Skip to Main Content

Want to stay up-to-date with the latest IT news?

Subscribe to our mailing list to hear the latest news, events, free resources, and more for your industry.

Sign up now
Blog

The best of both: Azure Stack HCI from Dell and Microsoft

5 minute read

Ben Murden

October 26th, 2023

The best of both: Azure Stack HCI from Dell and Microsoft

5 minute read

Ben Murden

October 26th, 2023

Modernise IT infrastructure, combine virtualised workloads, and increase flexibility with Microsoft Azure Stack HCI: an efficient, all-in-one validated hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) system created by Dell and Microsoft.

Dell and Microsoft technology provides secure, innovative, and scalable solutions to help you reach your digital transformation goals. Data centre infrastructure is an essential component of the modern workplace, and a hybrid cloud approach empowers you to select the ideal location for your data.

What is Azure Stack HCI?

Azure Stack HCI is a Dell EMC Integrated HCI system delivered as an Azure service. It leverages an integrated foundation from Dell Technologies and the power of the cloud to provide the latest security, performance, and hybrid capabilities.

Designed with full-stack lifecycle management and native Azure integration, the solution combines on-premise infrastructure with Azure cloud services to deliver efficient operations and flexible consumption models.

This hybrid approach benefits from the expertise of both Dell and Microsoft’s specialist areas and enables organisations to simplify deployment, strengthen security, boost IT productivity, and reduce costs.

Why choose Azure Stack HCI?

Azure Stack HCI has the latest and greatest technical features designed to give your organisation the best approach to managing your data.

  • Use it with existing data centre processes and tools, such as Microsoft System Center, Active Directory, Group Policy, and PowerShell scripting and popular third-party backup, security, and monitoring tools
  • Unique integrations and automation reduce manual steps for operational tasks by 82% and decrease the required maintenance window by 40%, enabling you to eradicate errors, while boosting IT productivity
  • Scale your infrastructure flexibly to cost effectively meet seasonal and long-term requirements
  • Joint support from Dell and Microsoft to improve your overall experience
    Seamless, full-stack updates ensure your environment stays up to date
  • A flexible and broad ecosystem gives your IT team the flexibility they need to build solutions that best meet the needs of your organisation

How does Azure Stack HCI work?

Azure Stack HCI is the transformational combination of traditional hardware and virtual systems. Hardware elements including computing, storage, and networking are all combined into a single HCI solution. All of these elements are administered with Windows Admin Centre.

Windows Admin Centre is the platform to go to when you need a web-based management console for managing IT infrastructure. Due to the virtualisation of components in the HCI solution, Windows Admin Centre is faster and more cost effective to run than traditional management environments.

Azure Stack HCI has the power to seamlessly integrate with other Azure solutions, empowering your organisation to efficiently and effectively deliver everything you need to customers.

  • With Azure Stack HCI, you will gain:
  • Simplified management
  • Cost-efficiency with pay-as-you-go pricing
  • High availability with disaster recovery features
  • Scalability to adapt to changing needs
  • Enhanced security and compliance
  • Seamless integration with Azure services
  • Support for virtualisation
  • Automated updates and patching

The Dell EMC Integrated System for Azure Stack HCI

As mentioned, Azure Stack HCI is a Dell EMC Integrated HCI system delivered as an Azure service. With storage and networking features of Microsoft Azure Stack HCI combined with AX nodes from Dell, your organisation will gain better performance, scalable foundations, and comprehensive management.

You are able to get an Azure Stack HCI subscription through the Dell Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) programme. Both new and existing customers can purchase Azure Stack HCI through Dell, unlocking additional benefits.

Why Phoenix?

As a key partner to both Dell and Microsoft, we enable UK organisations to innovate and transform with industry leading IT solutions and services. Our extensive experience working with our partners to deliver outcome-focused digital transformation and data centre modernisation to public sector organisations, empowers our specialists to deploy successful hybrid environments by harnessing the benefits of both on-premise and cloud.

Phoenix as Dell Technologies Public Sector Partner of the Year 2022

We are a Dell Public Sector Partner of the Year, highlighting our dedication and specialty in delivering Dell solutions to public sector organisations, giving them the tech they need to deliver life-changing work.

“The partnership between Phoenix and Dell Technologies can be described as one that epitomises a strong bond both in aligned strategy and excellent value-based solutions for the customer.”

– Jonny Crebbin, Regional Sales Director, Channel, Dell

Phoenix as 2023 Microsoft Modern Endpoint Management Partner of the Year and 2023 Microsoft FastTrack Ready Partner of the Year Finalist

We were chosen from more than 4,200 submitted nominations from more than 100 countries worldwide. These awards celebrate partners across the globe who have demonstrated exceptional expertise, innovation, and customer impact in delivering solutions based on Microsoft technologies.

Choose the hybrid approach

Chat to our hybrid working specialists today about how to modernise your organisation’s IT infrastructure, combine virtualised workloads, and increase flexibility with Azure Stack HCI. Book your free, one-to-one consultation below.

Image of a smiling IT support professional talking on a headset

You can also email us at [email protected] or call 01904 562200 – whatever works best for you.