Cloud computing is changing the way organisations perform Data Analytics, Business Intelligence, and performance solutions.
Gartner defined Modern BI in their Magic Quadrant report, saying: “The evolution and sophistication of the self-service data preparation and data discovery capabilities available in the market has shifted the focus of buyers in the BI and analytics platform market — toward easy-to-use tools that support a full range of analytic workflow capabilities and do not require significant involvement from IT to predefine data models upfront as a prerequisite to analysis.”
Making the leap to the cloud can seem daunting at first, but the potential benefits to your business are too significant to ignore. That’s why the number of organisations adopting a cloud-based model is increasing rapidly and Microsoft Azure is the service of choice for many of these businesses.
By 2021, the number of users of modern BI and analytics platforms that are differentiated by smart data discovery capabilities will grow at twice the rate of those that are not, and will deliver twice the business value. (Gartner, MQ for BI / Analytics)
So why are so many businesses adopting cloud computing platforms like Azure? Here are five reasons why they’ve taken the leap—and why your organisation should consider doing the same.
1. Lower costs
One of the biggest benefits of moving your BI and Data Analytics to the cloud is that it can provide significant savings. Large capital investments and upfront fees can be eliminated and replaced with small monthly payments. This allows you to protect your capital and ensure operating expenses are kept to a minimum. For more detailed information, visit the Azure pricing page.
2. Increased business agility
Businesses that have invested in a significant amount of technology often find they are unable to take advantage of shifts in the market or respond quickly to competitive pressures because they have become too cumbersome. Cloud services like Azure remove these barriers, so businesses can continue to improve the technology they use while avoiding the costs that would normally be associated with an on-site data center.
3. Access data anywhere, on any device
Being able to do business anywhere and on any device, is one of the major benefits of cloud services. Access to your applications and data is available to authorised users anywhere they can access the Internet. Gone are the days when files were kept on a single server on a single computer.
By modernising the BI and Data Analytics platforms, businesses can easily engage with remote workers, provide flexible working arrangements, and allow staff to access work materials without them having to be in the office. And for business owners and executives, it means they can conveniently manage their business at any time of day, from anywhere.
4. Greater integration
Adopting a cloud-based business solution creates multiple opportunities for simplified integration with various cloud-based providers. This gives managers and senior staff more time to focus on the more critical areas of their business. For organisations that are reliant on Microsoft tools like SharePoint, Office 365 and Outlook, using a cloud platform like Azure that integrates seamlessly with Microsoft products makes the most sense.
5. Strong BI and analytics support
Azure utilises managed SQL and NoSQL data services with built-in support which enables organisations to dig deeper into their data and uncover key insights that will improve their business processes and decision making. This is done by leveraging their SQL Server in the cloud and by using Azure’s cloud service such as Azure Synapse Analytics which allow users to analyse their BIG Data more deeply and quickly.
Like to know more?
Agile Analytics is holding Executive Briefing Breakfast sessions in Sydney on a regular basis, where our experts will show you how to take advantage of the analytic and BI capabilities of Azure in your business. Please contact us or follow our LinkedIn page to get informed about upcoming sessions.
