Five ways that Microsoft Azure can make you more efficient

Azure can make you more efficient: Azure is a comprehensive cloud platform that provides over 200 products and cloud services, ranging from databases to virtual desktops, quantum computing, and machine learning applications. For businesses, Azure offers a wide range of benefits, including increased security, centralised management, and most importantly, cost savings. Here are five ways that Microsoft Azure can make your business more efficient.

Efficient access control with Azure Active Directory

Many businesses struggle with efficient access control and identity management

Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) is a cloud-based identity and access management solution. It provides a robust set of features to increase security through enabling conditional access and multifactor authentication deployment. One of the key time-saving features of Azure AD is its single sign-on capability, which supports thousands of SaaS applications. With Azure AD, users can sign in to all their necessary applications with a single login, increasing security and saving time.

Work smarter with Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD)

The cost and management of desktops and applications can cause businesses a lot of hassle

Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) is a virtual desktop solution that allows users to access Windows 10 desktops and applications from anywhere, on any device. By moving desktops to the Azure cloud, businesses can spend less on powerful desktops and laptops, as the computing power is no longer needed on the individual device. This also allows the possibility of a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programme to be introduced, further reducing costs associated with hardware. AVD also allows session hosts to be scaled automatically to balance loads, increasing the user experience for those using more computing power, while optimising the cost of each virtual machine. Other benefits of AVD include increased security, centralised management, and increased flexibility of working location and device.

Reduce Cloud Spending with Azure Cost Management and Billing solutions

Cloud spending can spiral out of control in many businesses

Azure Cost Management and Billing is a product in the Azure suite that is designed to optimise cloud efficiency and decrease overall spending within your Azure subscription. Through Azure Cost Management and Billing, organisations can analyse their previous and current month’s Azure spending in detail to check for correct invoice amounts, estimates for upcoming months, and whether different cost entities are within budget. In the Budget feature, organisations can set a budget, and if the budget may be exceeded, it will automatically shut down or change service tiers to ensure bills will not be higher than expected. Finally, the Azure Advisor can give recommendations on how to decrease overall costs and optimise usage by changing product tiers or through optimisation of database usage.

Efficient user and workspace management with the Azure Portal

It can be challenging to get efficient user and workspace management

One of the key benefits of moving workloads to the Azure cloud is it enables IT Admins to manage all services from one portal. Because of this, within the Azure Portal, IT Admins can manage an organisation’s Azure subscription, including everything from simple web apps to complex cloud deployments. Having these centralised management capabilities greatly decreases the time involved in troubleshooting issues, deploying new products and services, and it supports the move to a hybrid workplace as IT Admins can manage the services from anywhere, on any device.

Be more secure, with Azure Security Centre

Cloud cyber security risks include unauthorised access and severe data breaches

In addition, Azure was built from the ground up with security in mind. Microsoft provides multi-layered security with over 200 physical data centres and a team of more than 3,500 cyber security experts working together to safeguard your business assets and data. Azure also includes threat detection and centralised workload protection within the Azure Security Centre. Having this visibility of all threats decreases the risk of a costly cyberattack and secures both your network and your data.