The race to the cloud has picked up momentum within the past five years. With multiple options on the market for businesses to choose from, it’s hard to decide how exactly a business is going to get into the cloud. There have been two companies in particular that have been leading the way in the cloud race. An article by Network World referenced Gartner’s annual report card that shows Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure, among public Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) providers, AWS and Azure are leading the way.
Deciding between AWS and Azure isn’t a quick decision to make, but we’re here to help to make sure whatever your decision is, it is well-informed. Below we have highlighted some of the key features of both platforms.
Cloud Computing Capabilities
Microsoft Azure: Microsoft Azure provides enterprise-level computing power to SMBs at a fraction of the cost. Users can deploy virtual machines in Azure in a matter of minutes to scale up for additional processing and storage capabilities. Azure can also be used to host websites, intranets, and other online platforms that are all backed by Microsoft’s uptime guarantee. One great benefit of Microsoft Azure is that it works seamlessly with other Microsoft applications. So integrating Office, Exchange, and SharePoint with the cloud is seamless, and it provides employees with a user experience they are familiar with.
AWS: The computing component of AWS is known as Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2 or EC2). Amazon EC2 is accessible via a simple web interface that allows users to configure their storage and computing needs with the click of a button. New server instances can be booted in minutes, which allow for effortless scaling of resources. With AWS, users have complete control of instances including root access to each instance. Amazon EC2 allows users to interact with virtual machines in the same way they would physical machine – which can smooth out the transition to the cloud from on-site, physical instances.
Availability
Microsoft Azure: According to Microsoft’s Service Level Agreement (SLA), Azure components have a guaranteed uptime of at least 99.9%. Users also have the option of selecting at least two availability zones to host their data. With Locally Redundant Storage (LRS), data is stored within a company’s primary geographic region. Azure then offers Geo Redundant Storage (GRS) which stores data at a secondary region at least 250 miles from the primary region but within the same geography. Azure does offer more enhanced abilities to leverage Microsoft’s Global Data Centers.
AWS: AWS has a guaranteed uptime of at least 99.95%. Additionally, users are able to choose from multiple availability zones to ensure that their data is always accessible. Each Amazon EC2 region is designed to be completely isolated from the other Amazon EC2 regions. Users can choose availability zones in different parts of one country, or spread across the world.
Not sure of what cloud provider to choose to move your business to the cloud? At Roan Solutions, we’re here to help. Connect with us today and speak to a Roan Solutions consultant to set up a plan that is right for your business’s needs.
