Getting Started with Azure: Key Features and Benefits for New Users

Whether you’re new to cloud computing or a seasoned pro, you’ve probably heard of Microsoft Azure. Azure offers a robust platform packed with powerful tools and services to transform your business operations.

But, like most cloud platforms, there are endless configurations, and countless ways to use Azure’s tools —which can make it a little overwhelming if you’re just getting started!

In this beginner’s guide, we’ll explore the fundamentals of Azure: its key features, why you might choose it, and how you can kick-start your cloud computing journey with this powerful tech.

Let’s start with the basics: what is cloud computing?

Cloud computing simplifies how businesses manage and access data, applications, and services over the internet. It provides businesses with scalability in infrastructure, cost-efficiency, and flexibility, making it an ideal choice for startups, enterprises, and everything in between.

Microsoft Azure is a vendor for cloud computing solutions. From Machine Learning, to data storage or compute power supply, Azure helps businesses unlock new ways of operating, and empowers savvy tech teams to hit the ground running.

Benefits of using Azure Cloud

Azure offers companies a number of benefits including:

Scalability: Teams can easily scale resources up or down based on demand, avoiding pricey upfront hardware investments and reducing waste.
Cost Efficiency: With flexible pricing models, you only pay for what you use.
Accessibility: Azure services can be accessed globally from any device connected to the internet —with servers all around the world, you can unlock lower latency, and automatic redundancy to keep your servers always-on and accessible, ensuring minimal downtime.
Reliability and security: Top notch security and data recovery processes means your data is safer than ever stored in Azure.
Access to analytics: Best of all (for data nerds like us!) teams can see exactly how their system is performing and adjust investment and resources accordingly. From a birds-eye view of your cloud environment’s performance, to nitty-gritty drill downs, you can see what’s working, what’s not and where you might need to invest more resources.
Local data centres: Whether for compliance or peace of mind, your organisation may prioritise keeping your data locally – in your country or region. In Australia, Microsoft currently has 3 data centres – Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney. In New Zealand, Microsoft is in the process of building a data centre in Auckland, and there is not currently an ETA on when this will open.

What services Azure has to offer

1. Compute and networking services: Azure Virtual Machines (VMs) offer scalable computing power, while Azure Virtual Network connects your VMs securely. Azure Load Balancer distributes traffic —so you can unlock optimal performance.

2. Storage services: Azure operates through massive global data centres, regions, and availability zones —with the ability to handle large quantities of unstructured data in various storage methods. For instance, File Storage offers managed file shares, and Table Storage manages structured datasets.

3. Identity, access, and security: Microsoft Entra ID manages user identities securely. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) provides fine-grained access management, and Azure Security Center offers advanced threat protection.

4. Cost Management: Azure offers helpful calculators and tools to help you optimise costs. You can use the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and other pricing calculators to estimate your costs and ensure efficient resource allocation.

5. Managing and Deploying Resources: Azure Resource Manager (ARM) simplifies resource management and deployment processes. Azure DevOps facilitates continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD) pipelines.

6. Monitoring Tools: Azure Monitor provides comprehensive insights into your Azure environment, while Application Insights monitors application performance effectively.

Learning the ropes

Diving into Microsoft Azure might seem a bit daunting at first, with all these new terms, tools and services to understand. But, learning these concepts is crucial for anyone looking to harness the full potential of cloud computing.

As cloud computing becomes more integral to business operations, proficiency in Azure is a sought-after skill in the job market. Knowledge of Azure can lead to roles in cloud architecture, development, administration, and more. Understanding Azure allows you to leverage its tools to optimise your processes, reduce costs, and improve service delivery.

Whether you’re an IT professional, developer, or business decision-maker, gaining proficiency in Azure opens up a world of possibilities for innovation, efficiency, and growth.

How Bespoke can help you kick-start your Azure journey

At Bespoke, we’re committed to empowering learners to master Azure. Whether you’re just getting started, or have more experience in cloud, we’ve got structured learning paths and courses designed to supercharge your learning.

Explore our Fundamentals Course: Start with our Azure Fundamentals course, designed for beginners to grasp Azure’s basics and core concepts.
Take a look at our Learning Paths: Progress through our Azure Learning Paths, tailored to different roles and expertise levels, ensuring a guided approach to mastering Azure services.

No matter your skill level, Bespoke’s resources, labs, and expert guidance will equip you with the skills and knowledge needed to leverage Azure effectively. From foundational concepts to technical execution, there’s a course to help you unlock a new level of cloud understanding.

Embark on your Azure journey with confidence. Explore Azure’s capabilities, dive into hands-on labs, and discover how Bespoke can support your learning every step of the way. Ready to get started? Get in touch today to explore your learning journey!