Axle Networks Blog – Cloud management tools allow businesses to streamline processes, enhance security measures, and reduce costs, enabling organisations to leverage cloud technology effectively. These tools provide a centralised platform for managing cloud resources, monitoring performance, and automating tasks. With a variety of options available, businesses can choose the tool that best fits their specific needs and goals.

Now, let us learn more about cloud management tools, including their benefits, categories, and some top options.

Why Do Your Business Need Cloud Management Tools?

Managing and optimising cloud resources can be a complex and challenging task. These jobs are especially difficult because of the dynamic nature of cloud environments, with resources constantly scaling up or down based on demand.

This is where cloud management tools become important for your business.

Cloud management tools provide comprehensive visibility into your cloud infrastructure, so you can monitor performance, analyse costs, and identify optimisation opportunities. Even better, these tools can automate various cloud management tasks, increasing operational efficiency and allowing your team to focus on more strategic initiatives.

Cloud management tools help businesses automate processes, monitor performance, and ensure compliance with security protocols, ultimately leading to improved operational efficiency and cost savings.

While cloud management tools have numerous advantages, some businesses may be hesitant to adopt them. One of the concerns could be the cost, as this tool is not free. But don’t worry; it’s normal for businesses to be concerned about costs.

That is why, before deciding to use a cloud management platform, you should evaluate your company’s needs and goals.

Categories of Cloud Management Tools

Cloud management tools can be categorised into various types based on their functionalities:

• Infrastructure Management Tools: Facilitate provisioning, monitoring, and management of cloud infrastructure resources.
• Cost Management Tools: Assist in tracking expenses, optimising costs, and budgeting for cloud services.
• Security and Compliance Tools: Focus on data protection, regulatory compliance, and safeguarding cloud environments.
• Performance Monitoring Tools: Monitor resource performance, identify bottlenecks, and optimize resource allocation.
• Automation Tools: Streamline tasks, enhance productivity, and enable scalability in cloud environments.

If cost is your main concern, you might want to look into cloud cost analysis tools. We covered this in our other article, which you can access by clicking the link below.

Read More: Cloud Cost Analysis Tools: 5 Top Options

What is the Best Tool to Manage Cloud Resources?

You can manage your cloud resources easily with a cloud management tool, also known as a cloud management platform (CMP).

CMPs are software that enable businesses to monitor and control cloud environments, resources, and services. These solutions manage two or more dynamic cloud environments, which can be private, public, multi-cloud, or hybrid. CMPs offer insights into and control over a wide range of cloud-related functions, including optimisation, orchestration, security, monitoring, and cost.

If you are asking for the best cloud management tools, the answer could vary based on specific business needs. However, you might want to explore some, starting with the top-rated cloud management platforms.

Here is the list of top-rate CMP software according to G2.com:

1. Google Compute Engine

• Rating: 4.5/5
• Usage: Information Technology and Services, Computer Software

Google’s Compute Engine is an infrastructure as a service (IaaS) platform that allows organisations to create and manage cloud-based virtual machines. Google Compute Engine is a platform for creating and managing virtual machines, with an emphasis on scalability and integration with other Google Cloud services.

This CMP is well-known for its ease of virtual machine deployment, platform scalability, and seamless integration with other Google Cloud services.

However, there are some disadvantages to using Google Compute Engine. Many people believe the platform is too complex for beginners to manage and configure. Many people also complain about the difficulty of integrating Google Cloud Engine with other cloud services.

2. Rubrik

• Rating: 4.6/5
• Usage: Information Technology and Services, Higher Education

Rubrik is a cybersecurity company with a mission to secure the world’s data.

They pioneered Zero Trust Data SecurityTM to help organisations achieve business resilience against cyberattacks, malicious insiders, and operational disruptions.

Specialising in enterprise, cloud, and SaaS applications, Rubrik Security Cloud offers total cyber resilience on a single platform through its Zero Trust architecture and machine learning integration.

Rubrik cloud management platform automates data policy management and enforcement, safeguards sensitive data, delivers data threat analytics and response, and orchestrates rapid cyber and operational recovery.

3. Azure Arc

• Rating: 4.4/5
• Usage: Information Technology and Services

Azure Arc enables the deployment of Azure services anywhere and extends Azure management to any infrastructure. This CMP is for customers who want to simplify complex and distributed environments across on-premises, edge, and multicloud.

According to G2.com, Azure Arc has a score above 8 out of 10 for cloud optimisation, cloud orchestration, quality of support, and cloud resource management.

4. Cisco Intersight Services

• Rating: 4.5/5
• Usage: Information Technology and Services

Cisco Intersight is a modular cloud operations platform that can bring them together, no matter where they are, allowing you to simplify your hybrid IT environment and focus on what is most important. This cloud management platform enables you to visualise, optimise, and orchestrate applications and infrastructure in both public cloud and on-premises environments.

5. DoiT

• Rating: 4.3/5
• Usage: Information Technology and Services

DoiT collaborates with cloud-driven companies around the world to help them simplify their cloud usage.

They have the technology and expertise to purchase, manage, and optimise multicloud usage and costs in order to provide a procurement advantage, unrivalled expertise to solve critical challenges, and full-service FinOps solutions to navigate and automate spend.

DoiT’s global cloud experts have decades of experience in cloud architecture analytics, optimisation, and governance, as well as expertise in Kubernetes, artificial intelligence (AI), and other areas.

They are also known as award-winning strategic partners of AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure and help over 3,000 customers save time and money.

Tools make it simple to manage your cloud environment, but they are not free. If you have dedicated IT teams and are looking for ways to reduce your cloud costs, check out our previous article. To learn more, please click the link below.

Learn More: Strategies for Reducing Cloud Costs: 5 Things You Can Try

Conclusion

Cloud management tools are essential for businesses that want to optimize their cloud operations and achieve operational excellence. Using these tools can help businesses streamline processes, improve security, and cut costs, resulting in increased efficiency and effectiveness in the cloud environment.

Do you want to increase the effectiveness and optimise of your cloud environment?

Axle Networks IT Managed Services offers robust cloud management solutions tailored to your specific needs. With our team of experienced professionals, you can rest assured that your cloud-based resources and data will be protected from unauthorised access and potential security threats.Contact us today to learn more about our IT Managed Services for efficient cloud management.