What is our primary use case?
We primarily brought on the solution to replace Symantec's product, as Symantec was purchased by Broadcom. The company in question has a lot of stuff, and 40 users, and is a pure Windows environment. They don't do anything on Mac or Linux, for example.
What is most valuable?
So far, the solution has been working quite well.
Sophos offers a manuscript response.
The product has three tiers that you can choose from when you buy. The highest is a Managed Threat Response. We chose the middle range, which offers Intercept X and is more than just Malware protection.
This solution is a kind of Next-Gen anti-virus.
The product has some web filtering, which blocks people from going to websites they shouldn't be going to.
It supports the Windows 10 server platform.
The solution offers a centralized view of the status of protection, via a central console for users to check the status or the health of the endpoints.
So far, the solution has met all our expectations. It's blocked malicious websites effectively and stopped people from going to places online that they shouldn't be going to. It's automatic. We simply took the default settings and we were finding people right away that were going to illicit sites, and we were able to see that easily in the console.
The package we use also comes with spam filtering features, which are quite useful.
What needs improvement?
We're still new to the solution. We haven't come across any weakness yet. There aren't features that are missing.
The initial setup can be a bit challenging.
For how long have I used the solution?
I just deployed the solution a few weeks ago. It's quite new at this point. We've had it now for a little over a month.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is extremely stable. It doesn't crash or freeze. There aren't bugs and glitches. It's kept us safe. Nothing has gotten through. It's reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Currently, the company only has 40 users, and therefore there are no scalability issues so far. However, it's a cloud-based centralized console, so that will help with scaling in the future if the company decides to expand. It wouldn't be hard to do. It's completely achievable.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support is okay. I'd give them higher scores if I didn't have to contact them about the initial console setup. That said, they were helpful. Their service so far has been about average.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We previously used Symantec.
We switched solutions for a few reasons. The first one is that Symantec was bought by Broadcom and there were some unknowns about what would happen with the product. Support typically gets worse when Broadcom buys a product, and we wanted to step away on the off-chance that could happen in the near future.
We were also looking to consolidate and to find a replacement but to also get something that had spam protection and something that was easily obtainable for a small business. Sophos ultimately could hit all those checkmarks.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup with the centralized console was a little bit challenging. It wasn't complex per se, however, due to the fact that the instructions weren't clear, you can get stuck at certain points. I opened up a case for support, and at that point, I was able to get under the console. You could say the onboarding of additional administrators was a challenge. The centralized console was also a bit difficult.
After that, the implementation was pretty easy. You simply remove the old one, add the new one, and then, with the new one, you could send the user an email link, or you could send them a path to where the software is.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I do not know the exact costs offhand, however, it's my understanding that their pricing is listed publicly on their site and would be easy to find. Sophos seemed surprised that their pricing was public. They were shocked that I could just Google it and it came up.
There are extra add-ons you can purchase over and above this product. The add-ons cost a bit more, however, they offer extra security advantages.
What other advice do I have?
We are a reseller.
We deployed the latest version of the solution. I don't have the version number on hand, however.
It's a good product to consider if a company is looking to also do spam filtering. What Sophos has as well as a firewall, and it'll give a company a little bit of tighter integration, and that's good. Having those additional security tools as add-ons is an excellent option. We personally haven't gotten their firewall yet, however, it is nice that that is an option.
I would rate the solution at an eight out of ten. Overall, in the short amount of time we've used it, we've had a positive experience.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Hi,
From Sophos has to provide training to their customers to handle Sophos devices along with certification so that cannot depend on the reseller or any implementation partner always.