Tag: cloud migration 2023

  • AWS vs Azure, what is your best option when choosing a cloud platform?

    AWS vs Azure, what is your best option when choosing a cloud platform?

    We’ve had articles in the past about why you should consider making the move from on-premises to the cloud, but we’ve never specifically addressed which provider you should consider when making this move.

    For many, AWS (Amazon Web Services) and Azure are the main players that they look to when making the jump the cloud. Brand recognition is obviously there for both choices, as well as a history of impeccable uptime. Uptime is a very important factor, obviously you want your data to be available when and how you need it, but there are more things to consider.

    First, let’s look at the players. AWS has been around since 2006 and offers a “pay as you go” model, which means you pay only for the data you actually use. Many of us are familiar with the webstore Amazon, and you’d probably be surprised to learn AWS is a much bigger venture for Amazon, with 74% of their profit coming from AWS.

    Azure was launched in 2010 and is also pay as you go. However, how they differ is that Azure actually lets users access their data through a virtual machine on a Virtual Hard Desk (VHD). This means their interface is slightly more user friendly from the start. For a similar interface in AWS you must rent an EC2 (their version of a virtual machine). EC2 is more customizable but Azures Virtual Machine may more easily work with existing Cloud computing tools.

    Both are similar in that they offer scalable storage solutions; however, their object size restrictions vary slightly, with AWS having a 5 TB object size limit and Azure having a 4.75 TB limit. For most of our customers this would be a very negligible difference, however.

    Both do an excellent job of securing your data, in AWS you customize your security settings on setup. With Azure, they use Microsoft’s Cloud Defender services which are similar to the Windows Defender services you probably already utilize.

    AWS has a dashboard that may be easier to use if it’s your first-time using cloud services when it comes to looking for documentation on how to use the service. Where Azure has them beat though is that Azure keeps all of your user account and information in one place. So, depending on which kind of information you’re looking for, you may prefer one over the other.

    If customizing your cloud experience via code is something you’re after, you probably want to stick with AWS. Through their SageMaker system you can utilize their artificial intelligence (AI) tools to develop a very specific and unique experience when it comes to tracking data, making modifications, and applying updates.

    Azure on the other hand has opted for a “Codeless” interface, even someone with zero coding knowledge can drag and drop pieces to customize their cloud’s AI interface.

    Of course, from a base level you can look at what operating system these are compatible with. AWS is more compatible with Linux while Azure offers compatibility through .net with Linux, Windows and MacOS.

    In a nutshell, these two cloud behemoths are more alike than different but there are some factors that depending on your particular business sector or goals may lead you to shift one way or the other. We also want to spend a moment addressing a pricing breakdown for both AWS and Azure. You can see their pricing models in the chart below. We also want to note that both provide a free introductory period so you can test their services before committing to a plan.

    Are you considering a move to the cloud and aren’t sure which provider to go with, or even how to make it happen? Valley Techlogic can help. We’re experts in cloud computing and have managed many customer cloud migrations. Reach out today to schedule a free consultation.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these other articles from our site.

    This article was powered by Valley Techlogic, an IT service provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on Twitter at https://x.com/valleytechlogic.

  • New Year’s resolutions for business tech in 2023

    New Year’s resolutions for business tech in 2023

    The new year is upon us and with that comes the opportunity to make needed changes to outdated technology within your business.

    Our clients are usually split on when they want to make changes – for some it’s that mad dash towards the end of the year and for others it’s the fresh mindset that comes after the 1st of January. There really is no wrong answer when it comes to a tech refresh and any move you make will have lasting benefits that increased security protection and less chance of an outage bringing your office to a standstill.

    This can mean hardware or software upgrades but usually means both, and with Windows Server 2012’s end-of-life date occurring in October of this year we anticipate there will be many trying to replace their primary office server before that time. If you have a server current running Windows Server 2012 it probably will also need to be replaced (keep in mind the 2012 reflects the year it came out, so even if you bought your server a few years later it will still be older than the 5 year recommended lifespan for most servers).

    We don’t want to only focus on servers though, here are a few other New Years technology resolutions you can make for 2023:

    1. Move away from software that has reached end-of-life or is no longer supported. Windows Server 2012 Isn’t the only operating system that has recently reached end-of-life, Windows 7 is also no longer supported by Microsoft. Even peripherals such as switches or networking gear such as routers can have end-of-life events and will no longer be updated by the manufacturers.
    2. On the same token, consider moving more to the cloud. More and more of our clients are moving away from traditional in office servers by switching to online storage. There can be an upfront cost to doing this but it’s still often less than purchasing a brand new server if your existing one is on the outs. As a bonus all future maintenance will then fall to your cloud provider.
    3. Increase your security measures in the New Year. There’s no better time than the beginning of the year to begin tackling cyber security measures you wanted to put in place last Year over year the risks continue to increase so why not begin 2023 knowing your business is safe from a cybersecurity attack?
    4. Again in the same realm, begin or strengthen employee training on technology topics. As your employees come back from the holidays why not implement short training measures (our tool takes just 15-20 minutes a week) that could drastically reduce your risk?
    5. Finally, don’t let fear of a recession slow your growth. You may be shying away from making hardware purchases due to fear of a recession, but if existing outdated hardware is already slowing your business down from the productivity level you hope to have not replacing it soon could do more harm than good.

    If you’re not sure where to start with any of these topics, we can help. We’re currently offering a 2-hour service call absolutely free.

    Here are a few ways we suggest using this service call to put your business in a better position in 2023:

    Click to view the full size version.

    If you would like to learn more about our free service call offer, or would like a consultation on our services you can book one here today.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these other articles from our site.

    This article was powered by Valley Techlogic, an IT service provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on Twitter at https://x.com/valleytechlogic.