How to choose the right Azure services for your needs

Posted on by

Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform boasts a vast range of services that empower businesses of all sizes to achieve their goals. This is why Azure’s market share in the cloud computing industry is 21% and 85% of Fortune 500 companies rely on Microsoft Azure Cloud. 

Users can find a diverse array of services on Azure – from Azure cloud computing services to storage solutions. However, navigating this extensive library and selecting the right services for a company’s specific needs can feel overwhelming. This comprehensive guide provides the knowledge and strategies to conquer the Azure cloud and choose the perfect services for a unique project.

Before we explore how to find the right Azure services, here we share a list of some of the popular services: 

  • Azure Virtual Machines (VMs): This is one of the most popular services that allows users to create and manage virtual machines in the cloud. It offers flexibility in choosing the operating system and the configuration of hardware resources.
  • Azure Container Instances (ACIs): These are perfect for running containerized applications without managing VMs.
  • Azure App Services: It’s a platform for building, deploying, and scaling web apps. It supports multiple programming languages, and frameworks and integrates with various Azure services.
  • Azure Storage: Azure provides various storage solutions catering to different data needs. For instance, Azure Blob Storage is a highly scalable object storage for unstructured data like images and videos. Azure Files is a managed file share accessible from Windows, Linux, and macOS machines. Azure Disks offer block storage for virtual machine disks, which offer high performance and consistency.
  • Azure SQL Database: It’s popular for its scalability, automated updates, and performance optimization features.
  • Azure Virtual Network (VNet): Creates a private network within Azure for your cloud resources.
  • Azure Content Delivery Network (CDN): Delivers content (images, videos, etc.) to users with high performance and low latency.
  • Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS): This service simplifies the deployment, management, and operations of Kubernetes.
  • Azure Functions: This is a serverless compute service that lets developers run event-triggered code.
  • Azure DevOps: Offering a suite of development tools, Azure DevOps supports teams in planning work, collaborating on code development, and building and deploying applications.

Factors to Consider Before Selecting Azure Cloud Computing Services

Since there are so many kinds of Azure services available, it can be particularly tricky for you to pick the one that best suits your business’s needs. Here, we share some of the factors you need to consider before selecting the right services to maximise the benefits of Azure cloud computing:

  • Project Goals: Whether it’s migrating existing applications, creating new web solutions, or setting up complex data analytics processes, understanding the objective is crucial.
  • Technical Needs: Depending on the project, the technical requirements might include databases, machine learning capabilities, or extensive storage options.
  • Scalability and Performance: Azure provides on-demand scalability which is important for managing fluctuating workloads and ensuring low-latency in real-time applications.
  • Security and Compliance: Azure cloud computing services have robust security features that comply with industry regulations.
  • Budget Constraints: Azure offers various pricing options and tools for cost optimization, helping businesses manage their cloud expenditures effectively.

Opting for the A+B Approach

This strategy involves using multiple Azure services together to meet specific project needs:

  • Identify needs: This could involve combining several services such as Azure Virtual Machines for compute capacity, Azure SQL Database for data management, and Azure CDN for enhancing content delivery.
  • Match services to needs: Each component of the project should be aligned with a service that best fits its requirements, considering factors like features, costs, and ease of integration.

With A+B thinking, you can enjoy numerous benefits such as: 

  • Choose the right tools: Instead of limiting your options to pre-selected solutions, A+B thinking lets you choose the most suitable tools for specific tasks.
  • Increase market speed: With the agility of the A+B strategy, you can innovate and launch products more quickly.
  • Improve efficiency and excellence: Achieve higher process efficiency, cost savings, and operational excellence.
  • Develop superior applications: Create state-of-the-art applications that are custom-made to fit your business needs perfectly.

Key considerations for effective Azure adoption

Choosing the right Azure services is just the first step on the cloud journey. Here are some additional factors for successful Azure adoption:

  • Security first: The business has to prioritise security by implementing robust access controls, encryption, and monitoring practices.
  • Cost optimization: Azure offers various pricing models, such as pay-as-you-go, reserved instances, and others. The business must choose the model that aligns best with their usage patterns to stay cost-effective.
  • Performance optimization: Regularly monitoring and optimising cloud resources to ensure optimal performance and cost efficiency is critical for long-term success.
  • Expertise and support: Companies should take advantage of Microsoft documentation, online communities or consider professional assistance for complex deployments. 

Why You Must Seek Professional Guidance from Rapyder

For complex projects, there can be several benefits of Azure cloud computing partners. These experts can provide tailored recommendations and support throughout the selection and implementation process, ensuring that the Azure solutions align well with your business objectives. For instance, if you are considering Azure cloud computing services, these consultants can help identify the most suitable Azure features and tools for your specific needs. 

With the right Azure services, you can streamline your business operations, enhance security, improve scalability and drive innovation. 

Rapyder is an innovative company that uses dynamic strategies to make cloud technology work for you. The company has a passionate team, who possess the necessary skills and expertise in big data, cloud computing solutions, devops, marketing & commerce and managed services. Rapyder is one of the leading and most reliable providers of strategic cloud consulting. The company received the AWS Consulting Partner award in 2021 and the AWS Migration Success Partner award in 2022. Beyond that, Rapyder also managed to achieve the prestigious Amazon Web Services Managed Service Provider (AWS MSP) status in 2023. This means that the company is eligible to provide all necessary cloud solutions to their clients during their cloud journey.