Ready, Set, Cloud! The time for your SMB is now.

As we move further and further into the technological age, it is becoming more and more apparent that you must move your business at least partially into the cloud. But with all the cloud based services out there what is an SMB owner to do? With Capstone Works in your corner you can be sure that your migration to the cloud will be smooth. We are able to help you navigate those options to give you the best that the cloud has to offer without overpaying or not getting enough services. The two biggest players in the cloud computing market are Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Service (AWS). When considering AWS vs Microsoft Azure, it’s important to note that both companies began their approach from a different perspective. AWS has focused on providing commodity services to small and medium-sized companies, while Microsoft chose to focus on integrating on-premises technologies with their public cloud services. However, both companies have expanded their offerings which is why neither can be dismissed out of hand and both need a careful look before any decision is made. Once you decide to migrate some or all of your business to the cloud, it’s not a decision to be taken lightly.

Selecting one service over another will come down to the specific wants and needs of each individual business and the different types of workloads they are running, and here at Capstone Works, we’re able to help you through the decision-making process. Both organizations offer many overlapping services including:

• Computing
• Storage
• Networking capabilities
• Instant provisioning
• Auto scaling plus security
• Compliance
• Identity management features
• and more

Both companies offer unique storage features and benefits that must be analyzed thoroughly to ensure that they are the right fit for you and your unique business. For those businesses who have already heavily invested into Microsoft technology, prefer a consistent user interface, or want to minimize the numbers of vendors they use, Azure may have the advantage. However, for offices using many open sourced services or running Linux, it may seem like AWS is the obvious choice.
AWS is more customizable, allowing their customers to pick and choose exactly what they want out of the service. This can make dealing with them a bit difficult to manage because there are just so many options to consider. Additionally, it is good to keep in mind that the initial monetary investment may be larger. The large scale of their offering and features can make AWS a difficult vendor to navigate because there are just so many options to figure out. Another aspect to consider before choosing which service to go with is if you plan on utilizing a hybrid cloud environment. Many businesses prefer to employ this strategy. In this setup, part of the data would migrate to the cloud while other key functions would remain housed in the business’s own servers. Oftentimes a business will choose to keep their financial records or other key functions in their own servers rather than employing a cloud-based service. Microsoft has the clear advantage here because they embraced the hybrid cloud right from the beginning, while AWS was dismissive of the desire of businesses to keep some functions in-house. While their offerings have increased, they are playing a bit of catch-up in this arena.
It’s clear that the decision of if, when and how to migrate to the cloud is an incredibly complicated one. As a business owner, you are too busy focused on your own day to day operations to fully explore all of your options and what they might mean for your particular business. Fortunately, you do not have to make these decisions on your own with Capstone Works on your side you can focus on what you need to do while we handle the confusing world of cloud-based computing. We have the expertise to know exactly what you need and don’t need when it comes cloud computing options. We give all of our clients the time and attention they deserve to ensure that our technology partnership is beneficial to both sides. Unlike other MSPs, we never sell our clients services they do not need or leave them unprotected with inadequate services. Don’t risk choosing the wrong MSP, your business is too important to settle for less than Best in Class! Contact Us today!