When you think of Microsoft Azure and all it encompasses, it can start to seem a little overwhelming. I like to think of Azure as an amusement park. Imagine that each ride or restaurant or game in the amusement park is a service Azure offers—such as virtual machines, databases, storage, or advanced computing services like artificial intelligence and machine learning. Just how you can choose which rides to go on at the amusement park, you can choose which services you want to use in Azure.
In 2013, only 50% of Fortune 500 companies were using Azure. Today, that number is closer to 95%! According to Markets and Markets, the Cloud Computing Marketplace was valued around $545 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach $1,240 billion by the end of 2027. However, during Microsoft Inspire earlier this year, we learned that 90% of worldwide IT spend has yet to move to the cloud! How do all of these numbers exist at the same time? Because for many companies, moving to the cloud is not an “all or nothing” event. In fact, many of our customers prefer to start by moving one or two workloads over rather than going “all in” right at the beginning. Regardless of where you are in your journey, Connection can help!
At amusement parks, you pay one price for the ticket, regardless of how many rides you plan to go on. With Azure, though, you get a pay-as-you-go pricing model, which means users only pay for the resources and services they use. Because of this flexibility, Azure is used by organizations of all sizes to transform their IT infrastructure and applications without the need for significant upfront investments in hardware and data centers.
Connection Service Offerings
We don’t just do a quick lift and shift and call it good, because too much can go wrong. Connection offers a straightforward, end-to-end, modular solution for organizations seeking to integrate existing workloads into the cloud.
- Migration Planning: IT Landscape Optimization
Asset Discovery and Optimization was born from software compliance and has evolved to include cloud preparedness, security readiness, modern workplace management, and server optimization. Another option for customers looking to migrate is Cloud Landscape Optimization. We will work with you to recommend the best cloud model to suit your needs, assess which workloads can be moved safely to the cloud, and offer migration strategies to minimize risks.
- Migration and Optimization: Professional Services
Once you’ve made the decision to migrate, our Azure Specialists and Professional Services teams will help move your data, applications, and infrastructure to Azure with our Azure Migration offering. Connection has earned Microsoft’s Advanced Specialization for Windows Server and SQL Migrations, so we have the knowledge and experience to ensure these projects run as smoothly as possible.
For customers already in Azure, our Azure Optimization Services will do exactly what it sounds like. These services review your existing architecture and uncover potential opportunities for improvement by leveraging Platform as a Service, Automation, and other Azure native tools available within the platform. We also offer a wide variety of services and solutions that support projects involving Azure Virtual Desktop and Azure VMware Solutions.
- Day-to-Day Management: Managed Services
Looking for more long-term assistance? Our Azure Managed Services offering is great for customers who want to migrate to Azure, but who may not have the skills or bandwidth to manage that environment themselves after the migration.
Step Right Up—and Get Help from Connection
Whether you have already taken the plunge on the amusement park’s roller coaster and are ready to check out our Migration and Optimization Professional Services, or you’re still waiting in anticipation and need to think about Migration Planning through our IT Landscape Optimization Services—or even if you’re content to sit on a bench and hand off riding the rides to someone else with our Day-to-Day Managed Services—Connection has the right fit for your Azure needs. Contact your Account Team for more information in setting up the plan that is right for you.
