Microsoft Azure allows you to build, deploy, and manage a diverse set of applications, services, and data centers across a global network. We'll look at what Microsoft Azure has to offer, compare it to other web services like Google Cloud, talk about Azure certification and how to prepare for it, and a lot more. For more information, go to https://qwikskills.com/blog/microsoft-azure .

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2. What is Microsoft Azure? A complete guide to Microsoft’s
cloud computing services.
Microsoft Azure is one of the top 3 cloud computing service providers. At its core it
provides solutions including Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service
(PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS), using cloud infrastructure they provide a
range of products to enable businesses with analytics, virtual computing, storage,
networking, and many other services. Formerly known as Windows Azure, Microsoft
Azure was launched in 2010, and now has over 200+ products, and a global reach of
140+ countries. With data centers in 54 global regions, Microsoft Azure is providing
businesses with an elastic cloud infrastructure thereby helping them digitally transform
their business operations.
Today, Microsoft Azure is second largest cloud company after the AWS and serves to
huge numbers of customers, applications and solutions. But it started as back in 2008
as project name Red Dog. The meaning of word ‘Azure’ is literally is bright blue in
colour like cloudless sky. Yes, relatable cloud!
Currently Microsoft Azure has the second highest controlling share in the market for
cloud services. According to a Statista report Azure commanded a whopping 22% of the
total market share as of 2021’s second quarter. It’s also trusted by 95% of Fortune 500
businesses according to Microsoft.
Microsoft has leveraged its existing market hold in the legacy systems, by providing
hybrid solutions to push companies to adopt cloud technology. In this article we’re going
to take an in-depth look at everything that Microsoft Azure has to offer in terms of it’s
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3. cloud computing services, and certifications, and compare its performance with the likes
of Google, and Amazon.
Let’s begin by taking a look at some of the services offered by Microsoft Azure.
What Does Microsoft Azure Offer?
Microsoft is consistently growing it’s range of services, it currently provides you with all
the essential tools needed to build a virtual network, and deliver services/ applications
across the globe.
Here are some of their popular offerings
● SQL Databases: Azure offers managed SQL databases. This allows you to save
the overhead cost of hardware, and software ne
● eded. It also avoids the need for hiring an in-house expert, and their elastic
model lets you scale up in numbers in a matter of minutes.
● Azure Active Directory Domain Services: This service lets you remotely
manage group policy, authentication, and much more. It enables enterprises to
maintain a strong and secure network that can be moved with the ease of a few
simple clicks. This is built using the same technology as Windows Active
Directory.
● Virtual Machines: Microsoft Azure offers a plethora of existing templates to build
your own Microsoft/Linux virtual machines in just a matter of minutes.
● Storage: Microsoft offers a very flexible pricing structure making it cost effective
for companies to store their infrequently used data, their data centers also allow
you to leverage centers from across the globe to store and access all of your
data.
● Application Services: Azure WebApps has made it super simple to create,
manage, test and deploy web applications with ease. You can leverage prebuilt
APIs for popular services like Salesforce or the Office suite, and scale your app
in no time!
● Visual Studio Team Services: A developers sidekick, the visual studio team
offers a complete application lifecycle management solution in the cloud. You can
share and track code changes, perform testing, and deliver applications around
the world with ease.
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4. These are just some of the many offerings that Azure provides in terms of cloud
services. You can click here to explore their full range of services.
Microsoft Azure Vs Amazon Web Services VS Google Cloud
Platform
While there are one too many cloud providers in the market, to try and count for the
race for the top has been reserved for three industry sharks, Amazon, Google and
Microsoft. The whole world is moving onto the trend of using cloud services, it’s the way
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5. to go with the internet. The question is no longer why you should use cloud but rather
more of who should you choose when picking a cloud service provider? While there are
a bunch to pick from in this section right here we’re going to focus on all the offerings
that differentiate the big 3: Amazon, Google and Microsoft, to help you conclude which
one is better for YOU!
Now when speaking of what sets them apart there's a bunch of things to consider,
because on the face of it all three are great cloud service providers, in a highly
competitive rivalry with each other which means that as a customer you’re guaranteed
to get almost all of the mainstream cloud services and be satisfied with their quality from
either of the providers regardless of who you choose.
Comparison at a glance
Microsoft: A very close competitor to Amazon, Microsoft is the runner up leading cloud
service provider in the market. With its years of experience with working to help build
professional tools to accelerate businesses you might say Microsoft has an inside
window into figuring out the needs of an enterprise. It completely understands the
functionality of businesses, and focuses heavily on providing seamless interoperability
to businesses that are still keeping their roots attached with their private data centers.
What are some services offered by Microsoft Azure?
Here’s a bunch of services that Microsoft Azure offers:
● Game and app development
● Scalable data warehousing
● DevOps
● Blockchain technology
● Big data and predictive analytics
● IoT
Amazon: AWS is the leading cloud service provider. They were the first to market, and
enjoyed staying in the market without any competition, giving it time to establish it’s
market share for quite some time before Microsoft and Google came around. AWS is a
powerful cloud platform but its primary focus is on public cloud, meaning that
interoperability isn’t the top priority at an Amazon data center if you’re a private or hybrid
cloud enterprise. Their cost structure can also be a little confusing for businesses to fully
understand.
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6. What kind of services would you find at Amazon Web Services?
Amazon offers a range of cloud services, and they’re adding onto this list quite
frequently. But when you sign up for AWS you’re basically signing up for:
● Developer, engagement, and management tools
● Database and storage solutions
● Business productivity tools
● App integrations
● Compute
● Machine learning and predictive analysis
Google: While Google was last to enter the cloud market they are a very well funded
enterprise in the competition. Compared to the other two it doesn’t have as much focus
on enterprise, but where it lacks in this it more than makes up for with its expertise in
tech. Google is an industry leader when it comes to deep learning, artificial intelligence,
and machine learning.
What kind of services would you find with Google Cloud Platform?
GCP offers a relative ease of use and setup making it easy for newcomers looking for
cloud services. With GCP you can find:
● App development
● SMB business analytics and AI
● Productivity and workload management tools
● Data management and storage
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7. Here's a table that gives you an overview of the key differences between the three
platforms
Microsoft Azure Amazon Web Service Google Cloud Platform
Pricing: Flexible pricing. Pricing: Wide range of
pricing options and
discounts for large
companies.
Pricing: Budget Friendly,
good for startup’s.
Compute: Provides Hybrid
solutions. Azure is famous
for it’s Virtual Machine and
AI optimization service.
Compute:They dominate
in terms of sheer size and
offerings. Limited scope for
personalisation
Compute: Compatible with
Windows and Linux, you
can custom configure the
platform or get a
predefined machine type.
Storage: Strong back up
options, offer a range of
off-site storage options for
non-essential features.
Highest number of
SQL-supported databases.
Storage: Basic backup
system service, wide
variety of options to pick
from.
Storage: SQL and NoSQL
support however they lack
in providing backup
options.
Tools:Building stronger AI,
can scale up or scale down
with ease. Beneficial with
the existing Windows suite
Tools:
Innovative AI and machine
learning tech.
Tools:They provide a
range of tools and services
however Amazon is a
strong leader in this space
Ideal For:
● Developers.
● Enterprises using
mostly Windows
services.
● Enterprises moving
to cloud for the first
time.
● Anyone in the
gaming industry
Ideal For:
● Larger Companies.
● Businesses looking
for flexibility and a
wide presence
range of services.
● Looking to expand
to a global market.
● Looking for stable
reliable service from
a reputable
company
Ideal For:
● Sustainable
companies finding a
green solution.
(They have energy
efficient data
centers)
● Individuals/Enterpris
es involved in
developing and
deploying web apps
and websites.
● Companies with
hyperscale
networking
environments.
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8. Everything You Need To Know About Azure Certifications
Microsoft Azure is one of the most in demand cloud service providers, the cloud industry
is growing by a storm and Azure is one of the giants riding this wave, a Microsoft Azure
certification can help you land a job working with Microsoft. Hence accelerating your
career, and providing you with a whole new field of opportunities.
Why get an Azure certification?
Like we just said Microsoft is one of the fastest growing cloud service providers in the
industry getting certified with Azure opens up a whole range of opportunities and comes
packed with benefits. Here are some top reasons to consider getting an Azure
certification:
● Cloud is an ever growing space, having an Azure certification opens up the door
to a lot more career options.
● It validates your learning experience.
● Flexible Career: These certifications allow you to explore a variety of roles, it’s
also a universally accepted certification, making it an ideal choice for individuals
looking to travel.
● Attractive Salary Packages: Currently the demand for cloud practitioners is very
high.The starting packages for individuals with an Azure specific certification is
much higher than a generic certification as Microsoft is looking to expand it’s
universe of developers.
● Safest career choice: Having a career in cloud safeguards your future. All
businesses are making a switch to the cloud, an Azure certification provides
individuals with the opportunity to be a part of the future.
Now that we’ve covered all the reasons to get certified let’s deep dive into the
certifications Azure offers.
What are the different kinds of certifications offered by
Azure?
Cloud computing is a dynamic space that’s consistently evolving and expanding with
technological evolution. This is why companies like Microsoft are consistently reviewing,
and updating their courses to ensure that these certifications are up to date, and offer all
the practical knowledge needed to work in the field of cloud technology. Currently
Microsoft Azure offers 18 certifications that are divided into 19 exams. These
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9. certifications are spanned across 3 levels: Fundamental, Associate(Role-based), and
Expert. They focus entirely on testing an individual's familiarity, comfort, and expertise in
cloud technology being used at Microsoft.
Fundamental Level Azure Certifications
● Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Exam AZ-900: The ideal certification for
beginners looking to get their feet wet with cloud certifications. It helps non
technical candidates understand cloud services that span across areas like
sales, purchasing and marketing. It covers concepts like High Availability,
Scalability, Fault Tolerance, Disaster Recovery, Scalability, and the difference
between CapEx and OpEx. It also tests a candidate's knowledge of regions,
availability zones, Azure Resource Manager, architectural components, firewall,
DDoS protection, describe Azure subscriptions, and pricing plans.
● Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals Exam AI-900: Artificial Intelligence is
gaining immense popularity, this certification tests a candidate's knowledge of
artificial intelligence and machine learning. It tests whether candidates can
describe AI workloads, identify features of common AI workloads, and describe
fundamental principles of machine learning on Azure. It also tests an individual's
knowledge of computer vision workloads on Azure, and the ability to identify tools
and services needed for NLP workloads, and computer vision tasks. If you’re
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10. comfortable with describing features of conversational AI workloads, and identify
common use cases this certification is for you.
● Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals Exam DP-900: This exam covers
concepts of core data such as relational and non-relational data, and a
candidates ability to implement them on Azure architecture. It tests knowledge of
different core data workloads, data analytics, relational Azure data services such
as PaaS, IaaS, and SaaS delivery models. It explores an individual's ability to
identify basic management tasks like provisioning, and deploying relational data
services, and describing query techniques using SQL languages. It also focuses
on non relational data workloads, and offerings, and analytics workloads and
components of data warehouses. In summation this certification is the perfect
foundational course for anyone interested in data.
Associate Level Microsoft Azure Certifications
● Azure Administrator Associate Exam AZ-104: An updated version of
Administrator AZ-103, this exam covers the knowledge and capabilities required
to configure and manage compute, storage, virtual networking, and
understanding of the Azure environment. This role tests knowledge of role based
access control, Azure policies and resources, managing storage accounts and
data. Configuring virtual machines, virtual networking, backup and monitoring
Azure resources.
● Developer Associate Exam AZ-204: This certification tests an individual's ability
to design, build and test applications using Microsoft Azure. It requires a 1-2 year
prior experience in development experience and knowledge of data storage,
Azure SDKs, monitoring, debugging and performance tuning. It also tests an
individual’s knowledge of IaaS services, implementation of Azure functions,
ability to develop solutions for Cosmos storage and blob storage, knowledge of
Azure security, and knowledge regarding developing applications and managing
APIs.
● Microsoft Azure Security Engineer AZ-500: This certification is fit for
individual’s that can implement and manage security controls, identity and
access management. As a security engineer at Azure you’re expected to know
how to manage and secure cloud based solutions. It also looks into the ability to
secure hybrid solutions. This exam is ideal for you if you have a strong aptitude
for automation and scripting, and are an expert when it comes to virtualization
tech and networking.
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11. ● Azure Data Scientist DP- 100: This certification tests a candidate's ability to
apply Azure’s machine learning approaches in evaluation, training and
deployment of models in order to solve business problems. It is meant for
individuals that are well equipped to create and configure data science
environments, transform data into usable data sets, and can identify and solve
any irregularities.
● Data Engineer DP-203(Replacing DP-200 & DP-201): To become an Azure
certified Data Engineer, earlier an individual had to clear two exams, the DP-200,
and DP-201. Now there is one exam DP 203 which is designed to implement
data solutions related with provisioning of data storage, batch data processing,
implementing security and retention policies, and accessing external data
sources. Individuals must be able to use Azure’s storage spaces like SQL
databases, Cosmos DB, and more.
● Database Administrator DP-300: Ideal for anyone looking to get into
administering cloud based database systems. This certification tests the ability to
administer and manage relational databases on cloud and on-premises
developed using Azure data services and SQL servers.
● Azure Network Engineer AZ -700: This certification exam measures your
ability to accomplish the following technical tasks: design, implement, and
manage hybrid networking; design and implement core networking infrastructure;
design and implement routing; secure and monitor networks; and design and
implement private access to Azure Services.
● Azure Stack Hub Operator AZ 600: Candidates for Exam AZ-600 are Azure
administrators or Azure Stack Hub operators who provide cloud services to end
users or customers from within their own datacenter using Azure Stack Hub.
● Azure AI Engineer AI-102: Candidates for this exam build, manage, and deploy
AI solutions that leverage Azure Cognitive Services, Azure Cognitive Search, and
Microsoft Bot Framework. Their responsibilities include participating in all phases
of AI solutions development—from requirements definition and design to
development, deployment, maintenance, performance tuning, and monitoring.
● Azure Data Analyst DA-100: The Data Analyst should have a fundamental
understanding of data repositories and data processing both on-premises and in
the cloud.Data Analysts enable businesses to maximize the value of their data
assets by using Microsoft Power BI. As a subject matter expert, Data Analysts
are responsible for designing and building scalable data models, cleaning and
transforming data, and enabling advanced analytic capabilities that provide
meaningful business value through easy-to-comprehend data visualizations.
● Azure DevOps Engineer AZ-400: This certification is ideal for professionals that
are capable of delivering cloud service by improving collaboration and
communications, can oversee design and innovate new strategies for app
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12. coding. This role involves knowledge of automation. Candidates appearing
should be well versed with Azure development and operations processes, and
proficient with Agile practices.
● Solutions Architect AZ-303 and AZ-304: The Solutions Architect exam requires
you to pass two exams AZ-303 and AZ-304. This certification is meant for subject
matter experts on implementing compute, storage, networking and security on
Microsoft Azure. A solutions architect must be proficient in gathering
requirements, studying cloud infrastructure, and optimising strategies.
Expert Level Microsoft Azure Certifications
● Azure for SAP Workloads AZ 120: Candidates for this exam should be
architects or engineers with extensive experience and knowledge of the SAP
system landscape and industry standards that are specific to the initial migration
or integration and the long-term operation of an SAP solution on Microsoft Azure.
● Azure Virtual Desktop AZ 140: Candidates for this exam are administrators with
subject matter expertise in planning, delivering, and managing virtual desktop
experiences and remote apps, for any device, on Azure. Responsibilities for this
role include deploying virtual desktop experiences and apps to Azure.
● Azure IoT Developer AZ 220: Candidates for this exam should have subject
matter expertise implementing the configuration and coding tasks required to
create and maintain the cloud and edge portions of an IoT solution.
How to prepare for these certifications?
● Try to understand every single bullet point in the subject and practise as much as
possible (using Azure Portal, Powershell, CLI).
● Create your own personal projects on Github and explore the Azure projects of
others.
● Learn from Microsoft (Microsoft Learn)
● Read an official Microsoft exam study guide.
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13. ● You can take courses from well-known websites such as QwikSkills or Udemy.
● Take practise exams and read some dumps to get a sense of the structure and
types of questions to expect. This will assist you in practising respecting exam
time and learning about the format.
Pros and Cons of Using Microsoft Azure
Like any service or business on the planet using Microsoft Azure’s cloud services
comes with its own set of promises and struggles. While the benefits of using Azure
supersedes its drawbacks on any day, being aware of these will help you realise
whether or not the platform is the right fit for you!
Pros Cons
High Availability Complicated
Data Security Slow Customer Support
Scalability Data Transfer
Cost Effective
Pros
● High Availability: Microsoft Azure offers high availability and redundancy in data
centers across the globe. Thanks to this they’re able to provide service level
agreements of 99.95%, in layman terms this means they have barely 4.38 hours
of downtime per year.
● Data Security: Azure spends a lot of resources to ensure that their security
standards are high. They have strong cyber security controls, and have several
compliance certifications, establishing them as a leading force in IaaS security.
They provide multi level protection, securing the end user as well.
● Scalability: One of the primary reasons to switch to the cloud. Azure provides an
elastic infrastructure making it easy for businesses to scale up or scale down
their resources based on their requirements. This also provides businesses with
the flexibility to pay for only what they use.
● Cost Effective: Azure’s pay as you go pricing model has made it extremely
convenient for SMBs to manage their IT budgets. The cloud environment allows
businesses to launch both internal and external apps in the cloud saving
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14. companies the IT costs of investing in hardware and constant in house
maintenance charges.
Cons
● Complicated and requires expert management: Azure offers a bunch of
products, and larger companies need to have a strict process in place to ensure
that they can regulate their expenses. They also need to look into investing into a
SaaS management solution, along with someone trained to understand the cloud
processes to manage Azure without any hassles.
● Data Transfer: Azure charges a data transfer fee on changing data between
applications this fee can add up and increase the cost over time.
● Support: Microsoft has a huge volume of customers, and providing individual
attention is a struggle. Their cloud service team does face lags when dealing with
technical issues.
To Sum It All Up- Here’s Everything You Need To Know About
Microsoft Azure
Microsoft is one of the leading companies in the world. As pioneers in the computer
space of the tech industry they have managed to stand out, and provide stellar hybrid
cloud solutions to businesses across the globe. Their experience with Xbox and the
gaming industry has made Azure a top choice for tech companies invested in the
gaming sector as well. Microsoft’s varied expertise across different business domains,
and ever expanding global footprint is giving it’s competition a run for their money in the
race to becoming the leading cloud service provider.
Microsoft Azure offers 200+ products, over 18 certifications, and countless more
opportunities to accelerate both your business and career by leveraging everything that
Azure has to offer. To know more about cloud computing in general make sure you
check out our article here, and if you enjoyed reading this make sure you check out the
other two on Google, and AWS to know more about their cloud service offerings.
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