What is Microsoft Azure?

What it is

Azure is a catalog of services that run in Microsoft's data centers. A virtual machine is a server you can start and stop on demand. Storage accounts hold files and backups, managed databases hold application records, and a virtual network links them to each other and, over a VPN, to your office.

It is one example of cloud computing. Azure also ties closely to Microsoft 365, because both use Entra ID for accounts, passwords and multi-factor sign-in. Amazon offers a comparable platform, described in our guide to Amazon Web Services.

Why it matters to a business

• Pay-as-you-go cost: you are billed for what is running, so an idle test server or a forgotten disk keeps costing money until someone turns it off. Set budgets and alerts.
• No hardware to buy: Microsoft maintains the physical equipment, and you can add capacity without waiting for a delivery.
• Where data lives: you choose which Microsoft location holds your data, which can matter for compliance and for how quickly a system responds.
• Skills to run it safely: access rules, patching, backups and network settings remain your responsibility, and a misconfigured setting can expose data.

How KawaConnect works with Microsoft Azure

We plan, build and run Azure and hybrid setups, handle migrations, and write recovery plans. KawaConnect is an official Microsoft reseller, so licensing can come through us; see our Microsoft reseller page. Azure identity connects to the Microsoft 365 work we already do for clients.

Not every workload belongs there. Some run cheaper, or are easier to recover, on your own Proxmox servers, and we say so when that is the case.

Learn more

• Microsoft Azure on WikipediaA neutral overview of the platform and its range of services.
• Microsoft Azure websiteMicrosoft's own description of its cloud services, for owners comparing what is on offer.
• Azure documentation on Microsoft LearnOfficial guides and tutorials that IT staff can follow when setting up Azure services.