We have public cloud platforms like, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure or Google Cloud and now we have Azure Stack – the hybrid cloud model. How will this be different? The new product will particularly benefit highly regulated industries like banking and medicine or in countries where using public cloud is not yet viable.
These companies will not need to move their computing operations to the massive shared data centers instead buy any of these Azure Stack systems and plug it into their own servers. The main difference between Microsoft Azure and Azure Stack, is that the later will run on-premises hardware. The benefits like efficient resource utilization and developer tools will be common for both.
In May 2015, Microsoft Corp announced Azure Stack – a set of products that lets you build your own version of the Microsoft Azure cloud in your own data center. But instead of constructing their own infrastructure, now Azure Stack customers must now buy specific hardware from Microsoft hardware partners, such as Dell EMC, Lenovo Group Ltd and Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co.
These hardware companies are ready with Azure Stack-powered servers and equipments needed to run the service. Cisco and Huawei will soon follow. The price for this appliance from HPE starts at $300,000 to 400,000. While customers can begin placing orders, the shipment for these products will start from September this year.
Microsoft Azure lets you access Microsoft’s huge data centers (public cloud service) and the customers have to pay-as-you-go for the internet-based service. But the billing for Azure Stack customers will be based on the plan and model they opt. It could either be based on how much Azure Stack they use or based on the computing capacity they consume.
This hybrid cloud model offering from Microsoft, will surely provide a significant boost to the overall cloud business.
Related blogs:
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Microsoft Azure Stack preview adds more support for Azure Functions