In today’s business world, maximizing efficiency and cutting costs are two key factors that drive any organization’s success. One of the best ways to achieve these goals is to use the cloud, specifically Azure Virtual Machines (VMs). With Azure VMs, businesses can host their applications and workloads in the cloud, without having to worry about the hardware or infrastructure needed to run them.
However, simply moving to the cloud with Azure is not enough. Businesses need to optimize their operations to make the most of this technology. In this article, we will discuss ways in which businesses can maximize efficiency and cost savings with Azure Virtual Machines.
1. Right-sizing Virtual Machines
One of the biggest advantages of using Azure VMs is the ability to choose the right size of VM. This means selecting the size and specs that best meet your needs. For instance, if you need a VM to run a SQL server, you can choose a smaller VM that is optimized for running that workload, instead of opting for a larger and more expensive VM.
Choosing the right size of VM helps businesses to save money on operational and infrastructure costs. This means more efficient use of resources, enabling businesses to get the maximum benefit from their investment in Azure.
2. Azure Hybrid Benefit
The Azure Hybrid Benefit is a program that allows businesses to use their existing Windows Server and SQL Server licenses when deploying workloads into Azure. This means that businesses can use their existing licenses to save money on Azure VMs.
By using the Azure Hybrid Benefit, businesses can reduce monthly costs to operate in Azure by up to 40%. This is a considerable saving, which can be used to further optimize business operations.
3. Azure Reserved VM Instances
Reserved VM Instances (RIs) are a payment option, which provides the most significant discount on VMs in Azure. Businesses can choose to pay upfront for VMs for one or three years, receiving discounts of up to 72% on the standard pay-as-you-go rates.
Azure RIs help businesses to plan and budget more efficiently, gaining cost savings and reducing the uncertainty that usually comes with Azure pricing.
4. Azure Spot Virtual Machines
Spot Virtual Machines are an option in Azure, which offers up to 90% savings on the standard pay-as-you-go rates. However, Spot VMs are not suitable for all workloads, as they come with a caveat that the VMs can be evicted at short notice if Azure requires the resources for other workloads.
But, for some workloads with less critical and volatile workloads, the benefits of Azure Spot VMs can be immense.
5. Automation
Automation is an essential part of any cloud-based infrastructure, and Azure is no exception. Businesses can save time and reduce costs by automating their deployment, scaling, and maintenance processes in Azure VMs.
Tasks such as patching, monitoring, and backup can be automated, reducing the time and effort required manually to complete them. This automation helps to improve efficiency, speed up deployments, and reduce costs.
In conclusion, by taking advantage of Azure Virtual Machines’ benefits, businesses can maximize efficiency and cost savings. Azure’s flexibility allows businesses to choose the right size, payment options and mix of resources to optimize their operations. Combining this with constantly improving automation techniques, ensures that businesses can streamline their operations with Azure, leading to increased profitability and success.