When you hear "Microsoft Azure", you might picture vast tech infrastructures, enterprise IT teams and hefty budgets. But here's the truth: Azure isn't just for global corporations. More and more small- and medium-sized businesses (we help numerous SMEs with Azure in Greater Manchester already!) are using it to simplify IT, increase security, and unlock more flexible working.
And if you're already using Microsoft 365, you're halfway there!
In this blog, we'll demystify what Azure is, show how businesses like yours are using it in 2025, and highlight a few practical ways it can solve everyday challenges for SMEs.
In plain English: Azure is Microsoft's cloud computing platform.
It lets you run servers, apps, files, backups, security tools and more - all hosted in the cloud instead of on physical machines in your office.
That means:
Think of it as your IT infrastructure - just hosted in Microsoft's data centres instead of a back room.
Use Azure Virtual Desktop to give your team secure access to their work desktops - anywhere, on any device. Great for remote and hybrid teams. Bonus: All your data stays in the cloud, not on local machines - much safer.
Store files in Azure, with automatic backups and version control. You can even set it up to back up your entire Microsoft 365 environment. No more relying on someone remembering to plug in a hard drive.
If your office server fails or gets hit by ransomware, Azure lets your spin up a cloud-based version in minutes - keeping your business running. It's like having an instant spare key to your digital office.
Got an in-house app or industry-specific software? Host it securely in Azure instead of paying for clunky on-site servers. You get faster performance, better uptime, and easier maintenance.
Azure Active Directory helps you manage logins, passwords and user permissions centrally. Add Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), conditional access, and Single Sign-On (SSO) - no need for third-party tools. That's serious enterprise-grade security, scales for SMEs.
Azure makes sense if:
In other words, most SMEs.