What is Azure?

Microsoft Azure is the second-largest cloud provider with a 20% market share as of the third quarter of 2024. ( Offered by Microsoft Corp. and launched in 2010 ).

Offering over 200 cloud services across many technologies, Azure covers areas such as computing, storage, databases, particularly strong in AI, machine learning, and analytics.

Free Account

Azure Free Account gives new users access to a selection of services with usage limits, including:

• Always Free Services: Azure grants access to services such as Azure Functions and Azure Kubernetes Service with usage limitations.
• 12-Month Free: Many services have free tiers for 12 months with usage limitations, including Azure Virtual Machines, Blob Storage, and SQL Database.
• Free Trial Credit: Azure offers a $200 credit for the first 30 days to explore various services.

Why to work with Azure?

Microsoft Azure offers a range of advantages that may make it the preferred choice for businesses over other cloud providers.

Global Reach with Data Sovereignty

Azure operates in over 60 regions worldwide, ensuring compliance with local data residency requirements and offering reliable services for businesses with global operations.

AI and Machine Learning Tools

Azure offers a variety of AI and ML services, including Azure Machine Learning and Cognitive Services, enabling developers to build sophisticated AI models and integrate them into apps.

Cost Management and Billing Tools

Azure provides cost management and budgeting tools, like Azure Cost Management and Azure Advisor, to help businesses optimize their cloud spending and ensure they stay within budget.

Integration with Microsoft Ecosystem

Azure provides seamless integration with Microsoft products such as Windows Server, Active Directory, and Office 365, making it ideal for businesses already using Microsoft technologies.

Most popular services

Microsoft Azure offers a diverse set of features across various categories, providing solutions with services that are mainly used on 3 specific areas.

• Compute Services: Azure provides powerful compute options such as VMs for scalable virtual servers, and Azure App Services, a PaaS offering for web apps and APIs.

• Storage Solutions: The service Azure Blob Storage is an Azure’s object storage service for unstructured data, offering scalable, durable storage.

• Serverless Solutions: The service Azure Functions provides a serverless computing platform for event-driven tasks, for developers to run code without managing servers.

Microsoft Ecosystem

Azure stands out for its seamless integration with the broader Microsoft ecosystem, providing an unified platform that enhances productivity.

• Office 365: Azure works closely with Office 365, enabling businesses to manage user identities and authentication for working with Word, Excel, Teams, etc.

• Dynamic 365: Azure provides backend services for Dynamics 365, Microsoft's ERP and CRM tools. Enabling businesses to use AI, analytics, and data storage from Azure.

• Power Platform: Azure services like Azure Logic Apps and Azure Functions enhance Power Platform capabilities by enabling integrations and automation at scale.

Successful Apps

Many renowned companies rely on Microsoft Azure to power their applications and infrastructure, benefiting from its scalability, security, and integration with its ecosystem.

• LinkedIn: It leverages Azure VMs and AKS for scalability, along with Azure SQL Database for managing its relational data. Additionally, Azure Blob Storage for their data.

• Samsung: Samsung integrates Azure to support its Internet of Things (IoT) devices, including smart TVs and smartphones, using Azure IoT Hub.

• EBay: EBay uses Azure to manage its e-commerce and payment processing platform. The company uses Azure SQL Database to store transaction and user information.