What Is Microsoft Azure and Why Training Matters?

What Is Microsoft Azure and Why Training Matters?

Categories: Cloud Computing|Published On: June 20, 2023|4.7 min read|
About the Author

Kevin Boey

Kevin is the Head of Marketing & IT for Trainocate with over 17 years of working experience with Malaysia's largest EdTech provider specializing in Information Technology & Human Development Competency solutions.

Microsoft Azure provides top tier cloud services used by enterprises worldwide. When operated at basic capacity, Microsoft Azure fulfills basic goals. However, training and certification for Microsoft Azure specialists can take it to the next level.

Microsoft Azure Cloud Training and Certification

What is Microsoft Azure?

Microsoft Azure, often just Azure, is a cloud computing service created by Microsoft for building, testing, deploying, and managing applications and services through Microsoft-managed data centers. It provides a range of cloud services, including those for analytics, storage, computing, and networking. Users can pick and choose from these services to develop and scale new applications, or run existing applications in the public cloud.

Azure offers Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), supporting many different programming languages, tools, and frameworks, including both Microsoft-specific and third-party systems. Azure also offers a suite of AI and machine learning services, IoT services, and a blockchain-as-a-service feature.

Azure aims to help businesses manage challenges and meet their organizational goals. It is adaptable, providing users with the freedom to build and deploy wherever they want, using the tools, applications, and frameworks of their choice. Azure also emphasizes security, privacy, compliance, and transparency, maintaining the trust of its users by adhering to a comprehensive set of compliance offerings.

What does Microsoft Azure do?

Microsoft Azure never lacked in its catalogue of functions, as it competes with Amazon Web Services (AWS), IBM, and Google Cloud for dominance in the cloud computing market. New updates are continuously added to expand upon these core services:

  • Virtual machines
  • SQL databases
  • Active Directory Domain Services
  • Application services
  • Visual Studio

Why Microsoft Azure is the cloud computing front runner?Microsoft Azure Cloud Computing

To date, Microsoft Azure beats AWS and Google cloud in terms of profits with a fiscal Q3 earnings report of $17.7 billion in commercial-cloud revenue. The hybrid cloud computing finesse touted to empower on-premise data center with public cloud somewhat elevated Microsoft Azure to its reputation today. However, continuous improvements of the computing platform made by Microsoft knocked down barriers for greater possibilities.

How Microsoft Azure training and certification shape careers?

The substantial growth of Microsoft Azure and its hybrid capability paved the way for multitude of computing products and solutions. Every innovation needs cultivation to nurture its growth, and this is where specialized IT personnel play a crucial role. Training and certification can help to optimize Microsoft Azure, while beneficial to the professionals due to several reasons:

  • Flexible career: Numerous Azure certification courses available to specialize in any preferred roles: developer, cloud architect, or others. Work in any industry.
  • Attractive remuneration: Certified professionals are paid more than non-certified peers due to specialization of skills.
  • Fast learning process: Each specialization has a unique learning path. Learn only what you need.
Microsoft Learn

What role-based training and certification suit you?

Before selecting the right training and certification, one must consider some factors

  • Technical expertise: The technical knowledge on the operation of Microsoft Azure
  • Present job role: Certification should suit or enhance current job duties
  • Objective: Long term goal of your specialization in Microsoft Azure

Microsoft Azure certification can be divided into 4 levels – fundamental, associate, expert, specialty (basic to advanced). Each level entailed different exams and objectives for professionals to accomplish. Higher level certifications also require the candidate to possess specific prerequisites.

Fundamental level

Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals – Starting point for beginners who are new to Microsoft Azure. In other words, this certification validates foundational knowledge of cloud services and how those services are provided with Microsoft Azure. In addition, it is suitable for nearly all professionals, regardless of technical proficiency. This certification is akin to Azure 101 for the know-how of all about cloud computing.

 Associate level

Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate – Ideal to understand Azure applications, cloud, operating systems, and storage infrastructure. Most importantly, certification validates your expertise in implementing, managing, and monitoring your organization’s Microsoft Azure environment. One will also master mechanics of virtualization tools and networking components.

Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate – The certification will prove that the candidate possesses knowledge in programming language and advanced skills to work with tools and technologies in Microsoft Azure to develop apps.

Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate – Earning this certification will prove that the candidate understands how to work with virtualization, Amazon Kubernetes Service in addition to clouds N-tier architecture and most certainly it also demonstrates that the candidate has the expertise on handling security tools to prevent cyberthreats.

Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate – Machine learning and AI will be the primary domains of this certification. The certification will be a testament to the candidate’s skills to create AI tools in Microsoft Azure for complex tasks beyond automation alone.

Expert level

Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert – This certification proves that the candidate is able to design and implement solutions to optimize the cloud infrastructure. The candidate supervises the platform and is able to apply business insights into solutions.

Microsoft Certified: Azure DevOps Engineer Expert – Candidate possesses the knowledge to design and implement DevOps practices for configuration management, building, and testing using the Azure technologies.

Specialty level

Microsoft Certified: Azure IoT Developer Specialty – This certification is suitable for developers who aim to prove that they can implement Azure services that become IoT solutions such as data analysis, data processing, data storage and more.

Microsoft Certified: Azure Support Engineer for Connectivity Specialty – Candidates for the Azure Support Engineer for Connectivity Specialty certification are support engineers with subject matter expertise in using advanced troubleshooting methods to resolve networking and connectivity issues in Azure.

Level up your Microsoft Azure game

The great demand for Microsoft Azure also translates to more career paths for hopeful IT professionals for the specialized workforce. Above all, earning a certification gives you a strong CV asset and here at Trainocate – we are ready to take you there.

Microsoft Azure Cloud Computing Certification

About the Author

Kevin Boey

Kevin is the Head of Marketing & IT for Trainocate with over 17 years of working experience with Malaysia's largest EdTech provider specializing in Information Technology & Human Development Competency solutions.