How Microsoft Windows Azure can save your start-up time and money

You may have heard of Microsoft Azure, spoken about in IT circles with words such as Cloud, Software-As-A-Service (SaaS). It all sounds like something from outer space. Well, Microsoft Azure is not just for rocket scientists – it is the perfect cloud platform for any business owner and it is now available in Mauritius.

Azure is essentially a cloud-based platform with different offerings which can be grouped into 2 main functions:

Data storage and sharing

Traditionally a business will have a couple of servers running applications e.g ERP, CRM. Azure removes the need for a big internal IT infrastructure since it essentially hosts millions of gigabytes of data in the cloud. Hence, a business’s data becomes securely stored online.

Application and Website Development

Many business models are dependent on an application for efficiency and competitive advantage. Azure provides a cloud platform for developing applications on any platform, in any code including mobile applications. Having an online presence is essential for any business today.  However, setting up a web site can be daunting especially for SMBs – you need to cater for operating system, network, storage and scalability as more people start using your product or service.

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a single platform that took care of all of this so that you can focus on your business!

The benefits of Azure Cost benefits

The main benefit of the cloud is that it saves costs. With your server in the cloud, you don’t have to worry about set-up costs. You can pay monthly or pay for what you are using. Windows Azure pricing is based on consumption with a per-hour fee that’s dependent on the size of the services and storage used.

KaakpelmaYelpaala, founder of access mobile in Uganda, developed his new business application, Clinic Communicator, on Azure. The application stores patient data and sends automatic updates to their phones, reminding them when to take medication or come back for a check-up. “The cloud allows us to scale our solution across many countries in a very cost effective manner. Through this scaling approach and our Uganda based software team, we are able to make the product very affordable, thus lowering the barriers to entry from a cost perspective for hospitals to use our system.”

Security

Windows Azure is 100% safe. Microsoft’s core business is productivity and platforms, with cloud being a fundamental central service of the company. Therefore, its focus on the latest safety methods and methodology is paramount and the company has a wealth of resources at its disposal to keep your cloud hosting platform safe!

Familiarity

Azure is based on Windows, which most people know and you can take advantage of the well-established support structure within Microsoft and its partners.

Craig Taylor, CEO of Cojengo, a livestock management application built on Azure says: “Microsoft’s tech is going in the right direction and Windows Phone is the fastest growing platform in Africa. Azure was a key part of the puzzle and made it easy to collect, sort and disseminate all the data. With Azure it was pretty simple, that was never the tricky bit.” Cojengo allows farmers to upload data via their Windows smartphones so that vets in the area, which are few, can be better prepared with the right resources and visit several farmers in the same area. It also allows farmers to access information on veterinary services to help them diagnose and treat animals themselves. All data is stored on Microsoft Azure and shared with stakeholders to keep everyone informed. This can then be used for disease surveillance purposes and reporting in almost real time.