5 Compelling Reasons to Choose Azure Arc for Your Data Management Needs

February 29th, 2024 Intech Systems Microsoft Azure, Uncategorized

5 Compelling Reasons to Choose Azure Arc for Your Data Management Needs

In today’s dynamic business landscape, companies wrestle with the intricacies of diverse environments spanning data centers, edge computing, and multiple cloud platforms. While single-cloud platforms continue to take center stage, businesses are gradually shifting towards multi-cloud and hybrid-cloud models. Amid the winds of global disruptions and digital transformation, manufacturers find themselves in a precarious situation. The latest report from McKinsey reveals that about 92% of manufacturers are either piloting or scaling digital technologies, striving to reduce costs, but how does one gain competitive advantage while juggling between distinct workloads and multi-cloud environments?

Multi-cloud models involve tapping into two or more public clouds for different workloads, providing adaptability, stability, and cost-effectiveness. On the other hand, Hybrid cloud models integrate private on-premises infrastructure with third-party cloud services, offering coordination, security, and flexibility. Enter Azure Arc, a revolutionary force that deconstructs traditional barriers between on-premises infrastructure, multi-cloud environments, and the edge. Azure Arc offers enterprises a unified platform to effectively manage, secure, and govern Azure resources. In this blog, we will introduce Azure Arc and discuss the top 5 reasons why you should consider a data management system like Azure Arc for your business. 

Multiclouds- The New Reality?

The landscape of enterprise technology is rapidly pivoting, and multi-cloud has emerged as one of the overarching trends of 2024. A broad survey led by 451 Research, in association with S&P Global Market Intelligence and commissioned by Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, throws light on this transformation. The study emphasizes that virtually every cloud journey is now a multi-cloud journey. Notedly, 98% of the enterprises that participated in this survey either already utilized or planned to embrace two or more cloud infrastructure providers, with 31% entering the domain of four or more providers. This systemic approach facilitates the IT departments to modify technology solutions based on the unique requirements of diverse teams within the organization, enabling agility and scalability in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

With multi-cloud and hybrid cloud infrastructures going mainstream, major players such as Microsoft, Google, and AWS have entered the market, steering innovation in the cloud domain. All significant hyper-scale cloud providers have introduced control planes to manage hybrid and multi-cloud deployment models, supervising the lifecycle of diverse managed services, including the Internet of Things (IoT), functions, databases, virtual machines, and observability.

These control planes mark a considerable advancement in the deployment of hybrid and multi-cloud technologies. At present, Microsoft Azure Arc and Google Anthos occupy the leading positions, with Microsoft Azure Arc setting itself apart with its unique design architecture.

What is Azure Arc?

Azure Arc is a service devised for managing and integrating resources across diverse cloud environments and on-premises environments, employing Azure’s tools and services. Azure Arc offers backing to servers, including Windows and Linux, fostering management anywhere, whether on-premises or in any cloud environment. Moreover, Azure Arc facilitates the deployment of Azure data services, such as Azure SQL Database and Azure Database for PostgreSQL Hyperscale, on any Kubernetes cluster, whether hosted on AWS, Google Cloud, or an in-house data center.

The main objective of Azure Arc is to provide a stable and unified management experience for resources across various clouds and locations. It guarantees that the same policies, security criteria, and control are applied uniformly to all resources, regardless of their location. Moreover, it also offers a centralized dashboard for controlling and troubleshooting resources, enabling users to leverage Azure’s cloud innovation and scalability on any infrastructure.

In conclusion, Azure Arc boosts security operations by allowing teams to utilize Azure Security Center for verifying the security configurations of workloads and uncovering vulnerabilities, irrespective of whether the workloads are hosted on Azure or not. Businesses can govern resources even when not always connected to the internet. Therefore, non-Azure deployments can be assisted alongside Azure deployments, employing identical user interfaces and services like tags and policies.

Let’s dive deeper into the capabilities of Azure Arc:

Why Choose a Data Management Platform Like Azure Arc?

1. Centralized Database Management:

It is crucial for businesses to efficiently manage data across the organization for streamlined operations, but it is not always an easy task, is it? A centralized data management system, such as Azure Arc, acts as a single source of truth in such a situation. The Azure Arc platform consolidates data from different departments, applications, and locations into a unified platform. By providing a comprehensive view of data, teams can join forces and complete their tasks seamlessly. Whether it is sales, marketing, or finance, everyone has access to the same information. This reduces the chances of duplication and errors, minimizes data silos, and guarantees stability. In addition, centralized management streamlines tasks like backup, recovery, and security. Businesses can execute robust access controls, scrutinize data usage, and implement compliance policies from a central dashboard.

2. Quick Decision Making:

For a business struggling with data silos and agility in today’s fast-paced business landscape, informed decisions are key. A data management system facilitates organizations in analyzing data rapidly. With Azure Arc, organizations can create real-time dashboards, conduct ad-hoc queries, and visualize trends. For instance, a manufacturing business can track inventory levels, sales performance, and customer preferences. Thus, decision-makers can modify pricing strategies, match supply demand, and fine-tune supply chains promptly, adept with accurate insights. Azure Arc enables key stakeholders to make informed choices quickly by reducing the time spent on data preparation and aggregation.

3. Data Consistency and Integrity:

Data quality directly influences business outcomes. Incorrect or inconsistent data can result in erroneous decisions, operational inefficiencies, and compliance risks. Azure Arc upholds data integrity by implementing standardized formats, authenticating entries, and preventing unauthorized changes. In addition, it holds a golden record for key stakeholders and entities like customers, products, or monetary transactions. Businesses can confidently generate reports, perform analytics, and comply with regulations by leveraging consistent data. Data integrity is of the highest significance for businesses of all types and sizes, whether it is a healthcare provider managing patient records or a logistics company tracking freight and cargo. 

Azure Arc functions as a compliance enforcer, authorizing centralized definition and execution of organizational benchmarks related to security, naming conventions, and resource tagging. Using tags, resource groups, and subscriptions, policies are invariably applied. Compliance checks scale effortlessly, assessing resources against defined criteria and triggering alerts for any digressions, encouraging prompt corrective actions.

4. Customer Relationship Management (CRM):

Engaging with your customers and understanding their specific needs and interests is at the foundation of any successful business. A dynamic data management system improves customer relationship management. Users can build comprehensive customer profiles through Azure Arc. These profiles enclose purchase history, preferred communication methods, and feedback. Equipped with this understanding, sales and marketing teams can personalize customer interactions, fostering customer satisfaction and loyalty. Imagine a travel agency personalizing vacation recommendations based on the customer’s travel history or a subscription service suggesting relevant content. Azure Arc’s data management functionalities nurture these personalized experiences.

5. Efficient Organization of Data:

Data sprawl can overwhelm organizations. Resources scattered across servers, databases, and cloud platforms hamper productivity. Azure Arc acts on this by managing data efficiently, streamlining storage costs, enhancing searchability, and improving data governance. Azure Arc’s metadata management permits tagging, categorization, and search functionalities. Moreover, automated data pipelines ensure that data flows seamlessly from source to destination. Whether it is procuring sensor data from IoT devices or executing e-commerce transactions, Azure Arc optimizes data movement. All in all, seamless data organization yields better resource utilization, diminished operational overhead, and enhanced agility.

Azure Arc also enables you to incorporate conventional IOps processes with the integration of DevOps practices to promote the deployment of contemporary cloud-native patterns in your ecosystem. In addition, it permits custom locations to serve as an abstraction layer, overlaying Azure Arc-enabled Kubernetes clusters and their extensions.

Key Features of Azure Arc:

Azure Arc offers the capability to control a diverse range of resource types that are hosted outside of the Azure environment. These include:

1. Azure Arc-Enabled Servers:

Operate both Windows and Linux physical servers along with virtual machines that are hosted outside of Azure.

2. Azure Arc-Enabled Kubernetes Clusters:

Connect and synchronize Kubernetes clusters running in any location, backing multiple distributions.

3. Azure Arc-Enabled Data Services:

Run Azure data services on-premises, at the edge, or in public clouds, using Kubernetes and your chosen infrastructure. At present, SQL Managed Instance and PostgreSQL (preview) services are functional.

4. Azure Arc-Enabled SQL Servers:

Users can also go beyond Azure services to integrate SQL Server instances hosted outside of Azure.

5. Azure Arc-Enabled Virtual Machines:

Users can condition, resize, delete, and supervise virtual machines based on VMware vSphere or Azure Stack HCI. They may also facilitate self-service for virtual machines via role-based access.

What’s Next?

Public cloud providers are speeding to get into your company’s on-premises data center, and Microsoft has stepped into the arena with Azure Arc as part of its cloud strategy. What does this mean for IT setups? In this fast-paced consumer landscape, businesses want a single, unified system to handle everything in multi-cloud setups, and Azure Arc has stood out as a reliable choice. 

Once you sign up with Azure, you can hop on the hybrid cloud train, whether you are operating an old Oracle on Linux or a more modern setup. Azure Arc has proven itself to be a strong candidate because it streamlines handling complicated systems across different places like on-premises, multi-cloud, and on the edge. It is a credible choice for businesses wanting to counterbalance traditional and modern workloads.

Thus, It has transformed into more than just a tool; it has emerged as an ingenious method for governing your applications in the hybrid cloud, cultivating a seamless digital transformation. If you are seeking a solution that is both user-friendly and adaptable, This is your perfect pick.

So, are you ready to streamline your multi-cloud management with Azure Arc? Get in touch with us to explore the capabilities of Azure Arc in-depth and launch your cloud journey today! Contact us here.

Check out our latest news piece on how Azure Arc serves as a unified corporate cloud centre.

We have also developed an Azure Arc implementation offer for businesses looking to implement a robust data management platform for seamless application deployment and management across diverse cloud environments. Check out the offer here.

Get started today!

About Intech Systems:

Intech Systems is a three-cloud Microsoft-certified partner that boasts deep expertise in providing digital transformation solutions for organizations by leveraging the Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, and Azure solution stack. Intech is recognized as a top-tier Microsoft implementation partner globally and specializes in transformative technology solutions such as ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), CRM (Customer Relationship Management), Business Process Automation, Business Intelligence, Cloud Infrastructure, Data Management, Productivity & Collaboration and Generative AI (Gen-AI) solutions. As a trusted Microsoft Solutions Partner, we are capable of doing complex technology implementations catered to an organization’s specific needs & also rapid solution implementation such as our Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central implementation packages. We pair our implementations with end-to-end customer support, offshore development & 3rd party integrations. With offices in India, USA (United States of America), and Singapore, we work with clients across globe to empower businesses with cutting-edge technology solutions. Our latest services aim at delivering business ready AI solutions to the customer, like our  Microsoft Copilot Consulting Services & Solutions for small, medium & large enterprises. Intech’s expertise lies in building software solutions for Manufacturing, Professional Services & Healthcare.  Our Dealer Management System, Sales and Service CRM for Manufacturing, Field Force Automation for Pharmaceuticals and Manufacturing Central are some of our leading industry solutions. Intech’s vision is to catalyze digital futures for operation-centric industries globally, we are at the forefront of innovation, helping organizations drive growth and innovation like never before. Contact Us to learn more.

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