Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) vs Scalefusion comparison

Quest Software and Scalefusion are both solutions in the Patch Management category. Quest Software is ranked #10 with an average rating of 8.0, while Scalefusion is ranked #19 with an average rating of 9.0. Quest Software holds a 5.5% mindshare in PM, compared to Scalefusion’s 0.5% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Quest Software users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Scalefusion users who would recommend it.

Quest KACE Systems Manageme...

Read 39 Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) reviews

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1,147 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Scalefusion

Read 3 Scalefusion reviews

99 Views
61 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Quest KACE Systems Manageme...

Scalefusion

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 27, 2024

Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance SMA and Scalefusion are competitors in the systems management and mobile device management category. Quest KACE SMA has a slight advantage in comprehensive patch management and software distribution, while Scalefusion is strong in mobile device management and support features.

Features: Quest KACE SMA provides extensive patch management, automated software distribution, and enhanced security measures. Scalefusion supports cross-platform device management, remote troubleshooting, and tailored solutions for various mobile environments.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Scalefusion has an easy, cloud-based deployment with a focus on quick setup and ease of use, along with responsive customer service. Quest KACE SMA requires a more detailed on-premise setup but offers a robust feature set, with customer service noted for its comprehensive support.

Pricing and ROI: Quest KACE SMA involves higher initial setup costs but delivers significant long-term ROI through reduced system downtimes. Scalefusion is more cost-effective at the start, providing a strong ROI via efficient mobile management and lower operational expenses.

To learn more, read our detailed Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) vs. Scalefusion Report (Updated: January 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) vs. Scalefusion

January 2025

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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

Quest KACE Systems Manageme...

Ranking in Patch Management

10th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Client Desktop Management (5th), Endpoint Compliance (7th), Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) (13th)

Scalefusion

Ranking in Patch Management

19th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Web Content Filtering (11th), Mobile Device Management (MDM) (10th), Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) (11th), Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) (12th)

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2025, in the Patch Management category, the mindshare of Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) is 5.5%, down from 6.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Scalefusion is 0.5%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Patch Management

Featured Reviews

Scott Tweed

Windows Engineer at a tech services company with 5,001-10,000 employees

Low maintenance, reliable, and easy to create packages

I like how when you click on the device, it shows you everything that has changed as well as the software versioning. I am really enjoying the inventory aspect of it. The deployment process for both deploying and creating a package is straightforward. I believe the inventory in KACE is superior to SCCM's. I know with SCCM I could do things like remote console into machines via the agent's remote console, but that is not a feature that is provided in KACE. I know that at least in the Systems Management Appliance, I can't get to it. I'm not sure how distribution works, with distribution points. I'm not sure if KACE has that feature. You could use an SCCM to set up distribution points at remote sites so that they don't have to download patches or software from across the country. If you have a DP or something similar, they could pull it down.

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Jijin Joseph

Technical Director at Channelnext

An MDM solution for controlling and restricting data on devices

Everyone is using high-end devices, such as mobile devices. If they lose their devices, how about the data copied to other devices? Once the device is lost, you can remotely delete all of the data and block the device, preventing anyone from using or reusing it. This will keep your devices secure.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"This solution makes it easy to control assets and upgrade all types of software."

"The Systems Deployment Appliance is magical when it comes to automating deployment... Not only can we have multiple images, specific to end-users' uses, but we have a plethora of post-installation tasks to install or configure the system, tasks that can be re-used for each system. You just have one basic base image, and then you use the post-install tasks to customize everything else. It is amazing."

"You don't have to be an advanced user. Rather, in terms of ease of use, this product is right where it needs to be."

"The initial setup is relatively easy."

"The solution provides us a single pane of glass with everything that we need for endpoint management of all devices. It definitely has made our endpoint management process much easier."

"KACE’s knowledge-based articles are very good."

"It is excellent in terms of updating and configuring everything the way we need. For anything more complex, we do professional service engagements, and they're exceptional. For anything less complex, we just need to ask questions. Their support division is extremely good too."

"There is one place for a lot of different things. If somebody has a problem with their computer, they will put in a ticket. From there, we will know who it is and the assets assigned to them, because there is one place to go look for what we are talking about and with whom we are talking. Just having one place for everything is really convenient. For example, we are able to deploy software to hundreds of computers. We don't need to go to each individual device."

More Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) pros

"Its enhanced support for iOS and Windows devices has been particularly beneficial, expanding our service offerings to customers with diverse device environments."

"Scalefusion is easy to use, and they have a broad knowledge base, so you can quickly find answers if you're unsure how to do something. The articles on the knowledge base are well-written, with clear steps on what to do for a specific scenario. That part is well documented."

Cons

"What could be improved is the possibility to use replicas in a secure way outside our network in order to maintain the machines that never connect to our corporate network."

"The labeling process should be more streamlined. It should be easier to do. It gets confusing at times."

"I have complaints about smart label adaptation and because of this, I recommend a 24 to 48 hour bake-in period."

"I've had some issues with patch catalogue."

"There should be a mini toolbox, like the competitors of KACE have, with the small features for KACE administrators. That would make their lives easier. If you are troubleshooting a specific endpoint, remote control is available as is Wake-on-LAN. But if you want to execute some commands, you have to use a third-party tool, the PS tool. If they would integrate those small things, it would make KACE more powerful."

"I would like for there to be improvement when it comes to Microsoft and Windows updates. It has the ability to do it but the control of it is not there like I have in the Windows Server Update Services. The way KACE does it is still very granular. You don't really see the process like it is in the Windows Server Update Services. I think that would be one of the biggest things that I would like to see KACE really put some work into and really make that a big enhancement."

"The initial setup was complex. It is a Linux-based virtual server, where the customer cannot get into the back-end, so you can only follow their prompts. Then, there are specific things that have to be done in their implementation and upgrade phases that have to be done in a certain order or steps. If you don't get those steps right, the system doesn't work. I think that either simplifying that process or providing really good step-by-step documentation would be helpful."

"The only pain point I have is with their salespeople. They call too often. They're too aggressive in trying to upsell. We know what we need, and we know if we want to expand. I don't mind quarterly calls from them, but sometimes, it is weekly. They need to get their sales team under control. The main goal of their support people and professional services is to make sure they deliver the service, and they deliver it well, whereas their salespeople are so interested in making a sale that they're wasting my time."

More Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) cons

"One area for improvement could be streamlining permissions during initial device setup, especially for corporate-owned devices, to reduce manual user interaction and expedite deployment."

"It could be easier to put devices on the blocklist. I would like the ability to block a device with a click of a button. Currently, we have to sift through different groups to block a device. It would be nice if Scalefusion allowed me to block without moving the device to a different profile. Another helpful feature they could add is the ability to migrate from one MDM to another. I'd also appreciate more extensive cloud storage. They give you 1 GB by default, but sometimes that's not enough."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There are no costs in addition to the standard licensing fees."

"We are also saving on the licensing fee, compared to other endpoint management solutions."

"The pricing and licensing are good. It's worth it."

"Licensing is done on a per device basis, so it's dependent on how many agents you've got installed."

"The pricing and licensing are absolutely fair."

"It was a very attractive price. This is a huge feature of this product. If you would "credit score" this product versus others out there on the market, this one has a very attractive price."

"Its pricing model is good for what it offers. Nobody here gives me a hard time about renewing the contract every year. It might be a little cost prohibitive for a smaller company who has to stand up a virtual environment as well as have virtual environment licensing and the hardware. If you have a smaller environment, it might be cost prohibitive. If you only have a couple of hundred computers, you might be more willing to do those manually. In our environment, the cost savings of having KACE far outweigh the licensing costs. We are okay with its pricing model."

"We are a university. So, we have a very good price for the system. I think the price for the system is worth it because of the security patch management. The security patch management is very important for us. The price is very good for KACE SMA, the functionality you get, and the patch management."

More Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

12%

University

11%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Government

10%

Educational Organization

30%

Financial Services Firm

13%

Computer Software Company

13%

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Quest KACE Systems Management?

KACE automatically tracks this information and saves it for me, allowing me to call it up on the dashboard. For example, if I need to find Juliano's computer in the system, I don't need to search t...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Quest KACE Systems Management?

The pricing is in the middle range of the market, not too expensive but not the cheapest either.

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What needs improvement with Quest KACE Systems Management?

The user interface needs improvement as customers have mentioned they do not like the interface since it is not an SMA-based interface and lacks a manual configuration option.

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What needs improvement with Scalefusion?

One area for improvement could be streamlining permissions during initial device setup, especially for corporate-owned devices, to reduce manual user interaction and expedite deployment.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Scalefusion?

Our typical use cases for the product involve auto-enrollment, zero-touch deployment, location tracking, application deployment, auto-installation, and content deployment across various device type...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Scalefusion?

In terms of device management, the platform is particularly effective for managing Android devices, especially Samsung, which are predominant among our customers. Its enhanced support for iOS and W...

See all answers

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Compared 6% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

February 2025

Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) report

Download Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) product report

Buyer's Guide

Mobile Device Management (MDM)

February 2025

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Also Known As

Dell KACE Systems Management

No data available

Overview

Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance is a comprehensive tool for managing IT endpoints. It facilitates asset management, software distribution, and endpoint tracking while offering remote access capabilities and a centralized help desk.

Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance is designed for organizations that need efficient endpoint management. It offers a range of features like inventory tracking, automated patch management, and ticketing. By integrating with remote access tools such as Bomgar, Quest KACE helps reduce manual tasks involved in managing software updates and system deployments. Although it faces challenges in scalability and requires improvements in integration and reporting, it remains a versatile choice for asset tracking and endpoint administration.

What are Quest KACE SMA's key features?

Asset Management: Streamline the organization and tracking of physical and virtual assets.
Remote Access: Integrates with Bomgar for secure, remote troubleshooting and management.
Software Distribution: Deploy applications across devices efficiently without physical intervention.
Centralized Endpoint Management: Manage endpoints from a centralized console to ensure compliance and optimization.
Automated Patch Management: Schedule and deploy patches to maintain system security and performance.
Help Desk: Integrated ticketing system for tracking and resolving user issues.
Scripting and Reporting: Enhance administrative tasks through automated scripts and detailed reports.

What benefits should users consider?

Improved Productivity: Reduces manual interference with automated deployments and updates.
Labor Savings: Minimizes labor requirements with efficient remote management tools.
Integrated Reporting: Provides actionable insights through comprehensive reports to optimize IT operation.
User-Friendly Interface: Boosts effectiveness due to its intuitive, easy-to-navigate design.

Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance is implemented across industries for managing IT assets and endpoints, particularly where remote management and compliance are critical. It's employed in healthcare, education, and government sectors for efficient patch management, inventory control, and software deployment, aiding organizations in managing security accreditations and centralizing help desk operations.

Quest Software

Scalefusion is a leading Mobile Device & Endpoint Management software helping businesses globally to secure and manage their device fleet.

Ambitious companies around the world trust Scalefusion MDM to secure and manage endpoints including smartphones, tablets, laptops, rugged devices, POS, and digital signages. Our mission is to make Device Management simple and effortless along with providing world-class customer support.

Scalefusion

Sample Customers

Waypoint, Mattos Filho, Meetic, Gems Education, Green Clinic HealthSystem, Service King

Magna, Scania, Darya - Varia, Radisson Blu, Slice, Veezu

Buyer's Guide

Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) vs. Scalefusion

January 2025

Free Report: Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) vs. Scalefusion

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