What is Azure?

Azure is Microsoft's cloud computing platform that comprises a collection of software services that can be hosted outside the traditional company IT infrastructure and provides an avenue to getting started quickly building and hosting software, in a flexible pricing business model.

A good place to learn more about Azure is via the Azure website: https://azure.microsoft.com .

The following is a list of current service categories available in Azure:

• Compute: This is a high-level description of base services that provide a platform in order to run other applications and tasks, for example, virtual machines running Windows and Linux and platforms such as Service Fabric that act as a hosting platform within which applications can run.
• Web and Mobile: This includes services in order to run web and mobile applications, from the backend services required to the frontend web applications.
• Data and Storage: This includes relational and non-relational database systems including raw binary storage of data.
• Services focused on cognitive services and artificial intelligence.
• Analytics: This includes services in order to process large quantities of data using techniques such as machine learning as well as large-scale data transformation and movement.
• Internet of Things: This manages IoT assets on a big scale using IoT Hubs and processes real-time events and data using services such as Stream Analytics.
• Networking: This includes features such as load balancing, DNS, high-speed dedicated connections to Azure (ExpressRoute), and the configuration of private networks within Azure.
• Media and CDN: Robust content delivery through a distributed network of proxy servers deployed in multiple data centers across multiple regions.
• Enterprise Integration: This includes technologies in order to link on-premises and cloud-based systems, which encompasses Logic Apps, Service Bus, API Management, Functions, and BizTalk.
• Identity and Access Management: This includes authentication and authorization services using Active Directory in the cloud (with sync available to on-premises directories) and multifactor authentication.
• Developer Services: This includes services for the application developer including functionality such as Visual Studio Team Services for software development support and Application Insights that offers real-time monitoring of applications.
• Management: This assists with management tasks such as key management and offers task automation.