According to Microsoft itself, “The Azure cloud platform is more than 200 products and cloud services designed to help you bring new solutions to life—to solve today’s challenges and create the future. Build, run, and manage applications across multiple clouds, on-premises, and at the edge, with the tools and frameworks of your choice.”
Essentially, Microsoft Azure is a treasure trove of highly advanced cloud-based tools and applications. Azure offers a wide range of general product categories, such as AI + Machine Learning, Analytics, Databases, Internet of Things, Mixed Reality, Mobile, Security, and more.
Beyond these many products within the main Azure umbrella, there are also many trainings offered to help you get started. Furthermore, there’s an application marketplace on Azure, where you can search through thousands of third-party tools that integrate with Microsoft’s services. Enterprises that are serious about optimizing operations need to take a look at Microsoft Azure. But what are some ways organizations can start using Azure to their advantage today?
How Can Businesses Use Microsoft Azure?
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It’s one thing to see all the shiny bells and whistles of a product, but it’s another to put them to use. Here’s where the rubber really hit the road with Microsoft Azure:
Being Cloud Native Means Enhanced Scalability
Microsoft Azure provides a mechanism for enterprises to manage their hybrid clouds more efficiently. Azure’s capabilities to work with other clouds, on-premise, and on the edge, means no job is beyond its scope.
There’s also the cost benefit of Azure being a powerful hybrid cloud platform. Organizations can scale appropriately based on actual usage, so no capital is wasted and can instead be deployed elsewhere. There’s even an Azure cost optimization tool designed specifically to help you get the most bang for your buck.
Upgrade Analytic Capabilities
Microsoft Azure has a strong lineup of analytics tools. Synapse Analytics and Databricks are two of the more commonly used Microsoft Azure analytics But these are only the tip of the iceberg There are tons of third-party organizations that have tools on the Azure marketplace.
With thousands of options out there, it’s likely you’ll find some built specifically for organizations like yours. Some offer analytics tools that will vastly upgrade your current BI suite. ThoughtSpot, for example, offers a relational search tool, which allows users to query data the same way they would when using a search engine. This allows those without data expertise to do their own analysis.
Develop A Data Culture
Continuing from the previous point, enterprises can utilize Azure in their quest to develop a data culture. What does this mean, and why is it significant for organizations today? Developing a data culture is about creating an environment where decision-making inherently falls onto data.
There are a few distinct advantages to this. First, using data to drive action is typically going to lead to better outcomes than going in without hard facts. When an organization knows this, they’ll just immediately look to data instead of falling back on opinions. As egos keep taking a back seat to data, businesses can realize their fullest potential.
Wrapping Up
Microsoft Azure is an ideal platform to grow a data culture. It combines some of the most essential elements of data democratization. Many applications are powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning, which enables tools that can serve a wider audience.
Data democratization and building a data culture is yet another advantage to being cloud-based. Applications can be used anywhere there’s a connection to the Internet. Having access to training materials is also hugely helpful for making Azure accessible to the masses.
Overall, there’s a lot that can be done with Microsoft Azure. Taking the time to understand what it is and what it can do for your organization can be a worthwhile investment of your time. Hopefully this sets you on the right path.
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