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Azure: The Sky’s Not the Limit

Unlock a more flexible way to work with Microsoft's cloud platform. Secure, scalable and built for growth, Azure helps businesses adapt, evolve and stay ready for what's next.

What is Microsoft Azure?

More than cloud storage. A foundation for growth.

Microsoft Azure gives businesses access to powerful cloud technology without the need for complex on-premises infrastructure.

From storage and backup to cybersecurity, analytics and AI, Azure brings together a wide range of services in one flexible platform. As your business grows, Azure grows with it. Giving you the freedom to scale resources, support new ways of working and respond to change with confidence.

The result? A secure, adaptable technology foundation that helps your organisation stay productive, resilient and ready for whatever comes next.

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 Microsoft's Azure Page

Why Businesses Choose Azure

Microsoft Azure Logo

Cyber security

Your data deserves more than good intentions, it deserves world-class protection. Azure is backed by Microsoft’s global network of data centres, secured with two-tier authentication, proxy cards, and biometric access. Regular updates and proactive monitoring keep vulnerabilities at bay.

So your systems stay safe, without you lifting a finger. Security that’s silent, constant, and always one step ahead.

Low-cost and scalable

Azure flexes with you, not against you. You only pay for what you use, with no wasted storage, no locked-in extras, and no surprise costs. Scale up during busy periods, scale down when things quieten, all without overcommitting or overspending.

Smart, responsive cloud services that move with your business.

Back up & Disaster Recovery

Disasters happen. But with Azure, recovery doesn’t have to be one of them. Your data is safely backed up, ready to restore whenever you need it, whether it’s a single file or an entire system.

And with the Azure Portal, managing storage, settings, and capacity is simple, giving you control without the complexity.

Because peace of mind should be built in, not bolted on.

More Than Infrastructure

Azure is more than a place to host applications and store data. With hundreds of cloud services available, it provides a platform for innovation across security, analytics, artificial intelligence, automation and more.

Whether you’re streamlining operations, exploring AI, or building entirely new solutions, Azure gives you the tools to turn ideas into action.

Not just infrastructure. A platform for possibility.

Flexible. Secure. Built Around You.

Every business uses Azure differently. Some are taking their first steps into the cloud, while others are looking to optimise and expand what they already have.

The flexibility of Azure means it can be tailored to your organisation’s goals, infrastructure and ways of working. Whether you’re improving resilience, supporting growth or embracing new technologies, Azure provides a platform that can evolve alongside your business.

And when it comes to getting the most from your Azure environment, having the right support can make all the difference.

Seamless Migration, Secure Solutions, Specialist Management and Diligent Cost Management

Azure expertise. Real-world support.

01

Seamless Migration

Every transformation starts with a move, but it doesn’t have to be disruptive. Our Azure experts handle the heavy lifting, moving your data and systems smoothly, securely, and with minimal impact on your day-to-day. No drama. No downtime. Just a smarter step forward.
02

Secure Solutions

Security isn't something you set up once and forget about. Our specialists continuously monitor, optimise and strengthen your Azure environment, helping you stay protected against evolving threats while keeping your systems running smoothly. Because peace of mind comes from knowing someone is always keeping an eye on things.
03

Specialist Management

Your dedicated engineers become part of your team, planning, managing, and optimising Azure around how you work. We don’t just support your platform. We help it evolve with you.
04

Diligent Cost Management

With Azure, you only pay for what you use, and we make sure that’s exactly what you need. No bloat. No overspend. Just smart, flexible services that match your goals and your budget.

Hear it from the people who matter most.

Ludlow Wealth Management - Azure Virtual Desktop

Access to Key Line of Business Applications Hosted on Microsoft Azure

Challenge

The increasing demand for online meetings, driven by the Covid crisis, meant that the Remote Desktop Solution was unable to provide an acceptable user experience. When the time came to refresh their IT infrastructure, we worked with the Ludlow team to ensure that the next upgrade cycle would address the changing end-user requirements, while further enhancing their cyber security and providing a high degree of scalability to cope with their ongoing growth.

Solution

Working with Ludlow, we produced a business case that showed that moving to Microsoft's Azure Virtual Desktop solution, and hosting their LoB application on Microsoft Azure would provide a more secure, cost-effective alternative to purchasing a physical server cluster. Their LoB application was migrated to Azure, and presented to end-users as a Published Application, removing the need for them to connect to a separate virtual desktop to access the app. Azure Backup was used to provide backup and business continuity and to further enhance Microsoft's already robust resilience measures.
“ String has consistently provided us with innovative IT solutions, without compromising our cyber security. The whole team are a pleasure to work with, and we consider them a trusted extension to our own team.”
Rob Brown
Chief Operating Officer, Ludlow Wealth Management Group.
The Sporting House – Microsoft 365 Cloud

Microsoft 365 Cloud Technologies Help Drive Olympian Levels of Success

Challenge

Whilst Sporting House had enjoyed rapid growth, their strategy was to significantly accelerate this. They were also acutely aware that their then IT service model was inadequate to support their ambitious plans for a number of reasons.

Solution

String worked with Sporting House to develop a new Microsoft cloud-centric IT strategy, that would leverage Microsoft 365 to support their wider business strategy.
“ We selected String because of their clear understanding of our strategic requirements, and were able to articulate how they, and Microsoft technologies could help us to achieve these. Our relationship with String has proven an extremely rewarding one, and we look forward to continuing to work closely with them moving forwards.”
Lee Cunliffe
Finance Director, The Sporting House
Jones Harris Chartered Accountants

Microsoft Hybrid Cloud Technologies Drive Paperless, Secure & Remote Office

Challenge

Jones Harris wanted to move to a fully paperless operation, without any interruption to the business. The company had a major dependency on a local Microsoft SQL Server database for their line-of-business applications, which limited their choices in terms of a potential cloud-only solution.

Solution

String worked with Jones Harris to help them adopt a hybrid-cloud solution, providing the optimal blend of Microsoft 365 cloud services, with the high performance computing power required by their LoB. Jones Harris now make full use of Microsoft's Power Platform, utilising Power BI for business intelligence, and Power Automate for business process automation.
“ String worked very closely with our internal guys, planning it out, mapping it out. There was absolutely no break in service, we were expecting there to be a few bugs, but it was a really smooth and impressive operation to get everything across and migrated. Absolutely top notch work, the String team!”
Martin Wigley
Director, Jones Harris Chartered Accountants
One Fylde - Microsoft Modern Workplace

Identifying Microsoft Modern Workplace as the Best Choice for the Client

Challenge

Following a merger between two organisations, our client found themselves with a disjointed IT service that comprised two large on-premise data centres, various security technologies, and a variety of remote access solutions. The result was a costly, difficult to manage IT infrastructure, with a poor user experience due to a lack of standardisation in the way IT was used. Of concern was that, as a large care provider, the client was responsible for the safe-keeping of a large amount of personal medical and financial data. Plus, users had become used to creating work-arounds to allow them to access and share sensitive information. The complexity of the IT infrastructure also meant they were suffering frequent service outages.

Solution

We discussed the opportunity for them to move away from their large, unwieldy on-premises infrastructure and instead to move to a wholly Microsoft cloud-based IT service. From our early discussions it was clear that such a move would allow us to radically re-imagine their approach to document and information management, business processes, and information security. The concept was embraced enthusiastically by the client, and it was agreed to move on to an initial business case analysis exercise. Firstly, however, we were engaged to stabilise the existing infrastructure, and to address the inadequate business continuity provision. The move to Microsoft Modern Workplace has allowed One Fylde to ensure data is more secure and improve workplace processes. All 400 users were able to access all relevant documents securely from any location. And the client can now enjoy the very latest in innovations from Microsoft on almost a weekly cycle.
“ One Fylde started to work with String at a time where our IT infrastructure was causing problems almost on a daily basis. The problems were meaning staff couldn't do their job to support people with learning disabilities in the way we wanted. String became involved with us and worked as a 'real' partner, feeling like part of the team to solve the immediate problem and with an eye to a longer-term more sustainable solution. We are now in a position where I can sleep at night and our staff are seeing the benefit of the huge amount of work that has gone on. And on a seperate note the whole team at String are really friendly, personable and supportive, working with us and continuing to support us to look at the future. ”
Tracey Bush
CEO, One Fylde

Insights

Getting the most out of Microsoft Azure

Read more of our case studies and guides to understand how Microsoft Azure can offer your organisation the best cloud storage solution to meet your business needs.
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Microsoft Azure

FAQ's

What is cloud computing?

Cloud computing allows businesses to access technology services such as storage, applications and computing power over the internet, rather than relying solely on physical servers and infrastructure on-site.

Why should I move to the cloud?

Moving to the cloud can give businesses greater flexibility, improved resilience, enhanced security and the ability to scale resources as needs change. It can also reduce the burden of managing and maintaining physical infrastructure.

Is Microsoft Azure suitable for small and medium-sized businesses?

Yes. Azure is designed to support organisations of all sizes, from small businesses looking to modernise their IT environment through to larger organisations with complex infrastructure requirements.

Can Azure work with our existing systems?

In many cases, yes. Azure is designed to integrate with a wide range of Microsoft and third-party applications, allowing businesses to modernise at a pace that suits them.

Can Microsoft Azure grow with my business?

Absolutely. Azure is built to scale, allowing businesses to increase or reduce resources as requirements change, without the need for major infrastructure investments.

How long does an Azure migration take?

Every migration is different and depends on the systems, applications and data involved. Some projects can be completed relatively quickly, while more complex environments require additional planning and testing to ensure a smooth transition.

Azure gives your business a powerful foundation. See what happens when you build on it with...

Microsoft 365

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