Azure has multiple use cases. Organizations can use it for hosting infrastructure, for example. There are cloud services that you can utilize. The main purpose of the cloud is that you don't need to set up your own data center, and then you can just use the cloud platforms provided by Azure or AWS, or any other cloud. They all serve the same purpose.
Program Solution Architect at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Stable and easy to use with good technical support
Pros and Cons
- "It's easy to use in terms of their portal, which is very nicely organized."
- "Their availability in the Middle East and Asia regions needs to improve."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The solution is a stable product. It has a lot of out-of-the-box services. It provides a lot of services that we would typically have to provision on-premise.
It's easy to use in terms of their portal, which is very nicely organized.
It's a good platform all in all.
The solution has proven to be quite scalable.
We've found the solution to be stable.
Technical support from Microsoft is very good.
What needs improvement?
The solution should start covering more regions in Gulf countries and other regions. This is due to the fact that other cloud providers are not locally available. Yet this is what people require here. Their availability in the Middle East and Asia regions needs to improve.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for a couple of years at this point. It's been a while.
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Microsoft Azure SQL Database
November 2024
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We've found the solution to be very stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is quite scalable. If a company needs to expand it, it can do so with relative ease.
I'm from a technology provider. We provision these services and provide them to other clients. One of the infrastructure environments which we are provisioning on Azure would be used by probably approximately 8,000 to 10,000 users.
In terms of if we plan to continue usage or not, we are just building it on Azure right now. So it will be live in a year or two, something like this.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is really good. Microsoft support is pretty knowledgeable and responsive. We are happy with the level of service we receive from them.
How was the initial setup?
The solution is a cloud product. You don't need to install anything. There is no installation process to deal with.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
All products are licensed. The cost depends on someone's usage space. The more you use it, the more you pay. Some are billed in terms of fixed cost. For example, if I provision some work with a machine that I pay for it, even if I don't use it. There are multiple ways you could potentially pay.
What other advice do I have?
We are partners.
We are working on the latest version of the solution.
I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten.
I would recommend the solution. There are not many cloud providers. Azure and AWS are some of the top providers. These are the two which compete with each other, and both of them have good services. That said, I would recommend Azure for sure.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Chief Operating Officer at humancloud
A scalable platform with a lot of information and good technical support
Pros and Cons
- "Their technical support is the most valuable."
- "There is so much information that it becomes confusing at times. The information can be more friendly. They could also provide additional training, especially at the beginning."
What is our primary use case?
We are using it for a database.
What is most valuable?
Their technical support is the most valuable.
What needs improvement?
There is so much information that it becomes confusing at times. The information can be more friendly. They could also provide additional training, especially at the beginning.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using SQL Azure for the last two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is pretty stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is indeed scalable. We have around five people using it, and we plan to scale it.
How are customer service and technical support?
Their technical support is good.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It is reasonable.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend SQL Azure. It is a good platform to use, and it has a lot of information, whatever you want.
I would rate SQL Azure an eight 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.
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Azure SQL Database
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Azure SQL Database. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Consultor Senior at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
A great cloud solution, technically very good and easy to use on any platform
Pros and Cons
- "Very easy to use on any platform and works well."
- "The solution lacks feedback tools."
What is our primary use case?
I'm in charge of the development of our IT solution and I am an implementer of Azure.
What is most valuable?
I started with Azure SQL because it's a cheaper solution. It's a good cloud solution, very easy to use on any platform and works well. Technically it's very good.
What needs improvement?
I would like to have more tools for feedback. I find that there are a lot of things offered in other solutions that don't exist in Azure SQL. There are also tricky commercial issues. When you use Google or Amazon, you know exactly how much you will pay. With Microsoft solutions, you don't know, it's very unclear and impossible to get anyone on the phone.
How are customer service and technical support?
It's the commercial support that is lacking with Microsoft.
What other advice do I have?
From a commercial perspective, I would rate this solution very low. From a technical perspective, I rate the product an eight out of 10.
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.
Data Analyst at a tech company with 51-200 employees
It is fast for replicating the data, but it is expensive
Pros and Cons
- "It is very fast in replicating the data from one database to another. We do some extractions from multiple databases to a target database that we use for visualization. It has a good speed."
- "It is a little bit expensive for us. They can improve the price. It would also be very helpful if they can offer some free trial."
What is our primary use case?
It is a transactional system. We use it to visualize financial transactions, such as cash in, cash out, in real time.
What is most valuable?
It is very fast in replicating the data from one database to another. We do some extractions from multiple databases to a target database that we use for visualization. It has a good speed.
What needs improvement?
It is a little bit expensive for us. They can improve the price. It would also be very helpful if they can offer some free trial.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for around three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is very scalable. Around 14 developers in our company use it. They are responsible for business intelligence and databases.
How are customer service and technical support?
I never contacted them.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used MySQL.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward. It was not a big deal. It took a few minutes for features like .NET.
What about the implementation team?
I installed it on my own.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It is expensive for us. We are looking for something less expensive and thinking of migrating the whole system.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate SQL Azure a seven out of ten. In terms of experience, it is a very good product, but it is a little bit expensive.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Senior Manager, Information Technology of Data Strategies at a hospitality company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Streamlined data management that's quick to set up and scalable
Pros and Cons
- "It is quick to set up and easy to scale."
- "Some of the best features of Microsoft Azure SQL Database are its scalability, pricing, and ease of setup."
- "One area for improvement is the need for accurate cost estimates."
- "The customer support is hard to reach, with Microsoft’s technical support being difficult to get in touch with."
What is our primary use case?
We use Microsoft Azure SQL Database to store restaurant sales data within the food and hospitality industry.
How has it helped my organization?
As the Azure SQL Database provides automatic backups, it gives us peace of mind knowing that we have backups and the restore capability available. Additionally, it is quick to set up and offers scalability. As our needs increase, we can easily scale it up to handle more data and faster processing.
What is most valuable?
Some of the best features of Microsoft Azure SQL Database are its scalability, pricing, and ease of setup. It is quick to set up and easy to scale.
As our data needs increase, scaling up is as straightforward as dragging a slider to increase processing speed. The product also offers automatic backups, giving us peace of mind about data security.
For the features we receive, the price is very reasonable.
What needs improvement?
One area for improvement is the need for accurate cost estimates. When I initially tried to set it up, I could not get an accurate quote on what my monthly costs would be based on my needs.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used Microsoft Azure SQL Database for a couple of years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have never experienced any downtime with Microsoft Azure SQL Database. It has been completely stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I would rate the scalability a ten out of ten. Scaling the solution is incredibly simple and involves just clicking a button or dragging a slider.
How are customer service and support?
The customer support is hard to reach, with Microsoft’s technical support being difficult to get in touch with. While support exists, you have to be very patient to reach the right area, and communication is mainly through email chats rather than speaking to someone directly.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have only used Microsoft SQL Servers during my 15 years of experience. I have not used another cloud database.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Microsoft Azure SQL Database was straightforward and took only a couple of hours to complete.
What was our ROI?
The return on investment includes time savings, backup, and security features that minimize worry. It is a cost-effective solution at about $100 a month. It is ensuring we receive what we pay for through the blend of price, performance, and features.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
While the pricing of Microsoft Azure SQL Database is good, obtaining an estimate of monthly costs based on specific needs was challenging. Initially, Microsoft asked us to sign up and use the service to see what it would cost.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I have not evaluated other SQL database solutions, since my familiarity is with the Windows environment, leading to the choice of Azure.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend Microsoft Azure SQL Database to others. For the price, you get an excellent balance of features and performance. I would suggest exploring AWS, although I am not familiar with its setup or the feature-to-price ratio.
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.
Last updated: Nov 19, 2024
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