According to a Flexera report released towards the end of 2023, Microsoft Azure’s adoption rate increased by 80% last year, moving ahead of competitors AWS and Google. This is the first time the platform has moved to first position in the highly competitive market, and its success is largely due to the continued, focused investment into research and development, data centres, cloud capabilities and artificial intelligence by its creator – Microsoft.
The platform has evolved rapidly to meet the changing needs of the market, paying particular attention to integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and other emergent technology tools within its architecture. Designed to make it easier, smarter and faster for developers to create applications and solutions, Azure integrates easily with emergent technologies and has become one of the most stable and resilient platforms within which developers can thrive.
5 benefits, 1 platform
- Integration – Using the cloud-based Azure Logic Apps service, developers can manage their tasks through precise actions that include scheduling, automation, task orchestration, business process management and workflow management. It is designed to simplify the ways in which developers connect systems across cloud, on-premises and hybrid environments, regardless of whether they are legacy, modern or sitting on that cutting edge.
- Development tools – Azure provides SDKs for every language in a platform designed to enhance collaboration and service delivery. The Microsoft Power Platform makes this even easier with its rapid application development capabilities and low-code solutions.
- Data management and AI – Azure’s data management solutions are designed to power AI transformation. Intelligent applications start with data and AI is only as good as the data, so having a modern data and analytics platform is essential. Azure brings this to the party alongside a full set of AI services and capabilities that are designed to empower data scientists and developers alike.
- Then there’s IoT – The Internet of Things (IoT) remains a force within innovation and development, gaining traction as networks adopt 5G and connectivity becomes more accessible and affordable. Azure provides the tools needed to ‘build IoT solutions, provision assets and devices within an IoT network, code the data pipeline to Azure Stream Analytics and develop modules using Azure IoT Edge’.
- Scalability and flexibility – Azure really does tick the boxes of scalability and flexibility allowing for developers to create applications that can easily adapt to changing business needs and market trends. Azure Functions, Azure Cognitive Services, and Azure IoT combine to provide developers with superb building blocks they can use to incorporate emergent technologies in their applications within an architecture capable of handling their requirements.
Azure also adds in a deep commitment to security and compliance so developers can create solutions with confidence, knowing their applications are protected against potential threats and vulnerabilities. A comprehensive set of security features, compliance certifications and tools means developers can meet even the most rigorous of security requirements while building best-practice applications. Azure is the logical choice for the developer, and Mint is the logical choice for organisations wanting to provide a robust, scalable and cost-effective Azure architecture for their developers.