Cloud Platform is Microsoft speak for Microsoft services in the cloud that use Microsoft Azure. Cloud Platform is an overall term to address all of the services on offer in Azure regardless of what your goals or visions are.
With such a vast array of services on offer, knowing which services you should or can use and where is a challenge. At Arcible, we can help you to determine what services best suit your business and help you to migrate to the public cloud.
What Cloud Platform means to Microsoft
To Microsoft, Cloud Platform means services running in their Azure environment: Microsoft’s offering that competes with Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Microsoft Azure is a natural progression for many organisations that have evolved using Microsoft servers on-premises and may have existing agreements like Enterprise Agreement (EA). Arcible, as a Microsoft Partner, are more than familiar with enterprise agreements, Microsoft Azure, and everything in between.
Is Azure just servers in the cloud?
No. Virtual Machnes are just one of a huge spread of services available in Microsoft Azure. Yes, you can run Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) virtual machines in Azure but there’s so much more available that can not only offer you better services but also at lower costs.
At Arcible, we like to think of IaaS VMs in Azure as being the last thing you really want to have; the option that you use when you want to move an application or service to the cloud but can’t re-engineer or re-architect it to capitalise on the benefits of Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) offerings.
How is Azure billed?
Microsoft Azure is billed on consumption. You pay for what you use. There are a number of schemes available to reduce the costs you incur along with ways to mitigate cost all of which Arcible are knowledgeable about and can help guide you through.
Billing and cost management can be controlled and achieved through a number of channels and processes including the Cloud Seller Programme (CSP) which Arcible is a member of: we can manage your billing for you which in turn, enables us to help you understand and control your costs.
What about management of Azure?
If you are thinking of using Microsoft Azure or are already using it then you need to think about you will manage those environments. Arcible Vision is our service exclusively designed to enable Arcible to securely and efficiently manage your Microsoft Azure environments for you.
Arcible Vision is a free service that we offer to customers and instead, we charge by the time you use under our Arcible Assist service.
Learning more about Cloud Platform
This is just the tip of the iceberg when in comes to Microsoft Azure and Cloud Platform. Whether you already know what you want and need help to get there or need someone to help you see the wood through the trees, Arcible can help you. Speak to us to find out more.