Currently we are hosting custom web applications, boxed applications, Azure VMs, Azure files for shared company files, Azure blob storage, Azure Active Directory with Active Directory sync, Single Sign On, and development and testing purposes.
Network Manager / Senior Network Engineer at Warnock, Tanner & Associates
Azure has become a one stop shop for cloud computing and continuing to grow.
Pros and Cons
- "Storage has made remote access to files much more painless and easy."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
Creating VMs for development has been huge since we ran out of resources locally. Creating Hybrid solutions provides us with greater confidence in higher availability. Storage has made remote access to files much more painless and easy. Using SSO has also been great reducing the number of passwords and locations required to use them.
What is most valuable?
Customized Dashboard, Site-to-site and point-to-Site VPN, Virtual Machines, Web Apps, SQL, SharePoint, Storage, Test/Dev environments.
What needs improvement?
Pricing is very difficult to guesstimate. With so many a la carte options and individual pricing it can be a hassle to understand. I constantly need to go over the report to find out where I can save money and what is eating up the monthly costs.
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Azure
December 2024
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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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For how long have I used the solution?
One to three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
No issues with stability. Has been rock solid.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability is Microsofts big advantage. At anytime you can scale up or down your servers or services growing them or shrinking them to your needs. You can even automate this process. I personally do not get into Enterprise solutions but they continue to add larger solutions frequently.
How are customer service and support?
Customer Service:
First response is 2-4 hours. Staff is knowledgeable but can often be difficult to understand and slow. Although I do not call about routine issues and bring very complex problems there way. With that said I will say every issue does get resolved.
Technical Support:
I rate technical support 7/10. First response is 2-4 hours. Staff is knowledgeable but can often be difficult to understand. I have also found that a few of them try to e-mail you despite your request for a call. This causes much miscommunication and additional time your problem is not getting resolved.
I only give them an 7 because I have struggled a time or two with understanding their English or getting the ball rolling resolving my issue. This all really depends on the department you need.
I will say that they always get the issue resolved regardless of the complexity of the problem.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
No I have not, but we chose Azure simply simply because we are Microsoft partners and get free Azure credits to work with. Microsoft is also a power player in cloud solution and a trusted name.
How was the initial setup?
Huge learning curve for me. I found just diving in was incredibly difficult. Much lab time required to understand how things work together. Once you get going however it all makes sense.
I also find the GUI to be more intuitive then AWS and feels better.
They are constantly changing the GUI while they continue migrating the ASM model to the ARM model. Since this is a living platform it can change from one day to the next adding features.
What about the implementation team?
I implemented all the solutions myself with a little research.
What was our ROI?
Microsoft does have special pricing for Development purposes. This does help reduce the monthly costs for our team.
As our local resources reach their end of life, we have moved servers and services to Azure. It becomes more of an operation expense as apposed to a capitol expense.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We are MS partners. Depending on your partnership you may or may not get Visual Studio Enterprises licenses. Each license allows you to get a $150 Azure credit per month.
This has been great for our developers and I to put in to practice some Azure solutions.
There are many other free credits available as well. Do some searching.
If you need to purchase Azure they do have a pricing calculator that may help you determine costs. https://azure.microsoft.com/en...
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I know AWS is another great solution, but have not tackled it yet. I do have plans to experiment with Amazons solution to determine for my own the differences.
What other advice do I have?
The biggest advantage to using Azure over any other cloud solution is the ability to move your domain into the cloud and be completely server free and still have domain services.
I have also found that site-to-site vpn with domain services rack up a good percentage of our monthly costs. These are the fundamentals to move your network into Azure.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partners
A robust cloud computing solution for pipeline with automations
Pros and Cons
- "Stability is straightforward"
- "Pricing is high if you plan to use it on a larger scale."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for pipelines.
How has it helped my organization?
Because of automation, everything from the beginning of the development project is stored on one side and brought from the development side to the production side.
Due to automation, the development process is streamlined from the beginning.
What is most valuable?
The process involves understanding what is provided from the repository side, managing the code, and handling changes and responsibilities. This includes staging in the pipeline.
What needs improvement?
Sometimes, I have issues configuring settings, setting up policies, and communicating with others on Microsoft Azure.
Pricing is high, especially if you plan to use it on a larger scale, with more teams, or want to include additional features. The costs can increase significantly as you add more features and expand usage.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Azure for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Stability is straightforward when combining some Linux features or Linux kernels. Additionally, integrating with other operating systems can sometimes be challenging.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It takes time to get familiar, but after, everything is fast.
How are customer service and support?
When I experienced a crash, I received a response within a few days. The level of support depends on your user status. If you are a minimal or ultimate user, and if you pay more, you receive more support. Everything goes much faster.
How was the initial setup?
Everything is okay if you are familiar with Teams and how it works. However, combining Teams with other tools and APIs can make things much faster. Additionally, the plugins provided by the official Microsoft site can enhance its functionality.
The deployment is manageable in one day and takes only one person.
What was our ROI?
It automates and saves time. Microsoft Azure breaks entire products into modules, making it easier to implement changes. These changes can be deployed much faster compared to traditional methods.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It is payable for what you need and how much you use.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I preferred Azure because it's more robust, it's easy to get around.
What other advice do I have?
Code breaks from time to time, so maintenance is required periodically, especially for extensive codebases. Regular testing and checks are necessary to ensure reliability and performance.
I use other tools that integrate Copilot, which will soon be integrated into Microsoft Azure. I rely on other sources when I need to find information. There's also the security issue, as there's always a risk concerning where company data will ultimately be stored.
Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Last updated: Jul 30, 2024
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Microsoft Azure
December 2024
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Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Azure. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2024.
838,713 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Personal Banker at HDFC Bank
An easy and robust solution that provides good performance and support
Pros and Cons
- "Microsoft Azure provides good performance and support."
- "The solution’s stability could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
I use Microsoft Azure to prepare a design document for the security implementation concerning Azure.
What is most valuable?
Compared to earlier technology, Microsoft Azure is very easy and robust and has features like scaling. Microsoft Azure provides good performance and support.
What needs improvement?
The solution’s stability could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Azure for eight years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Microsoft Azure is a very stable solution.
I rate Microsoft Azure a nine out of ten for stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Microsoft Azure is a scalable solution.
How are customer service and support?
The solution's technical support is good. The technical support team dedicates time to us, and we don't face any challenges with them.
How was the initial setup?
The solution’s initial setup is clear and easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Microsoft Azure is a cost-effective solution where you use it as per your requirement and pay for it.
What other advice do I have?
Microsoft Azure is a cloud-based solution.
I would recommend Microsoft Azure to other users. The solution's availability is vast. Centers in India have regulatory requirements to keep the data within India, and Microsoft Azure helps us mitigate those regulatory requirements. The solution's support is very good, and it helps meet the business requirements.
Overall, I rate Microsoft Azure an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Business Development Executive, Managing Partner at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Very reliable IaaS and DaaS, but quite complicated inside.
Pros and Cons
- "In terms of scalability, it is perfect."
- "Microsoft Azure is so complicated inside. If you should do something internally, if you have to configure something, the opinion about Azure is that it is a little complicated inside. That's why the end users and clients are looking for help and why we help them configure and do anything inside of Azure. That is why we offer other tools to optimize the Azure environment."
What is our primary use case?
I know Azure. We have the tools for optimized Azure infrastructure. As a partner, as an active integrator, I am looking only for plays to make the deal. I am not an end user, prospector or client. I use it in my projects but I am not buying any solution from Microsoft for ourselves. I am the seller.
When I talk about the Infrastructure as a Service from the Microsoft, I am referring to a hybrid infrastructure. We are talking about the moving of virtual machines and workload from on-premise system to the Cloud. This is my main topic when we are talking with the client. My technical team worries about the details of how we do this. I am not so good in the technical details.
In terms of our customers' use cases, in our last project, the customers migrated the SAP system from on-premise to the Azure with SQL as a database. We helped the customer to compare on-premise infrastructures and Infrastructure as a Service in Azure, and to help them migrate the machines, the tech, and the servers from on-premise to the Cloud and to have the tools from the Quest to help them optimize because they did not want to pay so much. They only wanted to pay by use. We are looking for the perfect tier from Azure to finish the project. This was our job. That's why I like the Azure.
There is not too much perfect information out there about how to optimize the infrastructure. Microsoft is looking for the bills where the sky is the limit but the customer is looking for the real cost. We help the customer and we have the answers regarding which tier or which configuration in Azure is proper for them.
What needs improvement?
Microsoft Azure is so complicated inside. If you should do something internally, if you have to configure something, the opinion about Azure is that it is a little complicated inside. That's why the end users and clients are looking for help and why we help them configure and do anything inside of Azure. That is why we offer other tools to optimize the Azure environment.
Microsoft makes the space for such tools because it is a little complicated and end users know it. That's why we sell these tools to optimize the Azure. I think the Microsoft team knows this and they create the space for other third party partners.
I know all the points about how the Cloud is so beautiful but if somebody starts to do something inside the Azure, it is a little hard to understand. Many services are so complicated to configure out. That's why sometimes clients are obviously confused inside the Azure. That's why they are looking for help with it and why they are looking for a Microsoft partner with the knowledge of how to connect this software into one solution. From my perspective, I like Azure because it makes me money from the end user clients. But for the customers, their opinion is, "Oh, my god. The AWS is easy."
It is well-known that Microsoft is not so easy for the end users. Maybe it's because there is a note of everything changing. They add new features and new functionalities. Azure is growing. From my point of view it's okay. From the customers, it's also ok, but they are looking for someone who understands how to configure it.
From the beginning, the first move to Azure as a solution, it's a long journey with many, many services to find the final configuration for the customer. But it's okay for me.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
In terms of scalability, it is perfect. If you are a rich partner or a rich company and you have a lot of money on your credit card, the scalability and the possibility of using Azure is a perfect play. If you want two servers, if you want 200 servers, it's one click. From the marketing point of view, it's the perfect place to spend the money. I think the customers are really worried about the cost. If you request a lot of machines, it's only one click in the setup but the bill for that is so huge. They ultimately worry about how to prepare their production environment just for us. Not for the sky is the limit but for our requirements to help. We have tools for monitoring consumption of the Azure and we can switch virtual machines off when at the end of the day. Customers are happy that we offer that because they are a little worried.
For example, if you buy one huge service for your on-premise project, you pay for that one service. But if you put a development team on the project and they request a lot of virtual machines because it's so easy to deploy, someone should pay for that. This is literally one big worry from the client side.
The calculator from Microsoft for Azure is very basic. This tool only shows what you consumed and what you will pay. There is no answer if you want to know how big a credit card you need to run the project. We make money answering exactly how much you really need for your project. We save the budget for the customer. We find opportunities for Microsoft but when the customer is worried, we help them. It's also good for Microsoft because they run the project.
How are customer service and support?
We have support but Microsoft is trying to cover only Azure as an infrastructure.
They are not interested in talking about current applications or current systems from a customer perspective. This is the job for the partner. Microsoft covers only the chief environment. The job for the partner is caring about the customer's real needs. That's our job.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We only have experience with AWS because for us it doesn't matter whether we run virtual machines on AWS or Azure. If the client is only looking for power servers, then the machine they are looking for is AWS. If they are not only looking for IaaS, Infrastructure as a Service, but are also looking for the DaaS or Database as a Service, they are looking for Azure. It is exactly the same way for customers that are using SQL Server. The first choice is Azure.
If you are looking for Oracle, they're thinking about AWS. Of course, if we are talking about the containerization, about the Kubernetes, AWS is also the first choice for our clients.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup depends on the project. Because we are the Microsoft partner and we have some money for our internal tests we do the setup part. We use Azure infrastructure for our demo when we show our virtual demo machine. For my colleagues, it's not so complicated but we are using only a very small part of Azure.
When we talk about the real project, it is not so easy. We are using a very basic functionality, but I know from the other projects that it is not so easy to implement, run, test, et cetera because it's always a little complicated. Maybe it's okay. It depends on the current customer's needs.
What was our ROI?
ROI is a very tough topic because with the first step, every customer is trying to compare what they pay on the infrastructure and what they will pay in Azure. This is never the same number.
The challenge is to show to customers the added value because Azure is not only a different type of data center, but is also a place where you can make the innovations and add some new services. It is much easier than on-premise. We have a lot of ready-to-use functionalities on Azure, but the magic is how to use it.
Sometimes, the customer does not have the knowledge to create new value for the business using the ready-to-use functionality on Azure from the Microsoft offer. This is the challenge.
Moving the one virtual machine is easy but knowing how to run your business application for the customer, this is the main challenge.
What other advice do I have?
My advice to anyone considering Azure is if they want to make jumping to the Azure or to the Cloud easier, they should focus on and discuss what the steps are. When you are on premise, figure out the development and how to configure it to the Azure. I have had so many marketing presentations from Microsoft saying, "Oh, it's easy. You have the Advisor. Blah, blah, blah." This is pure marketing. The clients know it is only a commercial about Azure. If Microsoft wants to really get customers, they should help them step by step by showing them how it is easy and how to control every step of the project. They should care more about the customers during this type of project. If you did 10 project delegations, the next one is much easier, but the first is really not so easy. That's why customers are afraid about migrating to the Azure. "What about the bills? What about how to administrate? How long to build the infrastructure?" There are a lot of questions from the customer side.
On a scale of one to ten, I would give Microsoft Azure a seven. That is because there is always space for improvement. For me it's okay. It's reliable and it really works.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Windows Azure is Microsoft's cloud platform, where developers can create, deploy, and maintain their apps. Very useful and helpful app. You all can go for it.
SOA & BP Technical Manager at EJADA
Easy to install, stable, easy to use, and they have good technical support
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of this solution is the ease of use."
- "I would like to see this solution support integration."
What is our primary use case?
We are vendors. We are neutral from the technologies. We provide solutions to our clients as well as implement the customer needs with the different technologies.
We have a multi-channel mobile app solution that we implement, and we have an API deployed on Azure cloud. We use API management in the Azure cloud.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of this solution is the ease of use.
The Azure APIs is monetization. Its support, monetization for prepaid and postpaid are good features that we look for.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see this solution support integration.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been selling Microsoft Azure for a couple of years.
We are implementing the latest version.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Microsoft Azure is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's a scalable solution. We have approximately 1,000 users who are using this solution.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support is awesome! It's very good.
How was the initial setup?
We have installed many competitive products, such as Appigee and IBM, but Microsoft Azure is the easiest one to install.
While I was not a part of the deployment, I know it took them less than a week.
We have a team of 10 to 15 for the deployment, customization, and implementation of this solution.
What other advice do I have?
For anyone who is interested in using this solution, I would recommend it.
I would rate Microsoft Azure a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Senior Regional IT Infrastructure Consultant at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
A feature-rich and stable platform with good redundancy and scalability
Pros and Cons
- "The redundancy across different regions is the most valuable. It provides a big value for cloud services, especially for Microsoft."
- "The level of authorization or authorization cascading can be improved. We have the most powerful admins and then we have sub-admins, but the level of authorization is not that easy to handle or manage."
What is our primary use case?
Azure cloud is a platform for many things, such as hosting, file services, application or power apps, and data lake. All these things are a part of Microsoft Azure. We're using it as a full suite. We are a big tenant with all solutions for Microsoft. We are using the latest version of Microsoft Azure.
What is most valuable?
The redundancy across different regions is the most valuable. It provides a big value for cloud services, especially for Microsoft.
What needs improvement?
The level of authorization or authorization cascading can be improved. We have the most powerful admins and then we have sub-admins, but the level of authorization is not that easy to handle or manage.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Azure for three years. I am using this solution on a daily basis. It is the main platform that we have.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Its stability is good. It is very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is very easy to scale. We have more than 7,000 users.
How are customer service and technical support?
They are pretty sufficient. I would rate them an eight out of ten.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We also have different cloud vendors like Amazon and Salesforce, but they all are for different purposes, so it depends on the service.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was simple. It was done in stages.
What about the implementation team?
We had the full support and dedication from Microsoft for its installation. Its maintenance is done by a vendor, and we also have some technical support from Microsoft when we are doing this stuff.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Microsoft always provides the entry-level solution with a cheap license. Once you start to like the product, then you have to pay for the full package, which is more expensive than the entry-level solution. Every feature comes with a license and a cost. Some licenses have multiple features, and some features require a specific license.
What other advice do I have?
I would advise starting directly with Microsoft and then asking the vendors to recommend the trusted partners to work on the implementation or migration, and not vice versa. First, talk with the architect of the design and see if they can recommend a trusted partner who can do the implementation.
I would rate Microsoft Azure a nine out of ten. It is a big product and platform. It covers many things in terms of features.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
IT Cybersecurity and Compliance Coordinator at Plaenge
Robust, cost-effective, easy to install and helpful technical support
Pros and Cons
- "It is easy to deploy."
- "I would like to see Internet content filtering included."
What is our primary use case?
Microsoft Azure is our principal could environment.
We use Microsoft Azure for Hosting Apps, Sites, and Blogs.
How has it helped my organization?
Advantages of Azure over On-Premises: Improved Performance and Cost Benefits.
What is most valuable?
It is easy to deploy.
The technical support is good.
The price is good.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see Internet content filtering included.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Microsoft Azure for two years.
I am working with the latest version.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate the stability a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I would rate the scalability a nine out of ten.
I have plans to increase my usage in the future.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is good.
I would rate them a ten out of ten.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward.
What about the implementation team?
It is easy to deploy.
What was our ROI?
We have seen a return on investment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is reasonable.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I Conducted Evaluations of Google Cloud (GCP), Oracle Cloud (OCP), and Amazon Web Services (AWS).
We opted for Azure based on familiarity and expertise as a Microsoft-driven organization.
What other advice do I have?
It's a good product and the correct choice.
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.
Techno Functional Project Manager at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Highly compatible with Microsoft technologies, good community support, but price could improve
Pros and Cons
- "One of the most valuable features of Microsoft Azure is the compatibility with all of our Windows applications and other Microsoft technologies"
- "The solution could improve the stability. However, this could be a configuration issue that we are not been trained."
What is our primary use case?
I am a manager of a team and we will have approximately 18 applications that will be cloud-based using this solution.
What is most valuable?
One of the most valuable features of Microsoft Azure is the compatibility with all of our Windows applications and other Microsoft technologies.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Azure for approximately one year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution could improve the stability. However, this could be a configuration issue that we are not been trained.
How are customer service and technical support?
There is good community support available.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have previously used AWS and GCP.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Microsoft Azure is more expensive than other solutions, such as GCP. We have found that GCP offers more utilities at a very reasonable price. I think the reason we are having a discount is because of the bank contract we have.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution.
I rate Microsoft Azure a seven out of ten.
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.
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Updated: December 2024
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