Navigating Managed Hosting in Azure: A Beginner’s Guide

Microsoft Azure has become one of the top choices for businesses seeking scalable, secure, and flexible cloud hosting solutions. However, managing an Azure environment efficiently requires expertise in cloud architecture, security, compliance, and cost optimization. This is where Managed Azure Hosting comes in—a solution that allows businesses to leverage Azure’s powerful cloud infrastructure without the complexities of managing it themselves.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through what managed hosting in Azure is, the benefits it offers, the different hosting options available, and how a Managed Cloud Services Provider (MSP) can help businesses optimize their Azure environments.

A Quick Introduction to Microsoft Azure

Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing platform offering a wide range of services, including virtual machines, databases, AI, networking, and storage, to help businesses build, deploy, and manage applications efficiently.

As a scalable, cost-effective cloud solution, Azure supports multiple cloud models:

• Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS): Provides virtual machines and networking resources.
• Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS): Simplifies application deployment by handling infrastructure.
• Software-as-a-Service (SaaS): Enables businesses to use cloud-based applications without managing the backend.

Azure also supports hybrid cloud and multi-cloud strategies through Azure Arc, Azure Stack, and ExpressRoute, allowing businesses to integrate on-premises infrastructure with cloud resources.

What is Managed Hosting?

Managed hosting refers to a cloud hosting model where an external provider (MSP) handles infrastructure, security, performance, and maintenance of a company’s cloud resources. In the case of Azure Managed Hosting, businesses use Azure’s cloud services while an MSP takes care of:

• Provisioning and scaling resources
• Security hardening and compliance management
• Automated backups and disaster recovery
• Cost optimization and billing insights
• 24/7 monitoring and technical support

Managed vs. Self-Managed Hosting in Azure

Hosting Type	Description
Self-Managed Azure Hosting	Businesses manage their own Azure resources (VMs, databases, networking, security policies). IT teams handle scaling, updates, troubleshooting, and cost management.
Managed Azure Hosting	A Managed Cloud Services Provider (MSP) handles infrastructure, security, monitoring, backups, and cost optimization, allowing businesses to focus on core operations.

Key Responsibilities of a Managed Cloud Provider

An Azure Managed Cloud Services Provider (MSP) takes care of essential cloud management tasks, ensuring that businesses maximize efficiency while minimizing risks and costs.

Infrastructure Management

• Provisioning and maintaining virtual machines, databases, networking, and storage.
• Implementing load balancing and failover strategies for high availability.

Security & Compliance

• Enforcing firewalls, encryption, role-based access controls (RBAC).
• Ensuring compliance with ISO, SOC, HIPAA, and GDPR standards.

Performance Optimisation

• Auto-scaling workloads based on demand.
• Implementing caching, CDN integration, and workload optimisation.

Cost Management

• Rightsizing virtual machines (VMs) to avoid over-provisioning.
• Leveraging Azure Reserved Instances, Savings Plans, and Spot VMs to reduce expenses.

Automated Backups & Disaster Recovery

• Configuring geo-redundant backups and failover solutions.
• Implementing Azure Site Recovery (ASR) for business continuity.

Proactive Monitoring & 24/7 Support

• Real-time monitoring for system health, latency, and performance.
• Automated alerts and AI-driven incident resolution.

By offloading these responsibilities to experts, businesses can free up IT teams to focus on innovation rather than infrastructure maintenance. Businesses can also reduce cloud costs through strategic resource allocation, and ensure high availability with disaster recovery and failover mechanisms at the same time. When needed, cloud resources can be scaled seamlessly.

An Azure Managed Hosting partner essentially acts as an extension of your IT team, ensuring that Azure workloads run smoothly and cost-effectively.

Azure Managed Hosting Options

Azure offers multiple managed hosting solutions depending on your business needs. Here’s a breakdown of the most common ones:

1. Azure Virtual Machines (VMs) – IaaS Hosting

These are virtual cloud-based machines running Windows or Linux. They are best for businesses that need custom server environments.

Managed services include:

• Provisioning and scaling VM resources.
• Security patching and updates.
• Automated backups & disaster recovery.

2. Azure App Service – PaaS Hosting

This is a managed platform for web apps, APIs, and mobile backends. It is best for developers who want a scalable, secure hosting solution.

Managed services include:

• Automated app deployments.
• Autoscaling and traffic management.
• Built-in SSL and security hardening.

3. Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) – Containerised Hosting

A Kubernetes cluster is great for containerised workloads. It’s ideal for businesses adopting microservices and DevOps.

Managed services include:

• Cluster provisioning & scaling.
• CI/CD pipeline automation.
• Security policies and compliance.

4. Azure SQL Managed Instance – Managed Database Hosting

This is managed SQL database hosting with automatic updates and backups. Azure SQL Managed Instances are best for companies needing enterprise-grade, high-availability databases.

Managed services include:

• Built-in failover and geo-redundancy.
• Performance tuning and query optimisation.
• Advanced security and compliance.

Each of these hosting options comes with its own complexities, which is why an Azure Managed Hosting Provider helps businesses choose the right solution.

How to Get Started with Managed Azure Hosting

If you’re considering moving to Managed Azure Hosting, follow these steps:

Step 1: Assess your current Azure usage: Identify which workloads you’re currently managing manually. Also analyse costs, performance bottlenecks, and potential security risks.

Step 2: Choose the right hosting model: Your needs will determine the hosting model or product you’ll sign up for. Do you need IaaS (virtual machines), PaaS (app Services), or Containers (AKS)? Will you need managed databases (Azure SQL, Cosmos DB, PostgreSQL)?

Not sure? Speak to a Storm Internet consultant to find out which cloud hosting models / products will work best for your project.

Step 3: Migrate & optimise your Azure environment: Work with the provider to migrate workloads efficiently. Implement best practices for scalability, security, and monitoring.

Final Thoughts

Managed Azure Hosting enables businesses to leverage the power of Azure without the complexities of in-house management. By partnering with an MSP like Storm Internet, companies can reduce IT overhead, improve security, and optimise cloud costs.