The Pros and Cons of Choosing an Azure Support Plan from Microsoft

If you’re in need of an Azure support plan, there are several options available to choose from.

Of course, Microsoft does offer some free Azure support for its cloud customers. However, beneath the surface, this provides little more than just the basics.

This mostly comes in the form of online resources like forums, wikis, documentation, and contact with a (usually very busy) help desk.

In this article, we review the options for relying solely on Microsoft for your Azure support. This article should let you judge if that will be enough for your team. Ultimately, our goal is to aid you in finding the most suitable Azure support plan for your business.

The Pros

• You can access in-depth documentation and online resources
• 24-hour support is available on Azure support plans
• You’ll receive fast responses to your enquiries or tickets
• They have extensive man-power and technical capabilities to leverage
• They have intimate knowledge of their Azure cloud platform and ecosystem
• Any changes or updates to the platform won’t be a problem.

The Cons

• You’ll have to sit in a long queue every time you contact them
• You’ll deal with a different rep each time
• They’ll only offer impersonal service, not specific to your unique issue or enquiry
• They’ll have very little knowledge of your specific business or cloud infrastructure challenges
• The support available is limited to the common ground between all their customers and by the Azure support plan you are on
• If you do take a higher level package then the costs rise to an eye watering level as well

The Verdict

It's widely known that Microsoft is a massive global corporation serving hundreds of thousands of cloud customers. Entrusting your entire cloud support function to such a vast tech giant exposes your business to significant risks. Eventually, challenges related to both cloud performance and excessive spending are likely to emerge.

We’d recommend exploring your options further to find a more personal, attentive, and cost-effective approach to cloud support.

To learn more about the options available for Azure support, their pros and cons, and guidance on which is the best choice for your business, read our related article here.