A startup’s ability to grow and scale with limited resources distinguishes it from its counterparts. Cloud computing is one of the major factors that can help a startup become scalable in terms of services and cater to a larger audience over time.
Cloud computing has been a boon for startups. You don’t have to invest heavily in software and hardware infrastructure at the beginning. Microsoft Azure is one of the most popular cloud computing services available today.
Azure for startups offers many benefits, including the ability to innovate and accelerate without worrying about costs. Further, startups can execute their ideas for mission-critical services and applications without letting data security threats derail their intentions.
While Microsoft Azure is most often associated with large enterprises, small businesses, startups, and beginners can all benefit from this cloud computing platform.
What is Microsoft Azure?
Azure is a cloud computing platform that lets you build, test, and maintain new applications or run existing applications easily. Azure provides a variety of services such as virtual computing, networking, analytics, storage, and more. Businesses use it to deploy or manage their applications or run workloads uninterruptedly from anywhere.
The Azure cloud platform offers SaaS and PaaS functionality, which helps startups enter the market quickly and with less capital. Microsoft Azure offers various services that can help companies implement trending and core technologies.
Why Microsoft Azure is Best for Startups?
Despite the vital role they play in innovation, only 1 in 10 startups survive beyond their first year as a company. Microsoft is aiming to change that by offering three specific benefits.
First, it eliminates the need for venture capital or third-party validation before accessing support; it provides access to a full suite of Microsoft products and services, and it connects entrepreneurs with other startups in the Microsoft Partner Ecosystem.
Second, Microsoft is offering up to $150,000 in Azure credits for startups that use the platform. The credits are tiered and increase with each stage of a startup’s progress. After you’ve used up your free credit, you can request a $5,000 “Develop” credit for one year. After that, you can access more than $100,000 worth of credits for development and productivity tools such as GitHub and Microsoft 365.
Microsoft and the OpenAI LLC Research Firm have announced a partnership that will offer $1,000 worth of credit plus an OpenAI API Innovation License and free consultation with an OpenAI expert. The companies aim to bring the benefits of AI to all of humanity. Through their partnership, founders will be able to start building products powered by GPT-3, one of the most advanced language-based AI models in the world.
Under the third benefit, the program will give founders access to a network of industry veterans, who will provide guidance and mentorship on their ideas. The program also provides access to a wealth of startup-centric training materials.
Microsoft, to help startup founders, build their businesses, has launched the Startups Founders Hub. This program provides technology, guidance, and support to startups that have an idea that could provide solutions to some of the problems businesses face today. The Azure platform helps you execute business strategies effectively and efficiently by giving you access to cloud resources, mentoring, and personal training.
On the platform, you can use Microsoft Power Platform to access data and create intelligent solutions. You get 10 seats for one year. Additionally, you can use Dynamic 365 to connect data and processes with the suite’s business applications. For this tool, you get five seats for one year.
Reasons Microsoft Azure is for Startups is Worth Investing
Microsoft Azure cloud solutions help businesses grow their capabilities effortlessly. Here’s why using Microsoft Azure for your startups is the best decision you will ever make.
Support for Startups: Microsoft For Startups is a program dedicated to helping promising B2B startups succeed. As part of the program, startups are given access to Microsoft Azure and GitHub Enterprise.
Lucrative Pricing: Azure cloud saves startups from having to pay for the management of their hardware and software. They need to pay just for the services they use during the development and testing phases.
Minimum Workload: With Microsoft cloud, you can concentrate on developing innovative applications. You don’t have to worry about deploying and maintaining on-premise servers. This speeds up the launch of your MVP.
Versatile Application Types: Azure can help you build and run applications for any platform. Whether you’re building Web apps, Web APIs, mobile and native apps, daemons, and server-side apps—or anything else—Azure can provide the tools you need to get the job done.
Seamless Deployment: Microsoft Azure provides an intuitive, easy-to-use interface that makes it simple to deploy a web app or virtual machine on the server. The integrated health monitoring feature enables you to fix any problems quickly.
Scale as You Grow: As your startup grows, Azure allows you to grow with it. By setting auto-scale parameters, you can adjust the number and capability of your services over time as needed.
Option to Choose: Azure cloud services support a wide variety of tools and frameworks for the development of apps. You can use coding languages like Node.js, Java, ASP.NET, PHP, and Python, and databases like PostgreSQL and MySQL.
Data Security: Microsoft takes standard data protection steps to keep users’ data safe. The company secures its data with controlled user access, anti-malware software, and a robust infrastructure that complies with international standards. Data Recovery: Azure’s worldwide data centers are designed to be highly available and durable. You can deploy mission-critical applications, keep your business running during failures, and recover quickly so you can get back to work.
Benefits of Using Microsoft Azure for Startups
Microsoft’s Azure business has been growing rapidly, as revealed at the company’s Build conference this year. In the past six months, Microsoft has added 120,000 new customers per month. There are now nearly five million organizations using the directory and 40% of Azure’s revenue comes from startups and independent software vendors.
There are many reasons why a startup should use Microsoft Azure,
Computing Power
Instead of buying new hardware, installing it, and reinstating your old software and data, you might find that Azure is a more cost-effective way to boost your computing capabilities.
Business Efficiency
If you’re looking for efficiency, Azure might be the solution for you. With Azure, companies can reduce their IT costs. This is a direct result of Azure’s ability to automate and streamline IT processes, which reduces the need for hiring new IT staff as your company grows.
Remote Working
Many businesses are becoming more decentralized, with remote working becoming a core aspect of modern working. Azure is the perfect solution for such a business, as its cloud-based infrastructure allows your employees to work from anywhere.
Bespoke Security
A recent survey of IT professionals showed that Microsoft Azure was rated second only to Amazon Web Services when it comes to security. No other cloud services company can compete with Azure on both the effectiveness and the affordability of their security. Azure comes with free, comprehensive security updates so you don t have to worry about anyone seeing your classified documents.
No Infrastructure Investment
It is no secret that real estate costs are high. As a result, many companies have to find creative ways to justify expanding their offices. This is especially true when a company wants to buy into a larger data center. They just cannot find an affordable way to do it. Azure can help small growing businesses in this situation by providing a cost-effective alternative to buying and managing physical hardware and office space.
EPC Group as Your Microsoft Azure for Startups Consulting Partner
EPC Group specializes in consultations for many Microsoft products, including Azure for small businesses and startups. We have free initial consultations, as well as a collection of free resources that are completely viewable. To learn more about our experience as a certified partner and our expertise in Azure, check out the designated Azure page.
We will ensure that your startup faces little or no issues during processes such as Registering with Microsoft Azure Startups Program and Deploying Microsoft Azure for Startups.
We are here to help with anything and everything Microsoft!
