{"id":101,"date":"2026-08-24T06:24:56","date_gmt":"2026-08-24T06:24:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nceducations.com\/blog\/?p=101"},"modified":"2026-08-24T06:24:56","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T06:24:56","slug":"what-is-microsoft-azure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nceducations.com\/blog\/what-is-microsoft-azure\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Microsoft Azure?: Used For, In Simple Terms, Cloud Computing, Account, Subscription Plan & More info 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing platform that lets organisations rent computing power, storage, networking, databases, and AI capabilities from Microsoft’s global network of datacenters instead of buying and running that infrastructure themselves. Launched in 2010, Azure has grown into a platform of more than 200 services and competes directly with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) as one of the three major public cloud providers.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you’re coming from a networking or systems administration background and considering a move into cloud computing, or you’re simply trying to understand what “Azure” actually refers to, this guide breaks down what the platform consists of, how its service models work, and which certification makes sense as a starting point.<\/span><\/p>\n

Quick Answer<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Microsoft Azure is Microsoft’s public cloud computing platform. Instead of owning physical servers, storage arrays, and network hardware on-site, organisations provision equivalent resources on Azure and pay based on usage. Azure is not one product – it’s a collection of services spanning virtual machines, storage, databases, networking, identity management, and AI, all managed through a common portal and billing relationship with Microsoft.<\/span><\/p>\n

How Microsoft Azure Actually Work?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Azure runs on physical datacenters that Microsoft owns and operates in regions around the world. When you provision a resource – a virtual machine, a storage account, a database – Azure allocates capacity from that underlying infrastructure and exposes it to you through a management layer: the Azure Portal (a web console), Azure CLI, PowerShell, or Infrastructure-as-Code tools like ARM templates, Bicep, or Terraform.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the core shift cloud computing represents: instead of your organisation owning the hardware and being responsible for its maintenance, cooling, power, and replacement cycle, Microsoft owns and operates the physical layer, and you consume capacity as a metered service – similar in concept to paying an electricity bill based on usage rather than building your own power plant.<\/span><\/p>\n

Azure Cloud: Three Service Models<\/b><\/h2>\n

Understanding Microsoft Azure requires understanding the three ways cloud services are delivered, because most of its services fall into one of these categories:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Model<\/b><\/td>\nWhat it provides<\/b><\/td>\nYou manage<\/b><\/td>\nAzure manages<\/b><\/td>\nExample Azure service<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)<\/b><\/td>\nRaw compute, storage, and networking<\/span><\/td>\nOS, runtime, applications, data<\/span><\/td>\nPhysical hardware, virtualisation<\/span><\/td>\nAzure Virtual Machines<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
PaaS (Platform as a Service)<\/b><\/td>\nA ready-to-use platform for running applications<\/span><\/td>\nYour application code and data<\/span><\/td>\nOS, runtime, scaling, patching<\/span><\/td>\nAzure App Service<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
SaaS (Software as a Service)<\/b><\/td>\nComplete, ready-to-use software<\/span><\/td>\nJust your usage\/configuration<\/span><\/td>\nEverything underneath<\/span><\/td>\nMicrosoft 365 (runs on Azure)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The practical implication: as you move from IaaS toward SaaS, you give up control in exchange for less operational overhead. A network engineer comfortable managing physical servers will find IaaS (virtual machines, virtual networks) the most familiar starting point; a developer building applications will typically work more with PaaS.<\/span><\/p>\n

Core Azure Service Categories<\/b><\/h2>\n

Microsoft Azure organises its 200+ services into functional categories. The ones most relevant to someone starting out:<\/span><\/p>\n