Microsoft Azure is the public cloud platform from Microsoft. It provides infrastructure services such as virtual machines, storage and networks, platform services such as managed databases and app hosting, and tools for identity, analytics and AI, delivered from datacenters in regions around the world.
Why it matters
Azure is one of the three largest general-purpose cloud providers, alongside AWS and Google Cloud. It is common in organizations that already use Windows Server, SQL Server, Microsoft 365 or Active Directory, because identity through Microsoft Entra ID and licensing integrate with those products. Knowing its vocabulary helps when comparing providers, since many concepts map across clouds with different names.
Example
Rough equivalents between providers:
Virtual machines : Azure VMs ~ Amazon EC2
Object storage : Blob Storage ~ Amazon S3
Serverless code : Functions ~ AWS Lambda
Private network : Virtual Network ~ VPCResources are grouped into resource groups inside subscriptions, which helps with billing and access control.
Common misconceptions
- That Azure only runs Windows. Linux workloads are widely supported.
- That services with similar names behave identically across providers; limits, pricing and defaults differ.
- That moving to Azure automatically makes an application highly available. You still need to design for zones and failure.
Related
Get notified when this term updates
Plus occasional practical tips on uptime and monitoring, nothing else. Unsubscribe anytime.
This page is general information written by our editorial team and updated when documentation changes. Servers and providers differ, so test changes safely first. See our editorial policy and disclaimer.