AWS vs. Azure vs.

Google
10 Ways To Choose The Right Cloud Datacenter For You

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Choosing the right cloud provider is daunting
With revenues projected to reach $246.8b
in 2017 (up 18% on the year before) ,the
public cloud is big business. The biggest
providers—Amazon Web Services, Microsoft
Azure, Google Cloud Platform — are all vying
for your organization’s applications and data,
offering good deals and in many ways providing
comparable services.
So, if you’re planning to follow the hundreds
of thousands of businesses that have already
moved systems from on-premises servers to
the cloud, how do you decide which provider is
right for you?
Forbes. 2017. Roundup of cloud computing forecasts, 2017. Available online: https://www.forbes.com/sites/louiscolumbus/2017/04/29/roundup-of-cloud-computing-forecasts-2017/#2b96949e31e8
If you’re trying to make this decision, an ‘apples
with apples’ comparison can be overwhelmingly
complicated. One provider may seem to offer
more database services, security tools or
storage options.
However, do you even need these specific
features? Similarly, trying to carry out a price
comparison is notoriously difficult depending
on the features you need, how much space
your end users will need and what you want to
access content for.
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There’s a better way of choosing
the right cloud provider
You could spend hours reviewing vendor websites and noting down
comparison points, but we’d recommend changing your search criteria
and focusing on scenarios.
3
On a technical, security and computing superiority-level, AWS, Azure and
Google will all provide you with a roughly similar service. Instead of getting
caught up in the minutiae, turn your decision-making focus onto the kinds 4
of scenarios you expect to use the cloud for.

2
5
By basing your decision on your scenario
you’ll be able to make the right decision with
more confidence.

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Typical scenarios that will direct your choice
Rather than focusing on compute or storage options, we’d recommend taking a step back and thinking about how
the cloud would fit around your business, your existing technology and your long-term IT strategy. The following
common scenarios could play a big role in the cloud provider you choose:

vs.

Data sovereignty Latency IT plans and needs

In some countries (such as Germany),
legislation says consumer data must stay
within the country’s physical borders. So, if
your company collects consumer data and has
offices in Germany (or a country with similarly
strict data sovereignty laws), you will want to
use a cloud provider that has a cloud server
center based in that country.
As the biggest providers of cloud servers, Google,
AWS and Amazon all have cloud data centers
distributed across the planet and are constantly
investing in expansion, meaning you should have
fast access to your data anywhere in the world.
Nevertheless, some of the players have much broader
global distribution (only Azure and AWS currently
have data centers in Latin America, for instance)
and Google only has one data center for all of Asia.
If you’re based in North America or EMEA, you’re
well covered by all three suppliers. But if you have
international offices, latency could be an issue.
Your choice of cloud platform will also be largely
affected by your needs and requirements for
enterprise IT, in terms of collaboration and
communication. For instance, if your goal is to
move all your enterprise productivity tools (like your
standard Office apps) to the cloud, it might make
sense to opt for Microsoft Azure or Google, because
it will be so much easier to integrate with Office 365
or Google Apps for Business. However, if your focus
is more on pure computing power and proprietary
business application, then AWS may still just clinch
the top spot.

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10-point cloud comparison guide
With the above points in mind, our 10-point cloud comparison guide covers the top ten
points which will help you decide which provider is right for you.

TL:DR

1. Location Total: 43 Total: 31 Total: 10 All three providers have expansion plans
Being close to the data y North America: 18 y North America: 11 y North America: 4 detailed on their websites. If you’re in
centers holding your data y Latin America: 3 y Latin America: 1 y Latin America: 0 EMEA or North America, you’re covered.
will reduce latency If you have a presence in Latin America,
y Europe: 8 y Europe: 6 y Europe: 2
Asia or Africa, AWS and Azure are the
y India: 2 y India: 3 y India: 0
most global.
y APAC: 9 y APAC: 8 y APAC: 3
y Australasia: 3 y Australasia: 2 y Australasia: 1

2. Premium Direct Connect ExpressRoute Direct Peering All three services let you connect your
Connectivity An 802.1q VLAN based service, Azure uses a BGP based Also a BGP based services, private network to the cloud over a
When you need direct AWS offers this service at an services, but charges monthly Direct Peering is in fact free, leased line at relatively low prices. You
connection—not over the hourly rate, from as little as with no further charges for as although they do charge for choice should be based on what you
internet $0.03/hour. little as $55 per month. egress. use the cloud for—if you won’t actually
access the content you’re storing online
very often, Google’s free option might
make most sense.

3. Computing Power Amazon is widely regarded Azure is a close second here, Google offers fewer services, AWS has really started to dominate
Your ultimate goal is as the most powerful option offering largely comparable but its cloud-focused App in pure ‘raw computing’ terms and
to increase computing here. The AWS cloud offers the services to AWS. If you have Engine is an attractive option for is relatively inexpensive. Azure is an
power widest range of options such a large team developing apps many web and mobile apps. obvious choice for anyone already
as their EC2 virtual servers, and tools with Microsoft’s bought into the Microsoft way of doing
containers, support for batch development stack (think Visual things.
jobs, virtual private servers, Studio), Azure may be more
event-driven computing and app appealing purely for the ease of
development. integration.

4. Packaged AWS offers an extensive list of Azure offers the most extensive Google has a more limited Azure and AWS offer a pretty
Infrastructure application services you can use list of application services, range of out-of-the-box services comparable list of services here, with
You need a solution to save time, including: including: available at present: each offering growing community
which provides a range y API Management y API Management y Container as a Service support and help.
of established services y Container as a Service y Container as a Service y IoT
to support you y Email Sending y DRaaS y Push Notifications
y Event-Driven Computing y Event-Driven Computing y Queuing
y IoT y IoT
y Push Notifications y Push Notifications
y Queuing y Queuing
y Search y Scheduler
y Serverless Computing y Search
y Transcoding/Encoding y Serverless Computing
y Workflow y Transcoding/Encoding
y Workflow

5. Advanced y Supports Hadoop y Supports Hadoop y Supports Hadoop All three platforms offer support for
technologies y HoloLens y Google Glass advanced databases and offering major
Support for the latest in building blocks for data processing,
cutting edge technology machine learning, visualizations and
and databases device management. It really depends
what you want to do, but AWS and
Azure are generally viewed as the most
coherent and consistent providers.
But, if you’re building apps for specific
tools like Google Glass or HoloLens, the
choice is obvious.

IoT support y AWS IoT platform y Azure IoT platform y Cloud IoT A fairly even contest, but those invested
Support for the world in one particular stack should probably
of IoT stay loyal.

6. Machine learning Natural language processing, Natural language processing, Natural language processing, All three provide comparable and
and language speech recognition, image speech recognition, image speech recognition, image impressive services here.
processing recognition, machine learning. recognition, machine learning. recognition, machine learning.
You aim to leverage
the machine learning
potential of the cloud

7. Identity services:
Your goal is to provide
access to identity and
authentication of internal
employees and external
parties
AWS Directory Service is built
on Microsoft’s AD, and permits
single sign-on, group policy
and all the other features you’d
expect.
Azure uses Microsoft’s market-
leading Active Directory service,
which lets you build directories
for employees, but also portals
for external parties.
Uses the Google Apps Directory Microsoft’s AD is the standard here,
to sync up your users. having been a mainstay of on-premises
enterprise technology for decades.

8. File storage: Offers a broad range of storage Impressive range of storage Slightly weaker than the others, AWS and Azure are fairly close here,
Your aim for the cloud is options, including Simple options including Azure Blob Google offers Object storage in offering well rounded options for most
to access its enormous Storage Services (S3), block storage, virtual machine disk its Cloud Storage offering and imaginable storage needs.
and cheap storage storage, long-term cold storage storage, Azure cool storage for persistent disk for VMs, but
potential and hybrid storage in the form long-term archiving and a hybrid no long-term cold storage or
of AWS Storage Gateway. service too. hybrid.

9. App development y Mobile app development y Mobile app development y Mobile app development Mobile services are best supported in
for mobile services services services AWS and Azure. But, if you’re building
You want to use the y Mobile authentication y Mobile authentication y Mobile app testing apps for Android, Google could have the
cloud for its mobile services services y Application edge for you.
access and development y Consolidated management y Consolidated management y Services
opportunities of multiple cloud accounts of multiple cloud accounts
y Mobile app testing y Mobile app testing
y Mobile app SDKs y Mobile app SDKs
y Application y Application
y Services y Services
y App analytics y App analytics

10. Compliance y CSA y CSA y CSA All three providers offer a pretty
certifications y EU Model Clauses y EU Model Clauses y EU Model Clauses comprehensive service here. The
You need industry- y FedRAMP y FedRAMP y FISMA biggest issue you’ll need to think about
specific compliance & is whether they comply with laws in your
y FISMA y FISMA y HIPAA
certifications from the country: as in our example earlier with
y HIPAA y HIPAA y ISO 27001
cloud before you can go Germany. So make sure your country’s
y IRAP y IRAP y ISO 27017
ahead data laws are also covered.
y ISO 27001 y ISO 27001 y ISO 27018
y ISO 27017 y ISO 27017 y MPAA
y ISO 27018 y ISO 27018 y PCI DSS
y MPAA y MPAA y SSAE16 SOC1 (Type II)
y PCI DSS y PCI DSS y SSAE16 SOC2 (Type II)
y SSAE16 SOC1 (Type II) y SSAE16 SOC1 (Type II) y SSAE16 SOC3 (Type II)2
y SSAE16 SOC2 (Type II) y SSAE16 SOC2 (Type II)
y SSAE16 SOC3 (Type II) y SSAE16 SOC3 (Type II)

2
RightScale. 2017. Cloud comparison. Available online: http://cloudcomparison.rightscale.com/

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Make the cloud fit around you
Whatever your organization, and whatever cloud journey you decide to take, connecting your
wide-area network (WAN) to the cloud can become real challenge if not planned ahead with a
deep understanding of the varied limitations.

Data Traffic

Backhauling all traffic to a central, secure breakout adds latency and
jeopardizing application performance. Cloud-bound traffic overloads the
expensive MPLS network ending up with a single choke point in your
network.
Connecting your offices and mobile users directly to the cloud is the better
approach. But using the public internet, with no control on routing, latency, and
packet loss highly affects the end-user experience. To overcome that public
internet challenge, cloud providers offer premiums connection (DirectConnect,
ExpressRoute, Direct Peering) that are expensive and hard to scale. Eventually, you
may end with fragmented network and policies, using point solutions and complex
VPN mesh configuration.

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 About Cato
Cato Networks offers a unique architecture that enables simple integration of
physical and cloud datacenters. It seamlessly extends corporate access control
and security policies to cloud infrastructures, enabling unified management of
both physical and cloud-based resources.

To learn more visit our website at

www.CatoNetworks.com

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