We’ve watched as artificial intelligence (AI) quickly transformed how we conduct business. Everything from healthcare to education has undergone tremendous change. Much of that is because of Microsoft’s support for generative AI, including their work with OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT. The company now makes it easier for developers to create AI applications by introducing Microsoft Azure AI Studio at its Build 2023 event.   

Microsoft has placed itself at the forefront of AI research. They’ve integrated AI technology into products like Dynamics 365, Teams, Power Platform, and Microsoft 365. Microsoft and Chat GPT are designed to benefit users at every level of an organization.

As companies evolve the way they do business, there continues to be a shift from traditional platforms. In the past, the de-facto method of handling data typically involved using a transactional database. The evolution of the cloud led to the rise of Microsoft Azure. Many organizations looking to transition to cloud platforms have questions about using Azure. For example, is Microsoft Azure a PaaS, or is Microsoft Azure IaaS? Let’s explore Microsoft Azure and the different products available.  

Companies in every industry find themselves facing the pressure of staying ahead in a competitive marketplace that seems to change instantly. As a result, technology that once seemed cutting edge may now seem old and dated. That means IT shops must develop and release new technology more quickly while figuring out how to make adaptions that meet the needs of end-users.

Electronic record management, especially documents and emails, is often one of the biggest pain points for both large and small organizations. Think about how many emails you send and receive throughout the course of a day. Your job role may require you to reference various documents housed within the organization.

Proper categorization and security are significant concerns, especially when it comes to improper password protection or other human errors that can lead to a data breach. That’s what Azure Information Protection works to address.

Cloud computing removes the need for businesses to maintain on-site data centers. That’s money saved in hardware investments and maintenance of the hardware. Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure are two of the most popular cloud service providers on the market. Deciding which one is better, AWS or Azure, comes down to your data needs and the kind of applications you need to house. Let’s look at what each cloud provider offers and how you can use them to transform your IT infrastructure.

Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions help organizations define, organize, and manage users' roles within an organization. Administrators control the access individual users have to relevant systems and applications and revoke privileges when warranted. The growing embrace of cloud technology provided Microsoft with an opportunity to evolve its popular Windows Active Directory (AD) IAM, leading to the development of Azure Active Directory (Azure AD).

A virtual machine (VM) is an individual operating system that works like a physical computer but is created with software that builds an abstraction layer over existing physical hardware. Microsoft Azure gives organizations the ability to create VMs through their Azure Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) platform. There several different ways IT shops can leverage Azure IaaS to create new VM instances as needed to support business goals.

The past decade has seen a dramatic rise in As-A-Service cloud technology offerings designed to reduce upfront IT costs for organizations, offer more business flexibility, and provide easy access to innovative business technology. Microsoft Azure’s suite of products gives organizations the ability to choose different services to scale and adapt to their business needs. Customers pay a subscription each month to gain access to Azure services, including Azure Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS) product models.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 provides organizations with a suite of comprehensive services that help them meet the company's needs. IT administrators charged with providing access to various applications can set up security roles designed to grant users specific data privileges. It’s possible to assign users to more than one security role depending on their position in an organization and the necessity for them to access specific information.