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Your Azure Cloud Hosting Provider Needs Treating Like You’d Treat Any Other Supplier

Are you getting as much value as you could be from your current Azure cloud hosting arrangement? If you’re like most businesses out there, the answer is probably no.

Working with a consultant or Microsoft partner as your Azure cloud hosting provider tends to be the most common approach businesses take to their cloud hosting agreement. With so much complexity involved, it’s understandable if you find it easier to outsource your cloud hosting to a third-party rather than worry about it in-house.

However, you may not realise you don’t have to stay tied down to one hosting provider for the long-term like you did with the fixed costs of traditional on-premise IT hosting.

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View the Cloud Like a Commodity

Based on our experience, we highly recommend reviewing your Azure cloud hosting arrangement on a regular basis, just like you would with any other supplier.

Instead of staying committed exclusively to one platform from one provider, whether that’s Azure, AWS, or any other, take advantage of whichever one suits you best at the time. It’s wise to use the flexibility offered by the cloud to build a bespoke IT infrastructure ideal for your particular requirements. You can leverage different services and solutions from different cloud platforms for your own benefit.

Embracing the perspective of viewing the cloud as a commodity entails recognising its fundamental role as a readily available and scalable resource, akin to traditional commodities. In this context, cloud services are not merely a technological infrastructure but rather a utility that can be leveraged on demand.

Much like accessing electricity or water, the cloud is positioned as an essential and easily accessible tool for businesses, allowing them to dynamically adjust their computing resources according to fluctuating needs. This paradigm shift encourages you to perceive cloud services not only as a technological enabler but as a strategic asset, fostering agility and efficiency.

Like with any subscription service, if your service was poor, if your prices increased, or if a better alternative became available, you’d change things.

With the cloud, you’re not stuck to one provider or partner like you were with traditional on-premise servers. You should constantly look out to help your business’s bottom line by remaining aware of the options available.

When it comes to Azure hosting, you need to be making strategic decisions that will be best for your business and your commercial needs. Thankfully, the flexibility of the current cloud ecosystem affords you the luxury to find the most cost-effective solution without compromising on performance.

Are you looking to gain more value from your Microsoft Azure cloud hosting arrangement? Read our related article to learn more about the opportunities available when you keep your options open.