How to choose between AWS & Azure for a cloud Platform?

Before the Cloud Computing platforms were introduced, businesses largely depend on servers, databases, hardware, software, and other means to move their business online. To ensure their websites and apps were easily available to the users, companies had to invest in these components.

Businesses have comprehended the competences of cloud computing and its benefits. Nevertheless, before moving the entire business process to the cloud, it is important to do an exhaustive research and consider all the necessary things that could affect the business.

The acceptance of cloud computing solutions rapidly became a crucial driving force for businesses today, as applications are stirred out of on-premise data centres in a proposition to modernize, make it cost-effective and upsurge quickness.

According to Logic Monitor’s survey 41% of enterprise workloads will be run on public cloud platforms (Amazon AWS, Google Cloud Platform, IBM Cloud, Microsoft Azure and others) by 2024. An additional 20% are predicted to be private-cloud-based followed by another 22% running on hybrid cloud platforms by 2024.

Cloud Service Models

Cloud computing has three main models each having their own benefits serving the needs of different types of businesses.

• SaaS (Software as a Service)
• IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)
• PaaS (Platform as a Service).

SaaS

SaaS or Software as a Service is a clod service model that gives rapid access to the cloud-based web applications. The vendor wheels the complete computing stack, which is accessible through a web browser. These applications run on the cloud and can be used with a paid licensed subscription or for free but with limited options.

IaaS

IaaS or Infrastructure as a Service is fundamentally a computer-generated facility of figuring resources over the cloud. An IaaS cloud provider can provide with an array of computing infrastructures such as storage, servers, networking hardware together with support & maintenance.

PaaS

Platform as a Service or PaaS is fundamentally a cloud base that allows you to develop, test, and organize diverse applications for your business. Implementing PaaS streamlines the course of enterprise software development. The computer-generated runtime setting provided by PaaS provides a constructive space for developing and testing all the applications.

What to consider when choosing a cloud platform?

While making an important decision of whom to choose to manage your cloud storage needs, there are five things to be considered.

Security Capabilities

Security is the primary reasons that is holding back business owners from accepting the cloud. When we choose a cloud storage provider, we are basically handing over our confidential & valuable data to a third-party expecting them to keep it safe. Despite that, we hear a lot about security breaches. Hence, while picking a cloud storage provider ensure they have enough security measures like anti-virus, data encryption, timely security audits, & firewalls.

Price Considerations

Major reason for companies to start using cloud was to bring down the operation costs. With so many options in cloud the market process have become very competitive. Keep in all factors in mind and the amount of data that you need to store before choosing the cloud storage provider. Choose the one that has the best pricing plan along with benefits.

Data Storage Location

Storing data in the cloud isn’t some vague, intangible concept. The data is actually stored in a physical location which is later transferred over the internet. So keep in mind that the data storage location is at risks like tornadoes, earthquakes, etc, they should have a plan on how to protect & save your data in these emergencies.

Tech Support

If you are using a technology, there are bound to be some issues, that need to be solved every now and then. Hence, it is important that when you face any technical issues there should be tech support provided by the provider.

What is AWS?

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is extensively used to protect cloud services platform, providing computing power, content delivery, database storage, and other functionalities to help businesses grow.

According to data from the result report, sales of AWS increased by 20% to $280.5 billion in comparison to $232.9 billion in 2024.

AWS is predicted to extend its market dominance with 52% market share by 2024.

AWS Features

There are some amazing features of AWS that make it reliable among the others.

AWS Mobile Hub

This AWS service is for Android & iOS both. AWS Mobile Hub supports & directs you in the direction of appropriate and well-matched features for your app. It includes a console that supports you to access AWS services which entail development, testing, and monitoring of the apps.

AWS Mobile SDK

Using this AWS feature, your app will get direct access to Amazon Web Services such as DynamoDB, S3, and Lambda. Mobile SDK supports IOS, Android, Web, React Native, Unity and more.

Serverless Cloud Functions

Amazon API & Amazon Gateway helps the users to run their code & scaling it, but they need to upload the code with the help of mobile phones. AWS Serverless Cloud Functions support the user in such a way that they focus on building the application.

Databases

Amazon provides databases as a requirement and the database provided are completely managed by them. Some of the databases and their uses are relational database, non-relational database, data warehouse, in-memory data store, graph database.

Storage

Storage is one of the important AWS features, provided by Amazon which is economical, flexible and easy to use. Types of storage provided by AWS are Amazon Glacier, amazon simple storage services, & the Amazon EBS.

Security and Compliance

Most of the companies rely on AWS hence it provides extreme security to the data provided by them. AWS features permit the customer to scale and modernize. Customers pay for the service only. Furthermore, there are no upfront costs.

PROS of AWS

• Comprehensive & profound service offerings
• Strong partner ecosystem
• Trusted by many
• High Transfer Stability
• Trifling data is misplaced during server and storage transfer
• Propositions data centers for accessibility and low expectancy
• Improved DevOps support
• Modest licensing method
• Robust support for Bl and analytics

CONS of AWS

• Less hybrid- cloud-friendly
• Not prepared to handle as many requests as it receives
• AWS has poor customer support
• Unsuited and Feeble Hybrid Approach
• Less open private cloud, making it an unpopular storage option for sensitive industries like banking

What is Azure?

Azure is an open source and flexible cloud platform that supports in developing, service hosting, management, and data storage. Azure makes available one of the fastest and scalable cloud solutions on the market.

A study found 42% of respondents are predicting Microsoft Azure will gain more market share by 2024.

Azure certifications are a great way to start a career in cloud services. Microsoft Azure is one of the top cloud providers in the world. With the increase in the number of cloud providers and the number of organizations making use of cloud-based services, Azure Certification can help you establish yourself as an Azure expert.

Azure certification by Microsoft will help you develop the foundations in cloud services. The certification is great for beginners, who have just started with cloud services. The certification has been designed while keeping in mind the industry knowledge required to become an Azure architect. If you are an advanced-level cloud architect, the Azure certification will help you legitimize your skills.

To get an Azure certification, you will have to clear the certification exam which will test the candidates on various cloud-based skills such as Cloud Concepts, Azure Cost Management, Compliance, Privacy, Governance, and Identity Features, Core Azure Services, General Security Features and Azure Management Tools

To make sure that you clear the certification exam on your first go, you can enroll in an Azure Certification course. You can choose a self-paced learning model or can opt for an instructor-led model, depending upon your preference. This will help you cover the whole syllabus of the Azure certification exam and make sure that you are ready for all types of questions.

Azure Features

There are some amazing features of Azure that you must look into

Reliability

You don’t need to fear about the data security and safety, because Microsoft Azure Cloud offers you with security for your information through a team of specialists and experts. It has been trusted by the government institutions and private, developing, and large companies.

Operate Hybrid Seamlessly

Azure Cloud is categorized by the capability to work with MultiCloud without any effort, to integrate and manage cloud computing setting with different cloud settings used by the organization. It allows employees to work remotely using the VDI Virtual Desktop.

PROS of Azure

• Ability to create, sustain and install applications
• Completely scalable cloud computing platform
• Full support for Microsoft legacy apps
• Better cognizance of enterprise requirements
• Easy one-click migrations
• Support for mixed Linux/Windows settings

CONS of Azure

• Don’t have a transparent Customer service, and data is hosted globally.
• Extra charges as you go
• Cloud-based services has many bugs, which will require extra money to fix them.
• Compared to AWS non-Windows platforms are less flexible

Key Difference between AWS & Azure

• Both support hybrid cloud but compared to AWS, Azure is better in term of quality.
• AWS provides direct connections whereas Azure provides express routes.
• AWS provides security on specific roles with the permission control feature whereas Azure offers it on the whole account.
• AWS machines can be assessed separately, but Azure machines are assembled into cloud service & react to the same domain name with several ports.
• AWS has a Virtual Private Cloud, but Azure has a Virtual Network Cloud.

Summing Up

Both Cloud platforms have potential competences making it difficult to pick one as the best. Azure is prodigious when talking about to Hybrid Cloud and integrating with Microsoft stack of products but AWS has extra features & is more flexible churning down to what you or your organization requires. Hence, you must choose wisely. Though there is an increase in the market share of Microsoft Azure recently, but not to an amount where there is an actual competition between the two.

Furthermore, both keep introducing new products, integrations, and pricing structures. Hence, the final choice will be depended on the requirement of the organization. Based on these requirements and the pricing you can make the final choice.