The product is being used for document sharing and archiving. The company wants their customers to be able to pull certain documents that they put on file. The idea is that through active directory B2B, they will offer access to the different files and customers will be able to pull the files they need from the server. The company uses information protection to make sure that only the right people have access to the right files. We are integrators, mainly on the software side. We are partners with Microsoft Azure and I'm a senior solution architect.
Sr Solutions Architect at System Soft Technologies, LLC
Information protection is great as is the ability to provide temporary and secure access to vendors
Pros and Cons
- "Good information protection feature."
- "Could be more user friendly; initial setup is difficult to understand."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
The company has different vendors that they bring in. This product has made it easier to onboard those individuals and to provide access to them when needed and then to basically cut them off when the time comes. The way they have it set up, documents can't be downloaded. They are only accessible online but can be accessed from anywhere so the company doesn't have to worry about setting up VPNs and the like. They provide a username, password, a two-factor authentication and that enables access.
What is most valuable?
Information protection is a good feature because you can label different documents and different files, and that allows them to put like NDA files in a specific bucket, as opposed to just regular, safe or confidential storage.
What needs improvement?
This solution is not user friendly to set up and it's difficult to understand, particularly with regard to information protection and the sort of licensing needed to utilize it. Simplification would go a long way.
I'd like to see them improve on the watermarking. There's a feature that allows you to watermark documents that are checked out. Currently it watermarks a document with whoever publishes it. For example, if you wanted to watermark the email address, it doesn't watermark with the person checking out the file, but with the person publishing the document. It would be more valuable if the watermarking was related to the person checking out the document, in case it leaks out.
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For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using this solution for several years and on my most recent project, for the past six months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability has been great. We haven't had any issues whatsoever with stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
As far as I know, scalability is fine. Our current customer isn't huge so I can't speak to enterprise size customers. It's not infinite scalability, but it is Azure Cloud. If you need more storage, you buy more storage.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is fairly complex. There is a ton of documentation, but once you get through that it's really not difficult, it's just not intuitive. The product requires better documentation that explains things. I think a lot of it has to do with the licensing requirements. It's not obvious and so you can be following a step-by-step tutorial and still not get it right because the software requirements aren't right but it doesn't give you that in clear text.
You can probably set this up within 30 minutes, realistically, as long as you know all the steps. Unfortunately, it took about four or five hours to troubleshoot the situation because we didn't understand what the license requirements were. We had to go and obtain those licenses and try it a second time. It'll be fine now because we understand it but there are certain things like having to be a security administrator within the roles and responsibility matrix, and that's not really outlined in the documentation.
What was our ROI?
The company wanted it to deploy rapidly. They didn't want to spend a lot on this project to buy storage, and clear that storage, ensuring that it was 100% secure. This was either going to be a very short-term project or it was going to blow up to something large and they weren't sure which direction it was going to go. Enabling them to use OPEX spend just to utilize what they need when they need it at a low cost, was super valuable to them.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend anyone wanting to implement this solution to carry out background homework on active directory, on information access management (IAM), and then understand the licensing before you deploy. That aside, it's pretty straightforward. I've learned that setting up secure documents doesn't have to be difficult as long as you take into account those caveats of understanding your licensing and active directory.
I would rate this solution an eight out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

Solutions Architect at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
A customizable solution with a good interface and helpful support
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features are the interface and customizability."
- "Dashboards and reporting could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
We are a solution provider and Microsoft Azure is one of the technologies that we help our clients to implement. For example, when one of our customers wants to migrate from on-premises to the cloud, we assist them with the process. Once they decide on technology, we build the solution.
Our clients implement Azure to use as Infrastructure as a Service.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features are the interface and customizability.
The approach used for cloud migration is something that I like.
Documentation and community support are good.
What needs improvement?
Dashboards and reporting could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Azure for three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Azure is a stable system.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There are no issues with scalability. We have a range of customers that vary in size from small to medium-sized businesses, as well as enterprise-level organizations.
How are customer service and technical support?
I am happy with the good support that we are getting. I have not been in contact with them directly but some of my colleagues have dealt with them.
How was the initial setup?
The installation and initial setup are easy. We implemented over the course of a few days.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Reducing the price would be of benefit to our customers.
What other advice do I have?
My advice for anybody who is considering this solution is to do a proof of concept first. This is what I suggest to all of our customers, especially before migrating to the cloud. It will ensure that it meets the requirements.
I would rate this solution a ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
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Senior DevSecOps Engineer at a tech vendor with 1,001-5,000 employees
Comes with account management feature but interface needs to be made similar to AWS
Pros and Cons
- "The tool's most valuable aspect is the account management side. This involves tasks such as assigning credentials to different individuals, managing user accounts, and implementing Privileged Access Management."
- "The tool should add an interface that is similar to AWS."
What is our primary use case?
In my department, we primarily use AWS. However, for single sign-on, we use Azure Directory. It helps with integration when logging into various systems. The IT operations team utilizes Microsoft Defender for tasks such as tracking various endpoints and conducting business reviews.
What is most valuable?
The tool's most valuable aspect is the account management side. This involves tasks such as assigning credentials to different individuals, managing user accounts, and implementing Privileged Access Management.
What needs improvement?
The tool should add an interface that is similar to AWS.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Microsoft Azure is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
My company has around five to ten users for Microsoft Azure. It is scalable.
How was the initial setup?
The tool's deployment is easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Microsoft Azure is expensive.
What other advice do I have?
The tool is a great product to use, and very intuitive. It is beneficial for users and enterprises. I rate it an eight out of ten. The product is easy to learn, but it may become difficult depending on your technical ability.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Technical support engineer at 64 Network security pvt ltd
An exceptionally stable and easy-to-access solution for file storage and file backup
Pros and Cons
- "Feature-wise, I like its stability. Also, it is easy to access the solution and its options."
- "The security feature in the solution is an area that needs to be improved."
What is our primary use case?
We were using Microsoft Azure for file storage and file backup. So, it was one of our backup resources. Internally, NAS is there in our company. So, we go from NAS to Veeam and Veeam to Azure.
What is most valuable?
Feature-wise, I like its stability. Also, it is easy to access the solution and its options. Also, the backup solutions can take anything, so we can easily find out any option.
What needs improvement?
The security feature in the solution is an area that needs to be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have experience with Microsoft Azure until six months ago. Also, I was using the solution's latest version.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is a scalable product. There are more than 100 users using the solution. I am just involved in the maintenance of the servers and infrastructures.
How are customer service and support?
We need to purchase Microsoft Azure for our clients, including cloud backup and any Azure solutions. So, So that time, we need to contact technical support. I expect more technical support from Azure.
How was the initial setup?
The solution's initial setup is straightforward. When you need to create multiple tasks, the solution can get complex. I am not involved in the deployment process.
What other advice do I have?
I can recommend it to other people who want to start using it. So, our company provides a lot of solutions to our clients, including backup solutions like NAS storage, cloud storage, and servers. Parallely, we provide support to users.
I rate the overall solution a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
BI Expert at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Reliable, high performance, and stable
Pros and Cons
- "I have not had a problem with the stability. It is reliable."
- "I have found Microsoft Azure has many components to use and it's very difficult to understand every component."
What is our primary use case?
I only use Microsoft Azure for queries, creating databases, and applying rules. The data lakes are very simple to connect.
What is most valuable?
Microsoft Azure is a very fast and high-performance solution. It is the best product today.
What needs improvement?
I have found Microsoft Azure has many components to use and it's very difficult to understand every component.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used Microsoft Azure within the past 12 months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have not had a problem with the stability. It is reliable.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used Amazon AWS, Oracle SQL, and NoSQL databases.
How was the initial setup?
The configuration of Microsoft Azure can be difficult because of the mapping.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Microsoft Azure an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Associate Director at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Competitively priced with excellent integration
Pros and Cons
- "The best feature is it's easy to integrate with other Microsoft solutions."
- "Compared with other cloud solution providers, Microsoft is not good at local support."
What is our primary use case?
I mainly use Azure for data analytics and implementation.
What is most valuable?
The best feature is it's easy to integrate with other Microsoft solutions.
What needs improvement?
Compared with other cloud solution providers, Microsoft is not good at local support.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been working with Azure for almost five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Azure's stability is ok, but there are issues sometimes. I'd rate its stability as seven or eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Azure is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
Microsoft isn't good at local support.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Azure is cheaper than solutions from other cloud vendors like AWS or Google.
What other advice do I have?
I prefer Azure to AWS or Google because it's cheaper and its ecosystem is better integrated. I would rate this solution as eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Implementer
Implementation Engineer at a tech vendor with 201-500 employees
Feature-rich, user-friendly, good performance, and is easy to setup
Pros and Cons
- "We have not had any issues with the performance, or the stability."
- "The license price could be lower."
What is our primary use case?
Microsoft Azure is essentially an IaaS solution, we use the DMs and everything in that.
Microsoft Azure is primarily an Infrastructure as a Service product.
What is most valuable?
We are satisfied with this solution.
We have not had any issues with the performance, or the stability.
It's more user-friendly than AWS.
What needs improvement?
I have only been using it for a month, so I'm still learning about the various options that are available. They have a lot of options, but I won't be able to comment unless I use it or explore it properly. Everything is fine, but I'm still learning.
The license price could be lower. If there is anything else, I will not know unless I explore.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have just started working with Microsoft Azure. I have been working with it for one month. I got my trial subscription and started working with it.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Microsoft Azure is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Microsoft Azure is a scalable product.
I use it for my own personal use.
How are customer service and support?
I contacted technical support a while ago. They were also helpful. I only had one question about the file quarantine and file locking options, and they were very helpful. They have a support team that responds fairly well.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
For remote work, we have been using Microsoft Teams.
We are also using McAfee Proxy, as well as Box.
We are also using Amazon AWS.
I've only recently begun working with AWS. I started but then stopped because I didn't like the user interface.
AWS is used and preferred by a large number of customers, but I am more comfortable working on Azure rather than AWS. This is a personal preference.
How was the initial setup?
The initial configuration is straightforward. We only need an email ID and we can sign up in a matter of minutes.
What about the implementation team?
We can complete the installation on our own.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Pricing is determined by how much you can use and how much you want to use it.
It's not on a per-user basis; it's on a per subscription basis. It is dependent on how much you use. It has a metering system. If you use a service, you will have to pay for it. You do not have to pay if you do not use any of the services. That's how it works.
The licensing fees could be cheaper.
What other advice do I have?
I would definitely recommend this solution to others who are considering using it.
I would rate Microsoft Azure a ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Project Manager at a consultancy with 11-50 employees
Advantageous UX that could use an enhanced integration pipeline
Pros and Cons
- "The Azure Portal has an advantage in terms of UX making buying resources or downgrading is really easier to understand. AWS has micro, smaller functionalities whereas Azure has more end-to-end focus which makes it easier saving you time and money."
- "The integration pipeline could be a bit more broad in terms of applications."
What is our primary use case?
We, as consultants of Azure, have used the SQL storage accounts, Databricks for computing models, and Data Factory for ETLs.
What is most valuable?
The Azure Portal has an advantage in terms of UX making buying resources or downgrading is really easier to understand. AWS has micro, smaller functionalities whereas Azure has more end-to-end focus which makes it easier saving you time and money.
What needs improvement?
The integration pipeline could be a bit more broad in terms of applications.
Additionally, some companies require third parties to develop on their cloud. it would be interesting to see if it would be possible to provide another company with restricted access to their analytical tech stack.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used the solution for the past three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There is potential for scalability but that becomes more complex the more packaged the product is.
How are customer service and support?
I have never used support personally but I have heard that it is good.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward - one fifth of the work in comparison to AWS. It took about three months in total.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

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