The digital revolution has made cloud engineering the crux of modern IT infrastructure. Organisations across the world are adopting digitalisation, with cloud services being a popular demand. Leading this transformation is Microsoft’s Azure Services, a cloud computing platform that offers over 200 services for IT infrastructure management, data analytics, and AI solutions.


It is essential for cloud engineers to get an understanding about which among the many services are suitable for them. In this blog, we will tell you about the top 10 Azure services that are an asset for every cloud engineer in the current digital infrastructure.


1. Azure Virtual Machines (VMs)


Azure Virtual Machines are scalable computing resources that enable engineers to run applications and deploy OS-based servers (Windows and Linux) in the cloud. Virtual Machines eliminates the need for any additional physical hardware for virtualisation with complete control over the operating system and software stack.


Key features:


  • Multiple VM sizes and configurations

  • Flexibility of virtualisation

  • Supports scaling and load balancing

2. Azure Cosmos DB


Azure Cosmos DB is perfect for operations that demand real-time access to data quickly. It offers a globally distributed and fully managed NoSQL database. It has been designed for modern applications (like AI agents, e-commerce, IoT) and enables low latency with high availability across multiple regions.


Key features:


  • Automation and AI database functionalities

  • Query Copilot

  • Supports open-source APIs

3. Azure Key Vault


With Azure Key Vault, users can store and access sensitive data (API keys, passwords, certificates, etc.) securely. It offers vaults to store sensitive credentials and protect them with easy access to authorised personnel.


Key features:


  • Supports two containers – Vault and Hardware Security Module (HSM)

  • Centralised storage and access

  • Enables activity logging

  • Integration with Azure services

4. Azure Blob Storage


Azure Blob Storage facilitates a scalable storage solution for different data types and unstructured data, including blobs, images, videos, documents, log files and more.


Key features: 


  • Supports three resources – storage, container, and blob.

  • Remote and distributed access

  • Multi-language support (.NET, Java, Node.js, Python, and Go)

  • Offers backup and archiving

5. Azure DevOps Services


Azure DevOps Services encourages a collaborative workflow between different teams (developers, project managers, and contributors). It offers a comprehensive platform that addresses the needs of every team to streamline the entire lifecycle of a software project and supports scalability.


Key features:


  • Centralised and remote access

  • Integration with GitHub

  • Multi-modal collaborative services

  • Supports CI/CD (Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment)

6. Azure Logic Apps


Azure Logic Apps provides solutions for automated workflows for software ecosystems without having to write code. It enables businesses to connect and work with resources from different components such as services, systems, apps, etc. Also supports the designing of integrated solutions.


Key features:


  • Offers low-code-no-code tools.

  • Supports multiple programming languages

  • Integration with different services and systems

  • Auto-scaling capabilities

7. Azure AI Services


Previously known as Cognitive Services, Azure AI Services enables a simple and easy solution for creating applications with in-built, customisable APIs and models.


Key features:


  • Integration with GitHub, DevOps, and other Azure tools

  • Supports multiple cultural languages through NLP

  • Provides a layered security model

8. Azure API Management


Azure API management is a platform-as-a-service model that enables businesses to manage the complete lifecycle of an API. It is a comprehensive hybrid and multi-cloud management platform that enables centralised API governance for a collaborative workflow.


Key features:


  • Supports customisation

  • Integration with other Azure services

  • Provides multi-channel user experience

  • B2B integration

9. Azure Virtual Network (VNet)


Azure Virtual Network facilitates secure communication of Azure resources with the internet, between themselves, and with other on-premises networks. It offers availability and isolation with scaling capabilities.


Key features:


  • Supports public IP address spaces, NAT gateway, and public load balancer

  • Integration with other Azure services

  • Enables connection with point-to-site VPN, site-to-site VPN, and ExpressRoute

10. Azure Monitor


Azure Monitor is a comprehensive solution for the monitoring and analysis of data from cloud and on-premises sources. It gathers data from different components of the system, which can be used to gather insights into the performance of applications and services.


Key features:


  • Real-time data about metrics, logs, traces, and changes

  • Customisable dashboards and alerts

  • Business analytics tools like Power Bi

  • AI Integration

Conclusion: Future Trends


In this digital era, more than 94% of businesses worldwide use cloud computing. The cloud computing market is expected to be valued at $900 billion USD by 2026. North America is leading this global market with over 40% revenue generation. Amazon Web Services, a US-based company, has a 31% market share, leading this transformation.

Cloud engineers today need tools that can assist them and provide them with the essential skills required to navigate this rapidly evolving software industry. These top 10 Azure services provide the groundwork for modern digital infrastructure. Every cloud engineer should learn how to use these for successful cloud implementations that support efficiency and scalability.