Microsoft System Center vs SolarWinds Hybrid Cloud Observability comparison

Microsoft System Center vs. SolarWinds Hybrid Cloud Observability

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft System Center

Ranking in Cloud Monitoring Software

24th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Infrastructure (13th)

SolarWinds Hybrid Cloud Obs...

Ranking in Cloud Monitoring Software

38th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Cloud Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Microsoft System Center is 0.2%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SolarWinds Hybrid Cloud Observability is 0.2%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Cloud Monitoring Software

Featured Reviews

Ajinkya Mohod

System Security Engineer at Punch Powertrain nv

Makes user management and application management easy for users

Speaking about the impact of the automation feature that impacted our company's operational efficiency, I can say that the complete tool works on automation. You just have to configure it, and it works, especially in areas like auto-patching updates. I suggest that others can definitely go ahead with Microsoft System Center, especially beginners who choose it, can get hands-on experience with it, and acquire a good understanding of how things work. In terms of the value and benefits derived from the use of the solution, I can say that my company's operations have been made simpler because of the product, especially in areas like user management and application management where we have been benefited a lot. I rate the tool a nine out of ten.

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Ravi Khanchandani

Founder Director at Techsa Services

A unified platform designed to monitor the entire infrastructure

The tool's escalation process needs improvement. More support is needed for the new generation of solutions, particularly SD-WAN support and newer storage components. Additionally, as more vendors move towards API-based monitoring, we anticipate SolarWinds HCO will increase integrations with other solutions. Another area for improvement is reporting. With infrastructure becoming increasingly diverse, the static infrastructures of the past are evolving into dynamic setups. Traditionally, we had wireless in the office, a backend Internet connection, and connections to head offices and data centers. With the advent of SD-WAN, multiple service providers, and cloud-based options, infrastructure is more dynamic. Today, most customers are not using on-premise solutions exclusively; they are opting for Office 365, G Suite, or similar services. Therefore, monitoring requirements are no longer limited to on-premise infrastructure but span diverse environments—some on-premise, some in the cloud. This is why SolarWinds is moving towards hybrid cloud observability. We would like to see more integrations and support for third-party vendors. For example, current support for Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is limited, and expanding this support would be beneficial.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The features that I have found most valuable are the ease of configuration and the easy discovery of the environment."

"We like Microsoft System Center's Operations Manager. That is primarily why we use it."

"The most valuable feature of Microsoft System Center is its GUI (graphical user interface)."

"Step-by-step documentation that clarifies the implementation procedure."

"The solution is easily available. That's its most valuable aspect."

"I like the automated features of it that let you schedule those updates and the ability of the product to focus on the specific updates, specific platforms, and products that we're interested in keeping up to date."

"The detail in the alarms is great."

"The product's initial setup phase was easy."

More Microsoft System Center pros

"The primary use cases are for customers who require complete infrastructure monitoring. I mean IT infrastructure, which includes network devices, security devices, and server environments, whether physical, virtual, or cloud-based. The platform can manage any infrastructure component that needs monitoring."

"I rate my satisfaction with SolarWinds Hybrid Cloud Observability at nine out of ten."

"The initial setup is straightforward and quick if prerequisites are met, taking only a couple of days."

"SolarWinds Hybrid Cloud Observability offers very good community support with many documents and best cases for various situations."

Cons

"The platform's performance could be improved. Additionally, its UI needs to be well-upgraded and work faster."

"For me, the tool's UI seems to be too old."

"The multi-tenancy support needs to be improved. We need to have the ability to manage several different environments from one central point of administration."

"Microsoft System Center should be easier to manage. However, it is complex to deploy, so people hesitate to use it. Though it has many features, such as licensing, asset tracking, and software deployment, we mainly use it for Windows updates. It protects many screens and integrates with databases, but it's complex compared to other solutions. Many now use cloud-based products or other tools like Automox to deploy updates and manage vulnerabilities."

"In Microsoft System Center, it is difficult to follow the steps to create dataflows at times."

"Implementation and integration in the case of multi-tenant environments needs improvement."

"Could be more user friendly."

"Less server consumption would help, as would better, more flexible reports."

More Microsoft System Center cons

"The solution could improve in areas such as on-premises container monitoring, CICD observability, and providing additional documentation and support files in languages other than English."

"SolarWinds HCO platform offers various features spanning components, such as network, security, server, virtual, and application components. Common features include dashboarding, reporting, and alerting. These features provide comprehensive visibility, allowing you to see how one area's issues affect others. For instance, if a network issue impacts server performance, this visibility is crucial."

"Event management features can be added as it has limited capability to ingest events from external sources."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Microsoft System Center is quite expensive."

"On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing a six out of ten."

"We maximized our license investment."

"It's rolled into our enterprise subscription. The entire subscription is around $25,000 a year, however, that covers all the products that we use."

"I know that sometimes there is some reduction in the prices of Microsoft System Center because of the costs of Microsoft SQL Server, which can be advantageous."

"I rate the product price as five to six on a scale of one to ten, where one means it is cheap and ten means it is expensive."

"Microsoft System Center's licensing is costly."

"The solution's pricing is quite reasonable. It has moved to node-based licensing, simplifying the process. They don't distinguish between different types of nodes, such as server nodes, physical routers, or switches. One node equals one license, making it easy to manage. If you have 500 devices, you need five hundred licenses to get all the features of this unified monitoring platform."

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847,862 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft System Center?

The product's initial setup phase was easy.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft System Center?

Microsoft System Center's licensing is costly.

What needs improvement with Microsoft System Center?

Microsoft System Center should be easier to manage. However, it is complex to deploy, so people hesitate to use it. Though it has many features, such as licensing, asset tracking, and software depl...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SolarWinds Hybrid Cloud Observability?

The pricing is mid-segment, which means it is neither cheap nor expensive compared to other products.

What needs improvement with SolarWinds Hybrid Cloud Observability?

The solution could improve in areas such as on-premises container monitoring, CICD observability, and providing additional documentation and support files in languages other than English.

What is your primary use case for SolarWinds Hybrid Cloud Observability?

The SolarWinds Hybrid Cloud Observability solution is primarily used by companies that need to manage their IT systems. It allows me to monitor different systems, servers, databases, and applicatio...

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Product Reports

Microsoft System Center

Download Microsoft System Center product report

Cloud Monitoring Software

Download SolarWinds Hybrid Cloud Observability product report

SolarWinds Hybrid Cloud Observability report

Also Known As

MS System Center

No data available

Overview

System Center helps customers realize the benefits of the Microsoft Cloud Platform by delivering unified management. Experience fast time-to-value with out-of-the-box monitoring, provisioning, configuration, automation, protection and self-service.

Microsoft

SolarWinds Hybrid Cloud Observability enhances IT operations with comprehensive visibility across hybrid environments for improved performance and uptime.

Providing a unified platform, SolarWinds Hybrid Cloud Observability allows IT teams to manage, monitor, and optimize both on-premises and cloud resources. It integrates seamlessly with existing tools, improving efficiency with robust data analytics and visualization. Its advanced features decrease time-to-resolution for system issues and help maintain system health.

What are the most important features of SolarWinds Hybrid Cloud Observability?

Comprehensive Visibility: Provides insights into network, application, and infrastructure performance.
Seamless Integration: Works with cloud and on-premises systems for unified management.
Data Analytics: Leverages advanced analytics for performance monitoring and optimization.
Visualization Tools: Offers dashboards and visual representations of key performance indicators.
Scalability: Adapts to growing business needs with flexible deployment options.

Which benefits and ROI aspects should users look for?

Improved System Uptime: Reduces downtime with proactive monitoring.
Efficient Resource Allocation: Optimizes resource usage for cost savings.
Faster Issue Resolution: Decreases time required to identify and fix issues.
Enhanced IT Productivity: Streamlines workflows, enabling more focus on strategic activities.

SolarWinds Hybrid Cloud Observability is implemented across multiple industries like healthcare, finance, and manufacturing to ensure reliable performance and security of IT ecosystems. Its adaptability and comprehensive coverage make it a favored choice for enterprises managing both legacy and cloud-based infrastructures.

SolarWinds

Sample Customers

Kassen_rztliche Vereinigung Nordrhein, Magyar Telekom Nyrt., Adeka, QualCare, Aeriandi, UniCredit Bank d.d., Mostar, Allianz Australia Ltd., Grupo Familia

Information Not Available

Microsoft System Center vs. SolarWinds Hybrid Cloud Observability