Among several cloud infrastructures for businesses, Microsoft Azure enjoys the trust of millions around the globe. Named a technology leader by Gartner, Microsoft Azure is a growing tech service acquiring more customers with its cloud solutions.
Microsoft Azure has particularly excelled as a Cloud Infrastructure (IAAS) and a Cloud Platform as a Service (PAAS). However, some areas still concern modern businesses.
In this post, find more about the downsides of Microsoft Azure and why it remains a critical tool for businesses.
- Management
Microsoft Azure doesn’t manage your cloud data for you. So, even when you have omitted the need for physical data centers and hard drives, you still need someone who can effectively manage your cloud settings and data.
It’s because IAAS is different from SaaS. In SaaS like Microsoft Office 365, the end-user consumes information but doesn’t necessarily manage it. Therefore, you need an MS Azure expert to manage server monitoring and patching for your business. Otherwise, it can be tough to work with MS Azure as your IaaS.
- Platform Expertise
Cloud servers don’t always work as your local servers. Especially in Azure’s case, you will need substantial expertise to ensure that the cloud and your local machines are working smoothly together.
This becomes a big problem, particularly when shifting from an on-premise server to cloud services. As a result, matching your computing power with the cloud will require more cost.
Therefore, having no or poor platform expertise can force you to spend thousands of dollars every year to keep the system running smoothly on the cloud.
- Speed Issues
Even though Azure is a cloud service, you can’t expect it to rain high-speed performance every time. But, jokes apart, speed can be a significant concern for businesses, especially if you’re in a relatively remote region concerning an MS Azure region.
Currently, Microsoft Azure is present in 54 regions globally, offering solutions to 140 countries on all continents. Regions like the US, Europe, Australia, China, Japan, and India are best suited for Azure cloud services, and speed isn’t much of a concern in these regions.
However, South America only has one access region, i.e., Brazil. Likewise, Africa only has two areas, and so does Canada. So, if you’re not close to these regions, you’re not going to get the best speed for your business.
Since speed is critical for instant backup and downloads, it affects your business efficiency and directly impacts your revenue.
- Single Vendor Strategy
Having a single vendor is supposed to make things more convenient for the customers. But when it comes to cloud solutions and when your data is at stake, a single vendor strategy can be a tricky bet.
Imagine what would happen if you were unable to access your data at a critical time. What if Microsoft services go down temporarily and you’re stranded because all your data is one the cloud.
It’s perhaps the most significant risk attached with Microsoft Azure’s single-vendor strategy. When you’re putting all eggs in one basket, you better be prepared for the consequences too.
Why Businesses Still Prefer MS Azure
Even when Microsoft Azure has some obvious disadvantages, it’s still a highly suitable option for businesses that want to venture into cloud computing. That’s simply because of the ease of operations. Besides, there are many other advantages of Microsoft Azure that outweigh its drawbacks.
If you look closely, most of the flaws are specific to business types. So in general, Azure is still a highly preferred cloud service.
Some of the main advantages of MS Azure include:
- High-quality data security
- Scalability
- Availability
- AI services
- Hybrid infrastructure
- Automation
Conclusion
Switching from What’s wrong to Why not requires research and the right skillset. Microsoft Azure may come across as a challenge at first, but businesses can always learn to work their way around this tool.
And once they do, Microsoft Azure may prove to be a profitable investment, especially in the long run.
