Cloud Computing: 5 unique things you can do with Azure
Users of Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform already know how effective it is for small business use, but even these enthusiastic fans may be missing out on some of its features. Azure has been one of the dominant cloud services for years now, and its capabilities continue to grow. As a result, you may not be getting the most out of this industry-leading cloud platform.
Visual Studio Team Services
Your business cannot thrive if your staff cannot easily collaborate with each other. However, Azure makes collaboration easy with its Visual Studio Team Services. These tools are user-friendly, so your staff members don’t have to be tech geniuses to use them.
Developers, IT experts, or department leaders can use this Azure application to work with others anywhere in the world to deliver applications, share code changes, develop new products, or streamline delivery processes. Companies can even use visual studio team services to build their service portfolio.
Internet of Things
The Internet of Things, or IoT, refers to physical items that are embedded with software, sensors, etc. that allow them to interconnect and be controlled from multiple computing devices. You may already use IoT as an individual to monitor your home’s security, adjust its heating and cooling, or keep an eye on your dog.
Azure is a leader in this area for business applications and can give your business the ability to track consumer behavior and recommend certain products to individuals. You can use Azure to track and manage inventory and also facilitate remote work among other applications.
Azure Storage
Azure storage offers a unique combination of storage benefits. The platform’s redundancy means you can easily recover data in the face of catastrophic hardware issues. You can choose to copy data by geographical regions or by data center, so your company’s information remains safe and accessible in the face of natural disasters, local failures, or other outage causes.
All data is encrypted, scalable, and accessible worldwide. Azure Storage keeps your data safe and provides tools that help you manage it.
Course Management
Effective staff training can be a frustrating and time-consuming endeavor. Azure offers you Moodle, a learning platform that lets you create online courses for employees at varying skill levels.
Most small businesses must create their own training materials and assign staff members to teach the material. Creating your own online training means the courses can be standardized and most of the work can be done independently by employees. You can save time and money by creating a customized training system with Azure.
Final Thoughts
Small businesses improve their productivity and profitability when they use the right Cloud platform. Azure has a history of providing storage and application tools that help small businesses better manage their data, product development, and customer base.
Even if you’re a long-time Azure user, you may have overlooked some of the platform’s uses and benefits. Take some time to explore these helpful features and put them to use for your business.
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