The Pros and Cons of Azure Support from a Microsoft Partner

Perhaps the most common route businesses take for Azure support is to work with a partner.

In fact, you may even have a partner already looking after your Azure cloud deployments for you.

Microsoft Partners come in all shapes and sizes, offering a variety of support packages and services, essentially taking the burden away from Microsoft.

The type of support available will depend on things like your requirements, your budget, your cloud deployment, and the partner’s own size and capabilities.

To help you determine whether this is the right approach to take for your specific circumstances, we’ve listed the pros and cons of working with an Azure support partner here.

The Pros

• Most partners will have an established approach to cloud support, with proven processes and best practices in place
• Many partners will have a team containing valuable experience
• You’ll find evidence of their credibility through their certifications and their existing clients
• A partner will work with you in a similar agreement to a traditional IT support contract
• You’ll likely work with a dedicated rep who will become familiar with your business and cloud deployment
• Many partners will also offer additional services for consultancy and projects if you need it.

The Cons

• Their primary channel will be a support desk, which probably won’t give you access to their technical people
• Depending on the size of the partner, their response times could be longer than you need
• Most partners will also have a high volume of clients all battling for their time and attention simultaneously
• Most partners will only have one or two cloud experts, and they’ll usually be busy with high-profile projects or clients
• If your rep takes time off, you’ll be switched over to a new rep who needs to get to know your business almost from scratch
• If your partner faces any technical issues, it will affect your own business continuity.

The Verdict

Working with an Azure support partner is generally a good approach to take. You’ll receive more personalised and attentive support service than you would if you were to rely on Microsoft for cloud support.

But it’s important to remember each Microsoft partner organisation is limited by its own resources, workload, and technical capabilities.

We’d strongly suggest doing more research into cloud support to weigh up your other options as well, to ensure you’re making the best decision for your business.

To learn more about the options available for Azure support, and how to assess which one is the right choice for you, read our in-depth article here.