You've heard it before (probably from me): you should migrate to the cloud...like yesterday. Migrating your on-premises infrastructure to Microsoft Azure streamlines operational efficiency and flexibility with complete cost control— all while shifting the burden away from dealing with an end-of-life hardware refresh. Seems like a win-win, right? For those who have already migrated, you know how much of a game-changer Azure can be. Unfortunately, all too often this solution is either not optimized to its full potential or users are unsure of where to begin to effectively utilize it. Let's dig into how you can leverage Microsoft Azure services in order to get your daily operations done better and faster.
Microsoft Azure is one of the most widely used cloud platforms today. However, if your organization is using or thinking of using this solution, it is important that it is deployed and utilized in a way that optimizes your organization’s experience — otherwise Azure spending can balloon unexpectedly. Unfortunately, what comes with new technology is the possibility of new challenges. Making sure the right systems and configurations are in place minimizes obstacles, so you get the most out of your investment.
Below are some tips and tricks when examining the level of optimization in your business's cloud environment:
Security and data integrity are key concerns when it comes to cloud-based solutions. Unfortunately, 73% of organizations struggle to clearly understand differences between cloud providers and security providers. By default, Azure isn’t configured with customized security features, so proper configurations and measures must be taken by you to properly protect yourself. If left alone, your infrastructure could become a prime target for malicious actors to gain private data and information.
This includes determining the rules of access between your environment and your other resources, as well as carefully monitoring and selecting when and where that access is granted. After deployment, the desktop environment should be closely monitored for anyone trying to gain access without express permission (you need to detect and identify these threats quickly!). We recommend seeking to go above the standard and partner with a cybersecurity provider that delivers Automatic Threat Containment through 24x7 Managed Detection Response (MDR) (PRO TIP: You guessed it, that's Centre!)
86% of businesses reduced data loss when cloud backup solutions were implemented with verified backup and disaster recovery. A proper and rigorous data backup procedure is essential for retaining your data and minimizing downtime in the event of disaster. Even with Azure’s own cloud back-up service, we still recommend adhering to the 3-2-1 model: 3 copies of your data across 2 locations with 1 offsite or locked.
The frequency at which your business should complete backups is another key component to maximizing secure access to your data. Dependent on the speed at which information flows through your business, outdated backups often means a significant loss in protection. We see all too often businesses make the mistake of waiting too long in between backups or not prioritizing complete and verified backups. If you're struggling with that, we can help with our backup and disaster recovery (BDR) services.
“Beyond creating backups, recoverability is an important aspect in maximizing uptime. Our focus is on delivering a prompt recovery with personalized service.” Christian Albright
Solutions Architect at Centre Technologies
Azure cloud solutions has proven to be a powerful and revolutionary tool, but like any good tool, how it is used is just as important as what it can do. If you think you could benefit from expert advice on optimizing your Azure environment, innovative cloud services and features, or simply extra bandwidth to carefully monitor and manage your infrastructure, contact Centre Technologies to help you sort everything out in the fastest way possible. But before you do, since you've gotten this far, let me say it one more time...make sure you've migrated to the cloud...today.