Microsoft Azure File Storage Reviews

We use Azure File storage to both store and analyze our data. We also provide our customers with data storage and analysis facilities using this solution.

Implementing Microsoft Azure has meant that we are using the same solution as our customers who use Azure Public Cloud. This allows us to integrate our application, as well as provide the solution to them.

Through this solution, we are also able to visually represent data for our customers, and give them clear metrics using their data.

It would be helpful if we could remove data that we don't frequently access to reduce the cost of the storage.

We have been using this solution for the last two and a half years.

We have found it to be stable during the time we have used it.

It is a scalable solution.

The support team is responsive because we are one of their premium customers. They will generally respond to our requests for support within five to ten minutes, but we pay for this level of service.

Neutral

The public cloud service makes the initial setup easy and straightforward.

I would recommend that new users begin with an on-premises, private cloud setup, as mistakes on the public cloud are costly to rectify. Once they are familiar with the solution, they can then move to public cloud hosting. I rate this solution a seven out of ten.

We use this solution for storing our log data from SIM. We store our files and map our server to have an archive on all the logs generated for SIM.

The storage in this solution is excellent.

We don't have anything that we would improve. We are happy with how it has worked and have not encountered any challenges.

We have been using this solution for five years.

It is a stable product, and we have had no issues or incidents.

It is a scalable solution, and we have about 500 users with 250 in each office using Microsoft Azure File Storage daily.

If the file is large, there may be a delay in download time.

We have not used any other cloud solution.

Our costs are only related to space, and the price is comparable to other competitive solutions. Customers always want to pay less too.

I rate the product a ten out of ten. I would recommend file storage because there are no issues. It is simple, easy, and stable. It is suitable for medium-sized and enterprise companies.

It's used to store our files safely, and we are able to transfer them between different devices and users without having to move them around physically.

I'm using its latest version.

Its simplicity of use is most valuable. It's easy to start working with it and understand it. It's easier to transfer files between different users. I'm able to move files from my device to my manager's device without any issues or without facing any problems in between.

It's a bit complex to set up. Other than that, there is nothing to improve.

I've been using this solution for a few years.

It's 100% stable.

It's a very scalable solution. So far, there are about 20 users. We will increase its usage if there are more inquiries and more people.

For maintenance, we have two engineers and one solutions architect.

We haven't contacted their tech support so far.

I don't believe so, but I can never be sure because I was not around.

It's a cloud solution. Its setup is a bit complex, but once you get started, you don't have any issues going forward. In terms of setup duration, I wasn't around when it was deployed. It was already deployed when I came to work here, so I'm not sure how long it took.

We most probably didn't use any third-party help.

We saved a lot when we moved to the cloud. It has saved us a lot of money, and we have seen an ROI.

I'd definitely recommend it. If you are looking for a very simple solution for your file services, I'd definitely recommend Microsoft Azure File Storage. It's a very good solution for businesses that are looking to grow.

I'd rate it a ten out of ten.

We use Microsoft Azure File Storage to extract and store the data in Azure database.

The product is user-friendly. Its most valuable features are speed and security.

The product’s pricing could be better. Additionally, they should increase time and storage capacity for free accounts used by students.

We have been using Microsoft Azure File Storage since last year. At present, we are using the latest version.

The product is stable.

It is a scalable platform.

The product’s initial setup process has medium complexity. We review the code and share the details with the DBA team. Further, they execute the deployment. It takes five minutes to complete.

The product's pricing need improvement. 

I recommend Microsoft Azure File Storage to others and rate it an eight out of ten.

The primary use case for us is storing attachments and images in our projects. It allows us to access the application and retrieve the files whenever needed, without the need for additional servers. We use the endpoint to access the application and view the images in any reports.

The most valuable aspect of Azure File Storage is that all the features are available in one place.

Otherwise, we would have to rely on other uncertain solutions. But with Azure File Storage, everything is consolidated, making it easy to configure and use.

If it is not for an application, then SharePoint or Office 365 could actually solve our problem for file storage and internal communications. But if you want to access files within an application, using Azure would be preferable.

However, the solution could use some additional tools for sharing files. It would be great to have everything in one place for a more streamlined experience.

Another area of improvement is pricing. Maybe Microsoft can make it more economical because it is a costly affair. So if they can optimize their pricing for broader customer use, including small and medium-sized companies.

I have been using Azure File Storage for about two years.

I would rate the stability an eight out of ten. 

I would rate the scalability of the solution an eight out of ten. It is pretty scalable. Especially on the cloud version, the biggest advantage of the solution is its scalability. 

Two to three people are required for the maintenance. 

I didn't benefit much from Microsoft tech support. It's because they have specific departments. So when you raise a ticket, it takes time for them to assign it to the right team. Then someone picks it up and might realize it's not their area, so they transfer it to person XYZ. Then I have to explain the issue again. This process goes on, and the issue keeps transferring from one department to another. That's why; nowadays, we prefer handling things internally rather than reaching out to the support team.

Neutral

We are only using Microsoft. We are highly dependent on Microsoft for all our file storage needs, including SharePoint, Teams, and other storage solutions.

I would rate the pricing a three out of ten, where one is a high price, and ten is a low price.

The solution is only for enterprise-level businesses. 

For my deployments, I am utilizing both Azure File Storage and Block Storage. Additionally, I am using servers, specifically SQL Server and application servers. The application server is also a part of my setup.

Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten. 

We used the product in a POC that was related to a file transfer from another cloud to our private environment.

This is a risk management tool, and these files were related to the risk management tool and related to reports.

We're a worldwide company, and some of the countries don't have access to the internet. It was very good to distribute the files inside of our network as this is very important to us. In the end, with this solution, it was very easy to perform this goal.

The interface, configuration, and integration were all good features. It is very easy to use. The integration in particular is very good.

We could assess the files from our laptops. We assessed the files through the portal. We have the files wherever we want and that was the goal of this POC.

Technical support was great. 

The customization capabilities are excellent. 

It is very good at file storage.

The product is easy to set up.

It's a scalable solution.

The solution offered everything we needed. It was not lacking features. 

The pricing could be better. 

The security could always be modernized. 

We've used the solution over the last year. We used it for a POC. It was for about three months. 

While in our last project, there was no need to scale. That said, in previous projects, it could scale. We had 200 to 300 people on the solution across several countries. Just regular agents would use the solution. 

Support has been great. We are very pleased with their level of responsiveness. Microsoft really cares about its products.

Positive

We did not previously use any other product.

It was always very easy to implement. The self-storage was connected to a logic app and the part of the logic app was tricky to configure. However, in the end, after the learning path was completed, it was very easy. 

The file storage was always very easy to connect to the old tools that we needed to complete the POC.

The deployment itself was very quick.

In terms of an implementation strategy, the goal of the POC was to transfer files from a third-party company to our internal network. We implemented several file storage items for each country and we distributed the files that came from the third-party company to all of them.

We have a team of five that can handle maintenance, however, only one engineer is really needed. 

We handled the deployment and POC in-house. 

We have seen an ROI. It's helped us with sharing files across countries and made it very easy. 

I don't have any visibility on the price of the product. Someone else handled that aspect. However, my understanding is it could be lower. 

We did evaluate other options. We only use Microsoft products. 

We're a partner.

I'm no longer using the solution as I have finished the POC process.

The solution works very well. I would recommend the solution to others. 

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.

The solution is user-friendly and integrates easily with web apps. 

Microsoft Azure File Storage should improve its pricing. 

Microsoft Azure File Storage is stable. 

The tool is scalable, and my company has more than 200 users. 

Microsoft Azure File Storage's deployment is straightforward and takes only five minutes to complete. 

We have seen ROI with the tool's use. 

We have Microsoft Azure File Storage's enterprise license. 

I rate the product an eight out of ten. The solution is easy to use. However, you need to be careful with the tool's pricing. 

My company is a managed services firm. We do have a firewall internally, but we have about 70 banks and probably about 30 to 40 clients in other verticals that we are servicing. So it is not just us or our clients that we use products for. I am constantly looking at a lot of different client bases as far as different industries and needs, and a lot of different solutions and possibilities.  

A lot of what we use Azure File Storage for at our company is BLOB storage because the format is flexible in terms of pulling stuff down. Usually what we are doing is storing and retrieving IT management information. We have to be able to store and pull specific files from storage. BLOB storage is a good solution for that type of management.  

Most of our clients are using a private cloud because it is a requirement for them. As financial institutions, that is kind of where they have to go to properly secure critical data. We go public because there is no requirement on our end to do private cloud. For our financial institution clients, there are requirements from oversight boards and governing institutions that they need to have critical information stored privately because they are handling people's money.  

The main thing that is valuable about the solution is just the reason you do cloud: because it is flexible. For example, right now we are working on a project for a client and they are entirely involved with the Azure suite. They are using Intune for MDM (Mobile Device Management) and Azure AD for their authentication. That is all nice and well and good, but then they need a server. So what we are going to do is to push data into Azure from the data center and part of it to the house server. The thing with that is it is a flexible solution and it is easy to ramp up or down depending on their compute needs.  

I think the place where the product really needs the most attention is in the Intune and the MDM products. They are building it out pretty quickly in updates, yet at the same time that is probably the place where I have seen the most reason to simplifying for ease-of-use. Right now you kind of have to spend some time to wrap your head around the product instead of it being something that is easier to use and easier to onboard into production. In a way, that is just part of the industry standard right now. Any MDM product you choose is going to be a little difficult that way, and it is going to require some build-out that is maybe more than you had expected or cared to dive into.  

If they improved Intune to where it was more deployable out-of-the-box, that would be great. We just have to wait and see if they can do it.  

We have been using the Azure File Storage solution for a few years now at the company I am with. I started utilizing that solution for storage initially with clients about three or four years ago. I actually brought the company I am working for now onto the Azure platform before I started working at the company and that led them to using the Azure File Storage solution.  

The stability of the product is fine. It is stable. It is just something you have to pay attention to in the management of how you want it to perform. In that way, it is just like everything else.  

It is scalable. But it is really the same deal for just about any product of this type. Everything is stable and everything is scalable to the extent of time that you are willing to invest in it to make it that way. Some products are not worth the time.  

The number of users and how they are using the product depends on the client. In our organization, everyone has to use the product, otherwise, they can not work. So that is 100% of them because we require it. It will not be the same way in every organization.  

I have had some experience with the technical support for Azure. Your experience with the support team will depend on the situation. Microsoft splits out their support infrastructure based on two different areas of the planet. So if you are talking about dealing with the Philippines call center, it is much more in line with expectations going on in the US in terms of speed and efficiency and meeting the needs of the client. Whereas if you are talking about their outsourced support infrastructure in India, there are some procedures you have to deal with that makes the support process a little harder if you are not aware of them. Neither of the support teams are bad, they are just different. Getting the support you want is just a matter of being aware of who and what you are dealing with in both situations.  

The other thing I would say is that we are a provider. We sell the product and we are a Microsoft silver partner. Because of that, we get to contact a different support infrastructure than somebody who does not have that type of relationship with Microsoft. I have experience with it from both sides. There was a time when I was running a nonprofit and I had to call into support and I did not have a provider who had silver partner status. It was a lot harder to get support then because I would have to call in and I just got the tier-one guys all the time. Now, as a silver partner, I can call in and get the right person on the phone the first time without waiting or trying to get past the tier-one guys. So, support is fine depending on your relationship with the company and the context of the issue which may include your location or the size of the organization.  

The initial setup was complex. There is a lot to do to build it out. There are a lot of nuances to how the MDM works and that makes Intune a little bit harder to work with. Unless you have done it a few times and paved the pain points of some of the things that you have to do in configuring it, it is going to be hard.  

At the same time, it is hard to say how long a deployment takes. That is because you can roll out Intune in a matter of a few minutes, but building it out to function the way you want it to is the part that impacts the speed in which you implement it.  

We did not use an integrator or reseller or consultant for the deployment because that is what we do. We are those things and we deal with the problems that you face in deployments every day.  

We try to push as many clients as we can toward Azure because most of our clients are Office 365 clients as it stands already, so they already have Azure integrated. They have the authentication and because of that, it allows us to push Azure a little easier because it is already native to the products they are using and familiar to their users. 

On a scale from one to ten where one is the worst and ten is the best, I would rate this solution as a six. Currently, you just have to spend too much time wrapping your head around what the product does and how it does it. Then the build-out takes a lot of effort. If it took less effort in that way — especially from my perspective as a reseller and consultant where implementation is so important — then I could rate it higher. The economy of scale plays in, but it is just hard to invest into that build-out on the front end.