Which Azure service is best for batch processing and real-time analytics of streaming data?

Azure Stream Analytics is designed specifically for the real-time processing and analysis of streaming data. It allows users to ingest, process, and analyze high-velocity data streams from various sources such as IoT devices, social media, and other event-driven applications. The service supports complex event processing and real-time analytics, enabling organizations to respond promptly to insights as they occur.

This capability to handle continuous data streams distinguishes Azure Stream Analytics from other services. For instance, while Azure Data Lake Storage and Azure Blob Storage are primarily aimed at storing vast amounts of data, they are not built for real-time analytics and processing. Azure Synapse Analytics, on the other hand, is optimized for data integration, big data analytics, and data warehousing but is not specifically tailored for stream processing in real-time scenarios.

Thus, Azure Stream Analytics stands out for its focus on real-time data processing and analytics capabilities, making it the optimal choice for such tasks.