Microsoft Azure is a comprehensive cloud computing platform offering infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), platform-as-a-service (PaaS), and software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions across 60+ global regions. Azure enables organizations to build, deploy, and manage applications using Microsoft-managed data centers while providing pay-as-you-go pricing and automated scaling. A key mental model: Azure organizes resources hierarchically through management groups → subscriptions → resource groups → resources, with each level inheriting policies and access controls from above—understanding this hierarchy is essential for effective governance and cost management.