MICROSOFT AZURE CLOUD CAPABILITIES FOR SAGE SOFTWARE
It is impossible to compare Azure cloud services to the Sage Business Cloud as they are different. This is because Microsoft Azure is a cloud service while Sage offers a cloud-based online software like say Netflix. So why is it better for your business to have Sage on Azure cloud?
What is Microsoft Azure Cloud?
Azure is a Microsoft Cloud Service that allows you to test and deploy enterprise applications, create custom mobile experiences, gain insights from your data and make better decisions faster. Equipped with virtual machines, managed disks and SQL databases, Azure provides almost 100% uptime and scalable performance. It contains solutions including Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS) that can be utilized flexibly in areas such as storage, networking, virtual computing, predictive analytics, just to mention a few.
What is Sage Business Cloud?
Sage Business Cloud, on the other hand, is cloud-based online software that offers a wide range of valuable features that include core accounting and finance, business intelligence, customer relationship management, HR and payroll integration, and optimized inventory planning. It also facilitates billing of contingency, expense tracking, payment processing and fixed asset management. Sage Business Cloud offers you accounting and bookkeeping functionality in a modernized user interface that is easy to learn and use.
Microsoft Azure Cloud Capability Features
Now that you’re well versed with each service, let’s look at how Microsoft Azure cloud services can help you do more especially if you have a medium-size or large organization.
1.Setup
While both have a simple setup process, setting up Sage on Azure from on-premise servers is arguably easier as there are several ways to implement it. Further, Azure supports almost any Operating System, language, tool or framework. The installation and configuration times are significantly reduced handing it an edge over using Sage Business Cloud. Many customer reviews suggest that the setup process of Sage Business Cloud takes longer compared to Azure.
2. Cost
If you’re wondering about the cost, the cost of Sage Business cloud depends on the number of users. This in addition to the features you require will determine how much you’re charged. Individuals and businesses looking for a cut price option may opt to consider Sage business cloud. You might also get your feet wet by signing up for the free trial to test out the features and find out whether it is worth the money. This will also allow you to determine which plan suits you or your business best. On the other hand, the cost of migrating Sage to Azure will depend on a number of factors whether or not you have Sage implemented, number of workstations, your current database among other factors. Our team of experts can help you understand your needs. Click here if you’re not sure about this service and would want to speak to one of our experts. Azure’s initial set up cost may be slightly costly however the capabilities Azure offers makes it worth it.
3. Security
You will get way better security when your Sage is on Azure. Sage Business Cloud security features include a highly granular level of control over user access, hardened networks and firewalls, real-time activity log tracking, automatic session timeouts and option to set acceptable IP ranges from which users may log in. They also keep their system secure through virus resistance reinforced through software architecture and minimum 128-bit encryption for all data transmission. In comparison, when you have Sage on Azure, you will enjoy built-in security services that include top-notch security intelligence, which enable advanced protection from malware across hybrid cloud environments. Customers are able to utilize multi-factor authentication, adding an extra layer of security to their data and applications. Other security features you will enjoy by having Sage on Azure include a built-in web application firewall to protect applications from threats, front-end to back-end data encryption and a rapid response team which helps with attack investigation, custom mitigation and analysis. You also get detailed reports during an attack, and a comprehensive summary after the attack ends. If you’re still in doubt, you would be happy to know that Azure has more compliance certificates than any other cloud provider.
4. Scalability
Since Azure can be used in a wide range of capabilities, it is more flexible and versatile to have Sage on it compared to using Sage Business Cloud. Sage on Azure means accessing cloud computing potential that you can utilize in almost any way imaginable. Azure Cloud is able to facilitate these using services known as Azure Auto scale, which can scale automatically to match demand and accommodate workload. They will scale out to ensure capacity during workload spikes and scale back to normal when the peak drops. Amazing, right? It gets better. Azure has data services in the platform which include Azure Blob, which is a massively scalable object store for text and binary data. They also have many categories of virtual machine sizes, each designed to run different workloads, hence the ability to accommodate large workloads. Azure Cloud uses microservices, which are an architectural style for building applications that are resilient, independently deployable, highly scalable and able to evolve quickly. Sage Business Cloud is also quite scalable, and employs various models to circumvent the overhead of trace labelling, capture the impact of dependencies between microservices to determine the catalyst of unpredictable performance online. Simple parametrization of the system allows you to change or define new information flows and procedures quickly, without additional development.
5. Uptime
As you might already expect, Azure Cloud is relatively more reliable compared to Sage Business Cloud. Migrating Sage to Azure guarantees uptime 99.95% of the time. It offers secure and fast backup recovery services along with regional failover capabilities, and any interruption will be hastily restored. It also has 24/7 tech support, who are ready and well equipped to handle any pain in your neck.
Conclusion
By now, selecting a cloud computing platform should be a no-brainer for you. Despite being slightly more costly than Sage Business Cloud, Microsoft Azure Cloud is unassailably easier to set up, secure and scalable compared to Sage Business Cloud, among other benefits. It’s definitely worth trying out and worth every penny. Now you can confidently make your way to the cloud store by clicking here.