Top 9 Microsoft Azure Services for Businesses in 2022

With 95% of Fortune 500 companies using Microsoft Azure, it is one of the most powerful platforms on the market. Over 200 products are included in Azure, so there is a solution for almost any business need. A broad range of products are available, ranging from Virtual Machines to next-generation quantum computing services.

Your business can take advantage of the cost savings, security, and flexibility of the cloud by understanding some of the most commonly used Azure services.

Azure Services

We’ll explore the top 9 Azure services businesses should consider in 2022 in this article.

Azure Active Directory

Azure DevOps

Azure Virtual Machines

Azure Cosmos DB

Azure Backup

Azure Content Delivery Network

Azure Logic Apps

Azure API Management

Azure Cognitive Services

Azure Active Directory

Single sign-on, multifactor authentication, and conditional access are all supported by Azure Active Directory, or AAD. As part of Microsoft’s new Entra product family, Azure Active Directory also includes Permissions Management and Verified ID.

Business can improve their security posture by implementing MFA, which can stop 99.9% of account compromise attacks, as well as implementing Conditional Access policies based on risk. Additionally, AAD increases employee productivity with single sign-on, which allows it to integrate with hundreds of SaaS applications.

With a free edition included with any Azure commercial service subscription, Azure Active Directory can benefit any business size and industry.

Azure DevOps

In Azure DevOps, developers can work together to develop code and collaborate with each other. DevOps features include:

Using Azure DevOps, businesses and developers can deliver applications faster and collaborate more effectively.

Azure Virtual Machines

Azure Virtual Machines are among the many options available for on-demand cloud computing. They can be Windows or Linux virtual machines that perform all the functions of traditional hardware servers. As an example, Azure VMs can be used to develop and test applications, to run applications in the cloud, or to extend datacenters.

Virtual machines are available in many configurations to suit a wide range of workloads. The right VM size can ensure that your cloud investment yields the best results.

Azure Cosmos DB

The Azure Cosmos DB service is a fully-managed NoSQL database service for app development. Businesses can ensure high availability and low latency for applications accessed in multiple locations with just a click. With Cosmos DB’s fully-managed approach, businesses don’t need to worry about database administration, updates, or patches as Cosmos DB is managed by the company.

If you are looking to build or deploy any web, mobile, gaming, or IoT applications that require a huge amount of data, Azure Cosmos DB is a cost-effective and comprehensive NoSQL database service.

Dunedin IT Cloud Dev

Beyond supporting your Cloud Applications like Office 365, and Google Workspace on a day-to-day basis, we’re increasingly engaging with clients regarding how to get the most out of them.

Within these eco-systems are many Apps that can be integrated and scripted to provide a richer experience.

As the adoption of cloud applications becomes commonplace, the next advancement will be joining these different eco-systems together.

Jamie Clague, Dunedin IT Director

Azure Backup

One of the most important and valuable Azure solutions is Azure Backup, enabling secure, cost-effective data backup and recovery. Azure supports a wide range of backup options, including on-prem files, folders, system states, entire Azure VMS, Azure Managed Disks, SQL Servers, databases, and Azure Blobs.

Businesses trust Azure for their backups because of its secure nature, centralised monitoring and management, geo-redundant storage options, and zone redundancy options. The range of options available will ensure that your business can find a solution that works for it.

Azure Content Delivery Network

Azure Content Delivery Network enables you to deliver content quickly across websites, mobile apps, and streaming media. The system works by caching content close to the users and storing it on a distributed network of servers. As a result, latency is minimised while user experience is improved, particularly during periods of heavy load, such as launching a new product.

Businesses that host or stream large files and businesses that experience heavy loads will find this product particularly useful. Additionally, smaller businesses can use it to differentiate themselves from the competition and improve customer service.

Azure Logic Apps

With Azure Logic Apps, businesses can create automated workflows without writing any code. By using the cloud, legacy and modern systems can be connected easily. A big part of what makes Azure Logic Apps so powerful is the fact that it can connect to other cloud services, including Google Cloud, Microsoft 365, Twitter, and Hubspot.

The Azure Logic Apps platform is incredibly useful for businesses that want to integrate data, apps and devices. Additionally, it can be used with Azure Functions to increase flexibility.

Azure API Management

In 2022, Postman reported that 51% of businesses spend more than half of their development effort on APIs. Time spent working with APIs can accelerate business growth, speed up app development and provide immediate value to customers. In Azure API Management, Microsoft aims to simplify this process by allowing users to manage APIs from a single location across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

As a result of Azure API Management’s improved security, all APIs are kept behind a single static IP with keys, tokens, and IT filtering to further enhance security. The Azure API Management service can even transform existing legacy web services into REST-based APIs through façades on your backend servers.

Azure Cognitive Services

In the past five years, artificial intelligence features have become more widespread within applications. The Azure Cognitive Services bring this AI functionality to every developer. In a wide range of applications, AI can be used to see, hear, speak, search, understand, and make decisions through a single API call.

It’s easy for developers to use Azure Cognitive Services since the models are pre-trained with high-quality Microsoft AI research. The cost of building a model from scratch or competing with it is also significantly lower. It is a great place to start if your business is looking to implement AI functionality using Azure Cognitive Services.

How We Can Help

There are both advantages and disadvantages for most businesses to using Microsoft Azure. There is a common drawback to Azure: businesses lack the expertise to use the products effectively or manage an Azure solution to maintain security and cost efficiency. That’s where we can come in. We ensure that you have the right cloud solution for your business and that you get maximum value from it.

We are here to help you make the most of your Azure investment if you want to move to Azure, or if you want to maximise its potential.