Cloud computing is an extremely important force in the technology world. Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure are the two biggest cloud service providers (32% and 20% market share, respectively). Both providers have similar solutions but each one provides a few unique benefits, leading a lot of teams to wonder which cloud service is best for their business. which can be understood from the Google Cloud Certification.
The Basics of AWS and Microsoft Azure
AWS is Amazon’s cloud service solution, first launched as a web services platform in 2002 before becoming a cloud computing service in 2006. This precedes both the Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform and has helped AWS become the largest player in the cloud computing realm today.
AWS customers will find a comprehensive suite of solutions including computing instances, storage, content distribution networks, and other critical components a team may need to deliver cloud-based solutions. These solutions continuously evolve as Amazon responds to developer needs.
Microsoft Azure was launched in October 2008 as Microsoft’s cloud solution platform. Since then, it has become the second-largest competitor in the cloud service field, behind AWS. Providing software as a service, platform as a service, and infrastructure as a service, Azure guarantees quality for businesses.
Like AWS, Azure has a complete suite of solutions for a variety of computing needs. Due to being offered by Microsoft, Azure tends to be more optimized towards brand products such as Windows, SQL Server, SharePoint and more.
Reasons To Select AWS
While both of these providers offer excellent cloud solutions, they each have a few advantages over the other. These are a few of the reasons you may choose AWS:
- Depth and Breadth of Solutions: Perhaps the most significant advantage of AWS is the number of developer options. As the first mover in the market, AWS consistently pushes the envelope in terms of what it offers customers. You can count on AWS to have more solutions and options than competitors.
- Larger Network: Amazon’s network is larger than any other provider, including Microsoft’s, helping to improve availability around the globe. With a greater number of points of presence, AWS can typically provide businesses with a more global footprint.
- Faster Storage: In many use cases, AWS has better storage performance. In particular, block storage (the virtual disks attached to computing instances) from AWS are faster, while file storage can scale seamlessly from gigabytes to petabytes.
- Less Expensive: Cost calculations typically show AWS is less expensive than Azure. However, this comes with a big caveat: it depends on your needs. The top cloud service providers have specific cost efficiencies. It’s best to calculate cost based on your specific needs.
Reasons To Choose Microsoft Azure
Of course, Microsoft Azure is no slouch either. These are some of the reasons you may select Azure:
- Leading Security: Microsoft is often considered to have the best security among cloud service providers. While none of the main providers are lacking in this area, Azure is based on the industry-leading Security Development Lifecycle. Microsoft also has the most compliance certifications.
- Efficiencies With Microsoft Products: Unsurprisingly, Microsoft has designed its cloud service to work well with other Microsoft products. Teams using those products may find the transition particularly easy.
- Better PaaS Capabilities: Although AWS offers good IaaS and SaaS capabilities, Microsoft beats Amazon on PaaS capabilities, an important part of modern cloud computing.
- Discounts Available: Microsoft Enterprise customers can often receive special discounts that aid in cloud and server tech. These can completely change the cost calculations.
Which Is Right for You?
Ultimately, there is no single answer to which provider is better, as both have pros and cons. Perhaps more importantly, both offer more than capable cloud solutions. Thus, you won’t be disappointed in your choice of cloud service provider.
Before selecting a provider, it’s important to determine your cloud service requirements. Use the key points provided to compare the cost calculation and performance of each provider for your specific needs. This should help guide your decision-making process.
Learn More About Cloud Service Providers and Solutions
Both AWS and Microsoft Azure are excellent cloud service providers with powerful solutions. Learn more about each of them to make an informed decision about your cloud needs. Remember, you can also follow a multi-cloud model to take advantage of the benefits of multiple providers. Get started learning today.
