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Team Lead, Enterprise Computing Platforms at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Real User
A reliable solution for migration and disaster recovery strategy
Pros and Cons
  • "It's been pretty useful in terms of migration and disaster recovery strategy."
  • "Microsoft's technical support could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

Within my company, there are roughly 150 employees using this solution. We need about 30-35 people for maintenance.

What is most valuable?

It's been pretty useful in terms of migration and disaster recovery strategy.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Microsoft Azure for roughly four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This solution is quite stable. We haven't had any issues stability-wise.

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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability is good. I would rate it high, scalability-wise.

How are customer service and support?

Microsoft's technical support could be improved.

There are certain areas on the Level 1 to Level 2 support-side that are not exactly great. We have issues with our Linux operating system. I don't think we've had delays as such but I would say that's one area there might be some scope for improvement.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I personally used to work with AWS, but that was at another company.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was fairly easy. Pretty much all the services are easy to deploy — not very complicated as such. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The cost could definitely be lower.

What other advice do I have?

You have to look out for the external storage costs — it can be a bit of a surprise. You have to do your budgeting. We didn't really anticipate that the storage expenses would be so much higher than anything else. That's something people have to budget and account for before they migrate to the cloud.

Overall, on a scale from one to ten, I would give this soluting a rating of eight.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Wai KongWong - PeerSpot reviewer
Information security consultant at Ypsilon System
Real User
Top 5
Helps to deploy web servers but navigation needs improvement
Pros and Cons
  • "Microsoft Azure has proven to be beneficial for our organization due to its quick deployment capabilities. Setting up virtual machines or any required infrastructure is fast."
  • "The tool needs to improve its navigation."

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution to set up access to process queuing, configure virtual instances, obtain a domain name, acquire the necessary certificates, and deploy the web server to the internet.

What is most valuable?

Microsoft Azure has proven to be beneficial for our organization due to its quick deployment capabilities. Setting up virtual machines or any required infrastructure is fast. 

What needs improvement?

The tool needs to improve its navigation. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the product for two to three years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Microsoft Azure's stability depends on the resources allocated. If you provision sufficient resources, it tends to be stable. However, choosing lower resources, like two gigs of RAM and CPUs, might lead to less stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The product is scalable. My company has five users. 

How are customer service and support?

I haven't contacted the technical team yet. 

How was the initial setup?

Microsoft Azure's deployment is straightforward for me, given my experience and understanding of the Azure system. It is not difficult for me to handle.

What about the implementation team?

The tool's deployment was done in-house. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate the product an eight out of ten. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Microsoft Azure
December 2024
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Azure. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2024.
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Victor Bergman - PeerSpot reviewer
Executive Head of Technology at Imbali Customised Solutions (Pty) Ltd.
Real User
Top 5
Used for the hosting of websites and the management of email and the Outlook platform
Pros and Cons
  • "The most efficient feature of Microsoft Azure is that we can use it to update a website with a few clicks."
  • "The solution's email hosting pricing could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We use Microsoft Azure for the hosting of websites and the management of email and the Outlook platform. We also use the solution for the storage of online files.

What is most valuable?

The most efficient feature of Microsoft Azure is that we can use it to update a website with a few clicks. Microsoft Azure is integrated with Visual Studio Code, and we can update or publish directly from Visual Studio Code.

I appreciate the GDPR that is in place with Microsoft Azure. The solution also has compliance with other country's local privacy laws. So, the privacy feature of Microsoft products is very easily accessible and available.

What needs improvement?

The solution's email hosting pricing could be improved. Microsoft Azure gives different options in terms of how you're going to access your email. It would be good if the solution could improve and give cheaper emails that can work in Outlook.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Microsoft Azure for five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Microsoft Azure is a very stable solution, and I've never had any issues with the solution's stability.

I rate the solution ten out of ten for stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Around 30 clients are using Microsoft Azure.

I rate the solution ten out of ten for scalability.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I previously used Amazon Web Services. I switched to Microsoft Azure because Amazon Web Services was expensive.

How was the initial setup?

The solution's initial setup is straightforward, especially with the SSL. Getting the SSL certificate is more straightforward with Microsoft Azure than with Amazon Web Services.

What about the implementation team?

We implemented the solution through an in-house team.

The solution can be deployed in five to ten minutes. You have to ensure that your Visual Studio Code is set up with the required tools for Microsoft Azure. From there on, you continue uploading to Microsoft Azure the files that you want to upload. Then, you set up your Azure to identify the domains and to sync Azure with your domain host. These are the steps you have to take. If you follow it step by step, the full process will not take longer than 30 minutes.

What other advice do I have?

The website is straightforward to configure, and also very quick to update. In other words, I can update a website even from my development tool, Visual Studio Code. I use Visual Studio Code in my company to develop websites and also to deploy the websites from Visual Studio Code. So, that makes Azure completely above what I've experienced with Amazon Web Services.

Microsoft Azure is deployed on the cloud in our organization. One to five people with knowledge of Microsoft Azure, Visual Studio Code, and domain hosting are needed for the solution's deployment and maintenance. I would recommend the solution to other users.

Users need to understand what they want to deploy and what cloud services they need to use because there are different trends in each one of these cloud services. Users can go multi-cloud as well.

Microsoft Azure helps save infrastructure, staff, time, and insurance. You'll save a lot on ISO certification. I had a client who wanted a solution that would have required the client to be ISO-certified to manage the privacy or guarantee the privacy and security of data.

Overall, I rate Microsoft Azure an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
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Co-owner at Min shan saw
Real User
Top 20
Can be used for operations, email, and office applications
Pros and Cons
  • "We use Microsoft Azure for operations, email, and office applications."
  • "The solution’s learning curve could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

Our people are familiar with Microsoft Azure, and we use it for our day-to-day operations.

What is most valuable?

We use Microsoft Azure for operations, email, and office applications.

What needs improvement?

The solution’s learning curve could be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Microsoft Azure for two to three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Microsoft Azure is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Around nine people use the solution in our organization.

How are customer service and support?

We contact our local partners so that they can help us with our issues. For some difficulties, we try forums and open support. We don't contact enterprise support because we don't have it.

How was the initial setup?

The solution’s initial setup is very straightforward.

What about the implementation team?

We implemented Microsoft Azure through an in-house team consisting of two to three people. The solution’s deployment takes a few weeks.

What other advice do I have?

Microsoft Azure is deployed on the cloud in our organization.

Overall, I rate the solution a seven or eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Peter Baumann - PeerSpot reviewer
Principal Consultant Data & Analytics Strategy at INFOMOTION GmbH
Consultant
Top 20
More intuitive and easier to handle compared to other cloud platforms
Pros and Cons
  • "I would rate my experience with the initial setup an eight out of ten, with ten being easy."
  • "With a Synapse environment, we might need to switch to Databricks for better scalability."

What is most valuable?

Compared to other cloud platforms, I find the Azure portal very user-friendly. It's more intuitive and clearer than some, but it depends on your specific needs because Azure offers many services. 

For instance, working with Synapse, a complex technology with diverse processing engines, requires deep knowledge. In our experience with clients, using Databricks, a third-party service, on top of Azure can be helpful.

What needs improvement?

There's an ongoing development, particularly concerning the Data Fabric offering launched a few months ago.

Data Fabric is an additional offering which is Software as a service "as a service" application, unlike the core Azure platform initially focused on "platform as a service." It sits on top of Azure. 

We thought Azure could be more flexible and cost-effective, but our experience suggests this separation might simplify things for some customers. It's worth exploring as a potential improvement for specific needs.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using it for several years. We have used it, or we have architectures. We consult about Azure. 

We do a lot here in this area because it's also a big topic for us. But it's a more general consulting topic for me. I have some experience with it, but I do not implement it. Internally, we use some Azure services. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have all kinds of typically, ranging more towards larger size customers, midsized customers, and a lot in the financial area. 

For example, with a Synapse environment, we might need to switch to Databricks for better scalability. But overall, the platform itself scales very well. Based on my experience, I'd give it an eight out of ten.

How are customer service and support?

Azure is the best in Germany compared to AWS or Google. It has the best German footprint, so the support is better locally.

But globally, it's good, not always the best. Some users have very good experiences with Google's support as well.  

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

From the consulting perspective, we consult on every technology on the market. For example, Snowflake is a big topic on our side.  

I have a lot of history in SAP. With current or former SAP solutions.  

In our company, we are more Microsoft-based and Microsoft CRM.

How was the initial setup?

The technical part of setting up such a platform is typically the smaller part. And for an experienced consultant, it's okay. It's nothing special. It's more about the processes and organization, which is important to consider here.

So, I would rate my experience with the initial setup an eight out of ten, with ten being easy. 

Typically, in Germany, we see that setting up is very complex; enterprises work well with Azure setups if users are already experienced at different points with Azure. But it's a little bit more easy compared to Google or Amazon. But it depends a little bit on the service and the environment you need.

From a technical perspective, it can set up something in a day or in some hours. That's not a problem. 

The thing is more the organizational level here, what is allowed, who can do it, where the costs are going, and so on. The process is typically much more about the deployment or, depending on whether you have already built a platform and just have to automate the deployment process. 

For example, it works very well, typically, but the initial setup of a platform is more for organizational things, but this is not what I do. 

What other advice do I have?

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

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
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Vishal Khare - PeerSpot reviewer
IT manager at Electrolux Home Products
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Maintains the infrastructure so we don't have to
Pros and Cons
  • "Azure is very flexible."
  • "Any time you use a cloud service, there are increased security risks. If you want more security, you have to have private hosting."

What is our primary use case?

The use case for Azure is maintenance. Azure maintains the infrastructure so we don't have to, and that's the best use case for any cloud-based application.

What is most valuable?

Azure is very flexible.

What needs improvement?

Any time you use a cloud service, there are increased security risks. If you want more security, you have to have private hosting.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using Azure for about five or six years.

How are customer service and support?

In general, I think Microsoft support is strong.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Azure could be cheaper. Of course, if you ask anyone, they'll always say it could be cheaper. We are paying monthly.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Azure nine out of 10. I would recommend it to others.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
IT Engineer at United Nations
Real User
Top 20
Responsive technical support, scales applications well, and reliable
Pros and Cons
  • "One of the features I have found to be valuable is the scale set feature."
  • "There needs to be better data security. There are organizations that do not want their data to be submitted to Microsoft, they should have strong encryption."

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution for multi-factor authentification while sorting out the identities. We want to use this solution for as many applications for the authentification process.

What is most valuable?

One of the features I have found to be valuable is the scale set feature. We have been able to get good results scaling up and down our applications. Additionally, the dashboard is fuctional.

What needs improvement?

There needs to be better data security. There are organizations that do not want their data to be submitted to Microsoft, they should have strong encryption.

In the future, Microsoft should increase its data center percentage in Africa.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution has been stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have found the scalability of the solution to be good. We have approximately 4,000 people using the solution in my organization.

How are customer service and technical support?

If we are having a hard time finding a solution to an issue the technical support has been very quick to respond.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward for me since I have done it before, for people new to installing it could experience some difficulty.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution does not offer very many free services which can become expensive. We are on an annual license.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others.

I rate Microsoft Azure an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
IT Unit Manager at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Kubernetes service and API management are the most valuable, and it has very good stability and scalability
Pros and Cons
  • "Kubernetes service and API management are the most valuable."
  • "It should have a better hybrid-cloud central analysis. Their support service also needs to be improved. Our main concern is support calls. Our issue is basically related to the technical functionality of the services that we use. It doesn't behave as expected, and support often fails to solve the problem."

What is our primary use case?

We use it to extend our own data centers and banking scenarios for banking solutions.

How has it helped my organization?

It provides us with access to technology that's not available in any other form. It only exists in the cloud. In order to keep our solutions modern, we have to do it through the public cloud.

What is most valuable?

Kubernetes service and API management are the most valuable.

What needs improvement?

It should have a better hybrid-cloud central analysis. Their support service also needs to be improved. Our main concern is support calls. Our issue is basically related to the technical functionality of the services that we use. It doesn't behave as expected, and support often fails to solve the problem.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is pretty stable. It has very good stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is scalable. There are no issues with scalability.

We have a maximum of 200 users. They include internal developers and other types of profiles.

How are customer service and technical support?

Their support service needs to be improved.

How was the initial setup?

It is complex because the solutions are complex. It depends on how you want to do the setup. For our business scenario, it is complex because there are a lot of security rules that are involved in it.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It is competitive with other public cloud providers, and its price is very close to different cloud providers. There is not a noticeable difference between different cloud providers. Otherwise, it would be a risk for them to have services that were much more expensive than their competition. They're pretty much neck to neck on pricing.

What other advice do I have?

I would advise others to go for the closest possible platform as a service. Do not go for infrastructure as a service; go for platform as a service.

I would rate Microsoft Azure a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Azure Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: December 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Azure Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.