-
Article
Azure cloud platform updates has AWS looking over its shoulder
Microsoft Azure is advancing on Amazon Web Services, bolstering its cloud repertoire with new features, such as Docker support, massive VMs and security. Read Now
-
Podcast
Is AWS ceding cloud market share to Microsoft Azure and Google?
When it comes to cloud, Amazon Web Services is still at the top of the food chain. But Microsoft Azure and Google are fighting hard to change that. Listen Now
-
Article
Crowning a cloud storage champ: AWS battles Google, Azure
Microsoft Azure, AWS and Google are battling for cloud storage supremacy. And with similar prices, choosing a winner goes beyond the almighty dollar. Read Now
-
Article
Will AWS platform services leave Azure PaaS in the dust?
When it comes to PaaS, Microsoft Azure cloud has come up short. Will Azure's blunder be a ticket to success for AWS' platform services? Read Now
Editor's note
When it comes to cloud computing, Microsoft is a big fish in a growing pond. Widely considered one of the top three cloud providers alongside Amazon Web Services and Google, Microsoft Azure is a force to be reckoned with. However, the cloud market remains highly competitive -- and shows no signs of slowing down.
Microsoft's cloud platform, formerly known as Windows Azure, includes infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and platform as a service (PaaS), as well as other features for management, security controls, mobility, networking, analytics and more. Azure also supports third-party software.
Despite Azure's benefits and strong service offerings, nothing is perfect. In addition to a reputation for being difficult to manage, outages have been an issue for Azure. And while no cloud provider can boast 100% uptime, Azure experienced nearly 40 hours of downtime last year. So for enterprises considering Azure, there's a lot to know before deciding if it's the cloud for you.
1Developing and managing in Microsoft Azure cloud
Choosing a provider is only the beginning for enterprises adopting cloud. Cloud management, for example, is crucial, so enterprises need to ensure the proper management tools and services are in place. And while managing the Azure cloud platform can be challenging, third-party services, along with Microsoft's own tools, can help. But to manage Azure cloud effectively, users need to stay up-to-date with its latest capabilities, services and more. What development and management strategies do Azure users need to know?
-
Article
Arming cloud developers with essential Azure knowledge
Before using the Azure cloud platform, developers must arm themselves with these best practices for resiliency, availability, coding, security and management. Read Now
-
Article
Azure capitalizing on the value of video in the cloud
With YouTube becoming a hit, enterprises are hungry for video. And Microsoft is satisfying their appetites with Windows Azure Media Services -- a business-friendly video service in the cloud. Read Now
2Microsoft Azure cloud suffers outages, other issues
While cloud computing offers a range of benefits from scalability and cost-efficiency, nothing is perfect. For cloud providers, outages are an unavoidable plague, and Microsoft Azure cloud has certainly had its share of disruptions. Although some customers accept outages and other issues as an unfortunate part of the cloud package, providers must minimize and respond to downtime to maintain user satisfaction. In order to shore up its place among the top cloud vendors, Microsoft needs to limit Azure's downtime going forward.