice, Azure has helped drive Microsoft’s overall revenue, which reached $36.9 billion in the second quarter of fiscal 2020, up 14% year-over-year.
Also, according to data from Synergy Research Group, Microsoft Azure had a 15% share of the global cloud infrastructure market in Q4 2021. This made it the second largest provider in the market, behind Amazon Web Services (AWS), which had a 32% share.
Top companies using Azure
- Netflix: Streaming platform uses Azure to support its global infrastructure and to power its recommendation algorithms.
- eBay: Online marketplace uses Azure to run its auction and shopping website, as well as its mobile apps.
- General Electric: GE uses Azure to analyze data from a variety of sources, such as wind farms and jet engines.
- Honeywell: Technology company uses Azure to build connected aircraft systems and analyze data from industrial Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
- Heineken: Brewer uses Azure to power its digital marketing campaigns and gain insights from customer data.
Fortune 500 companies using Azure
Fortune 500 companies may often consider confidential or proprietary information, and these companies may not disclose their use of specific platforms.
Based on customers.microsoft.com site we see the following companies that use azure, shared stories which are adapting Microsoft Azure:
- Johnson & Johnson
- Panasonic
- T-Mobile
- PwC
- Zurich
- Ferrovial
- NTT Data
- U.S Bank
- Amadeus
- Relayr
Microsoft Azure target market
Azure is targeting businesses of all sizes, like:
- Small and medium-sized businesses
- Enterprise-level companies
- Government agencies
- Educational institutions
- Non-profit organizations
Azure is available in a range of subscription plans, including pay-as-you-go and pre-paid options, to suit the needs of different customers.
Microsoft Azure reviews
Overall, Microsoft Azure is considered to be a reliable and comprehensive cloud computing platform. In reviews, Azure has received praise for its wide range of services, powerful security features, and smooth integration with other Microsoft products.
Azure has proved reliable and consistent performance in terms of uptime or reliability. A strength of Azure is its security measures, such as encryption, identity and access management, and threat prevention.
FAQ
If a service is in public preview mode, it means that it is a new or improved feature that is being made available to all Azure customers to try out before it is generally available. Public preview features are subject to change before they are generally available. It’s important to note that public preview features should not be used in production environments, as they may not be fully tested or supported.
We recommend not using specific azure feature to use in your production because it does not have an SLA and Microsoft will only provide best effort support if something goes wrong.
General availability refers to the point at which a new or enhanced Azure feature is released to all Azure customers and is fully compliant with Azure support policies. At this point, the feature is considered stable and ready for production use.
Conclusion:
In this case study on Microsoft Azure in cloud computing we highlighted the impact of Microsoft Azure which is the second most popular cloud computing platform in the world, with a 15% market share in cloud infrastructure, just behind Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Azure offers a range of tools and resources to help users get started with the platform, including documentation, tutorials, and support from Microsoft experts.
Solutions and services have proven reliable, with satisfied customers that share their success stories. One of the things we especially appreciate about Azure is its user-friendly, simple and easy-to-navigate portal.
The platform also offers a comprehensive knowledge base on its website, which can be a great help when facing new challenges. Before moving your application or code to any cloud platform, it’s important to stress test to make sure you get the performance you expect in a cloud environment.
Keep in mind that the performance you experience in an on-premises environment may differ in the cloud due to its different architecture.
In conclusion, Microsoft Azure is a reliable and easy-to-use cloud platform worth considering.