Microsoft Azure vs. Google Cloud

Choosing the Right Solution: Microsoft Azure vs. Google Cloud

The growth of IaaS providers over the past several years means there are a range of solution offerings available for organizations. Is Google Cloud right for your company or is Microsoft Azure the better choice?  

The cloud ecosystem is alive and well, with more than one-third of company IT budgets going to cloud-based solutions and storage in recent years. As two of the three most significant cloud computing companies in the world, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud both offer unique benefits for organizations. There is no one-size-fits-all solution that will work for every organization, which is why it’s vital to take the time to fully explore each of the critical cloud options and find whether Microsoft Azure or Google Cloud has the right mix of components for your enterprise. With Microsoft Azure capturing 16% of the global cloud market and Google Cloud controlling 8%, finding the most efficient and cost-effective Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) offering for hosting your hardware, software and storage solutions continues to be a complex balancing act for companies.

Key Similarities and Differences: Microsoft Azure vs. Google Cloud

It’s safe to bet that nearly all businesses currently have a corporate Microsoft account, which makes shifting to Microsoft Azure a more straightforward choice. When your organization is mostly focused around Microsoft solutions, many organizations find it easier to interface with Microsoft Azure as their tools are primarily built for interoperability. Google Cloud offers support for a broader ecosystem that is known for exceptional versatility, allowing technical teams to handle both enterprise development and applications.

Pricing Structures

Microsoft Azure provides secure options for corporate billing, allowing sub-accounts to be launched under a core billing account to allow for structured tiers of access and billing. One of the critical differences in Google Cloud is that billing is managed by projects, instead of by departments as you’ll find with Azure. While this can be useful for short-term projects, it could potentially prove frustrating to correctly assign costs to a department when fees should be split across a project. Existing Microsoft customers often find that the Microsoft Azure pricing model is very attractive when compared with Google’s options. Still, the base costs when comparing the two may make Google feel like the less-expensive option.

Features for Microsoft Azure vs. Google Cloud

There’s little question that Microsoft Azure is the more robust offering in terms of geographic availability as well as features. Google Cloud is only available in approximately 20 geographic regions and has purposefully limited the core functionality of their offerings to the most popular set of storage services and features. However, Microsoft can have a significant learning curve for individuals that are not familiar with the way Microsoft solutions are administered.

Microsoft Azure

Microsoft Azure is considered the market leader in terms of service offerings, with an impressive array of components that integrate smoothly with the Microsoft solutions already in use within the organization. As a trusted vendor and services provider, Microsoft customers appreciate that Azure allows for the consolidation of additional services under the same umbrella which can often reduce overall complexity and costs for the organization.

Google Cloud Platform

Google Cloud’s core strength is in its container-based architecture that is highly supportive of open-source solutions. The culture of innovation that Google is known for has basis in the development of Kubernetes for orchestration and companies often appreciate the ability to tap into Google’s ever-growing suite of services and software solutions.

Selecting the right technology for your business is rarely a quick conversation, and it would be impossible to cover all the potential scenarios in a single page of information. Instead, it’s essential to walk through your business use-cases with professionals that have a deep level of experience in both platforms and can help guide your business towards the solution that provides the greatest value for your unique needs. Contact the professionals at K² Technologies at (307) 209-3447 to schedule a complimentary initial consultation to determine how these advanced solutions can benefit your company.