Azure Automation vs. ParkMyCloud

We have found Azure Automation to be well-suited for tasks that must be performed on a scheduled basis. No matter how simple or tedious tasks are to perform manually, if they run on a scheduled basis, it makes sense to have them automated. If the tasks at hand are only performed once or infrequently, then it may be best to continue performing them manually.

Incentivized

ParkMyCloud is well-suited for companies that have large cloud data sets in AWS or Azure and need to closely monitor the usage costs associated with the cloud. It is well-suited for companies with a large spend on cloud resources, but not very useful for entities with smaller cloud budgets.

Incentivized

• Scheduled automation of Microsoft 365 and Azure tasks
• Scheduled automation of scripting (e.g. Powershell)
• Perform periodic maintenance

Incentivized

• ParkMyCloud is great at notifications.
• ParkMyCloud's user interface is great, and makes it easy to monitor activity.
• ParkMyCloud is precise. It's almost amazing how it knows when to shut off.

Incentivized

• An automation template library would be nice
• Clear estimation of costs - this goes for the entire Azure Automation platform
• It can be daunting at first due to all the settings and menu levels, but it is not difficult once you get started.

Incentivized

• The simple user interface is sometimes too simple.
• It's tough to tell whether the software actually does save money, but it seems like it does.
• The default recommendations provided by company are just ok.

Incentivized

We did not evaluate any other automation products since we are already using Microsoft 365 and the Azure platform. Additionally, Azure Automation allows for a reasonable number of tasks to be performed each month at no cost, which is especially nice when testing the platform. We found Azure Automate's integration of Powershell invaluable when working directly with Microsoft 365, Sharepoint, Azure AD, and other systems via API.

Incentivized

ParkMyCloud seems to be more cost effective than the alternatives I have run across. The software also seems to have a user interface that is second to none. I'm not sure on the other aspects of the software - latency, accuracy, ease of customization - compared to the other software tools. They seem to be good as well.

Incentivized

• Ensures tasks are not forgotten
• Saves times - routine tasks no longer have to be performed manually
• Complicated tasks are no longer an issue

Incentivized

• ParkMyCloud has had a positive ROI in that it has saved money by limiting resource usage.
• ParkMyCloud has had a negative ROI in that it's hard to tell whether the time spent implementing the solution was worth it sometimes.
• ParkMyCloud has been a positive overall experience because it gets IT professionals thinking about costs, something they're not apt at doing often.

Incentivized