We use this solution to apply new group policies.
IT Enterprise System Administrator at Nafeza
Great at collecting data and can mitigate any potential vulnerabilities or threats
Pros and Cons
- "Provides great insight into the functionalities of the data scope."
- "Management of Linux devices could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
The solution was particularly helpful for patching the OS, and for the VM in our environment. With 10 branches, we have a huge number of VMs. Using ECM, we can download the new patches one by one, apply and then restore them. It saves us a lot of time.
What is most valuable?
The valuable feature is the ability to gain all the data you need. We can collect data and get insight into the functionalities of their scope. As system administrators, we get a summarized report for each site with the installed version of the OS for all PCs in our environment. We know which meet the requirements and which don't. For those that don't, we can mitigate any potential vulnerabilities or threats.
What needs improvement?
I think managing Linux devices could be improved. It would help our colleagues and other departments like the dev opps, who only use Linux machines to quickly patch their VMs.
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Configuration Manager
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Configuration Manager. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
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For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using this solution for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support could be improved.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very straightforward. We have six users.
What other advice do I have?
It's important to keep the database going at all times to avoid any interruption of the service. The implementation must be very well designed because you have to know the scope of your workload and that should be addressed in the action plan before proceeding with the deployment.
I rate this solution eight out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Technical Lead at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
A systems management software product with good support
Pros and Cons
- "I like Mircosoft's technical support. Microsoft has a few updates, like some of the critical KBs. They are published within the interval time, and in case of an escalation on the client missions, we will raise a ticket with the Microsoft team. They will create a hotfix or a critical update. They will chat with us, and that is one thing I like about Microsoft. Whenever any issues occur at my organization, they will help you out soon as possible within the SLA."
- "It would be better if automation options were available. For example, in Nexthink or SysTrack, there is an analytical tool. Creating dashboards would be very easy if you implement the same thing in Microsoft. That report will be a daily cost to the customers and good revenue for our organization. The price also could be better. In the next release, we need to include some features like tables, dashboards, surveys, services, and metrics in the dashboard. Whatever we are implementing will be downloaded by a report. Apart from the report, we will telecast from the dashboard. It's very easy to compare, and it will be easy to telecast to the end-users."
What is our primary use case?
We mostly use Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager for patch management and application deployment. We will check and post a critical or supplement patch if there is a vulnerability.
What is most valuable?
I like Mircosoft's technical support. Microsoft has a few updates, like some of the critical KBs. They are published within the interval time, and in case of an escalation on the client missions, we will raise a ticket with the Microsoft team. They will create a hotfix or a critical update. They will chat with us, and that is one thing I like about Microsoft. Whenever any issues occur at my organization, they will help you out soon as possible within the SLA.
What needs improvement?
It would be better if automation options were available. For example, in Nexthink or SysTrack, there is an analytical tool. Creating dashboards would be very easy if you implement the same thing in Microsoft. That report will be a daily cost to the customers and good revenue for our organization. The price also could be better.
In the next release, we need to include some features like tables, dashboards, surveys, services, and metrics in the dashboard. Whatever we are implementing will be downloaded by a report. Apart from the report, we will telecast from the dashboard. It's very easy to compare, and it will be easy to telecast to the end-users.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager for five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager is a stable solution. There is nothing to worry about. When Microsoft pushes updates or patches, they will be in the W-Sync server. We have some people who will concentrate on Sync's parameters. Apart from that, everything is perfect.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager is a scalable solution.
How are customer service and support?
From my point of view, I'm just giving 60% to 70% marks to those who support us with these issues. If there are any new issues, they will check in with the corresponding team, which takes some time. If there are issues with a single machine or server, or it affects the whole environment, they will analyze it from their end and provide a hotfix.
On a scale from one to five, I would give Microsoft technical support a four.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I would tell potential users that for 15,000 or 30,000 machines, you must go with Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager as it's the best tool. We can install the clients on all the end-user machines. All the data will be recorded in the Microsoft console itself. There's no need to worry if the patching activities will be hygienic, which will be very useful.
You can go with another third-party software if you're just a small organization with 50-odd machines. The Microsoft license cost is relatively high, but everything will be perfect, stable, and reliable.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward because Microsoft is always user-friendly. They will share the parameters, like troubleshooting steps and the pre-request. They will send the database knowledge-base document to us. It will be a step-by-step procedure. There won't be any worrying or alarming issues with Microsoft. If we have any problems, we will raise a ticket with Microsoft, and the team from Microsoft will help us. We can implement this solution within two or three hours, depending on the bandwidth speed.
On a scale from one to five, I will give the initial setup a four.
What about the implementation team?
We implemented this solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price could be better.
What other advice do I have?
On a scale from one to ten, I would give Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager a nine.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Configuration Manager
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Configuration Manager. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.
IT System Administrator at Frank, Rimerman & Co
Essential in maintaining WSUS updates, and allows our team to reimage a computer within an hour
Pros and Cons
- "Valuable features include configurations enforcement, compliance data gathering, and deployment of a standardized OS."
- "Built in PowerShell cmdlets would be a nice feature because managing clients remotely can be a pain without knowing the WMI calls to run."
What is our primary use case?
We use System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) to manage workstations and servers in our Windows environment. We are primarily a Windows-only environment, which is what SCCM is designed to manage. It uses WMI underlying technology to ensure that it is compatible with all versions of Windows, from Windows XP to Windows 10. We use it to manage our Windows workstations and Servers. We use SCCM to do many things, like deploy operating systems, deploy applications, configure settings, gather compliance data, enforce software patching and run reports for software installations information.
We do not use it to do Mobile Device Management, though it does have that capability.
It does not manage products outside of Microsoft operating systems, so this product would be for Microsoft-heavy businesses.
How has it helped my organization?
Using SCCM allows our team to reimage a computer within an hour and have it ready to deploy to a user in less than a day. If we get a new workstation model, we can easily add drivers to the server and it will be compatible with our image. We can count on images and workstations having a specific configuration and having it enforced. It allows us to spend less time doing manual work and more time helping users. It also gives us good business intelligence through its reporting features.
What is most valuable?
- Deployment of a standardized operating system
- Application deployment to all domain machines
- Configurations enforcement
- Compliance data gathering
Ensuring configuration integrity across the domain is essential for maintaining an environment, so SCCM helps our company enforce a uniform configuration. SCCM’s ability to deploy applications to maintain updates and up-to-date software is also essential. Many vendors will not support end users if we are not on the latest software release, so this allows the IT department to control application versions and deployments. SCCM is also essential in maintaining WSUS updates, as those are a challenge to enforce as well.
What needs improvement?
SCCM is a pretty great product already. It has benefited greatly from having been around since its original incarnation as Small Business Server 2003. It would be cool if the SCCM client had some PowerShell cmdlets built into it, as managing clients remotely can be a pain without knowing the WMI calls to run remotely. Also, continued development PowerShell integration with the console (which they have already started developing).
For how long have I used the solution?
Three to five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Improperly set security settings can lead to console performance issues. SCCM client issues are also inevitable. We recently had to diagnose and fix downloading issues caused by older BranchCache issues with the old client. Otherwise, the client and server are very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
No. SCCM has the ability to be as big or as small as needed by the business. It can be used by businesses ranging from single office companies to massive international corporations.
How are customer service and technical support?
N/A. SCCM is one of the most popular products on the market, so there are LOTS of online help articles for almost any problem you will have. I have never contacted their support because it's expensive, and I am stubborn and like to figure out problems myself.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
N/A
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup takes planning and careful consideration. It will also take input from your networking team, as it will take some router configuration to get PXE booting working. The overall design of the SCCM servers needs to be considered as well, as you can't change the big picture structure later. You have to decide if you want only a primary site or if you want a central administration hub with primary sites reporting to it, so it will take planning to setup.
Configuring the groups, collections, boundaries, and server roles takes time as well. It will also take an understanding of the business's needs and will require IT helpdesk input to be most effective.
Configuring applications and settings takes a bit less time once you have the underlying infrastructure setup, but SCCM doesn't really help you discover install commands outside of MSI or APPX packages. To be fair, there's not much they can do, but a technician will need to be aware of that.
What about the implementation team?
I implemented it, so in-house.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Microsoft has affordable pricing for Small to Medium Businesses, and it comes with many SMB packages already. It is worth investing in these, because the returns in automation and environmental integrity pay back the cost.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
N/A
What other advice do I have?
SCCM is a fantastic solution whose use is only limited by your creativity. Since it allows you to use PowerShell or VBScript to configure settings or execute procedures, a technician can make the any system do what they would like, provided they know how to do it programmatically. It can be a bit of a challenge to setup, configure, and maintain, but once you do, it will benefit you greatly. It is a complicated, complex product, so there is a learning curve, but that complexity is intrinsically linked to its ability to be a powerful tool. If setup improperly, SCCM can wipe out entire environments (don’t make an OS a required task sequence to all computers, for instance), but that is difficult to do.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Technical solution leader at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Useful for remote control, patch management, and software deployment
Pros and Cons
- "The tool's most valuable features include security updates and patch management, which are critical functions for maintaining security. The automated software distribution and the ability to manage deployments are also highly useful. Enforcing compliance with set policies on systems is another key functionality we leverage."
- "The solution should incorporate AI. It should also incorporate real-time capabilities. If we could get real-time information about challenges or issues, it would allow us to take immediate action. For example, with the recent outage caused by the Windows issue, having a real-time warning system could have helped us avoid or reduce the downtime we experienced."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for remote control, patch management, and software deployment.
What is most valuable?
The tool's most valuable features include security updates and patch management, which are critical functions for maintaining security. The automated software distribution and the ability to manage deployments are also highly useful. Enforcing compliance with set policies on systems is another key functionality we leverage.
What needs improvement?
The solution should incorporate AI. It should also incorporate real-time capabilities. If we could get real-time information about challenges or issues, it would allow us to take immediate action. For example, with the recent outage caused by the Windows issue, having a real-time warning system could have helped us avoid or reduce the downtime we experienced.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with the product for eight to ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate Microsoft Configuration Manager's stability a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the solution's scalability an eight out of ten.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
As a main competitor to Microsoft Configuration Manager, I've used Ansible quite extensively as an alternative. There are also other products like those from Ivanti or Jamf. From an automation standpoint, we've tried Ansible and Chef as competitors. However, doing a direct function-by-function comparison is difficult since they all have different capabilities.
How was the initial setup?
Our team is highly skilled, so it seems fairly straightforward from my perspective. However, the difficulty likely depends on skill levels.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is expensive. Microsoft Configuration Manager would likely be considered high-priced for small businesses because they may not fully utilize all of its features and capabilities.
What other advice do I have?
The solution is mostly for enterprises. Smaller businesses can opt for Microsoft Intune or other third-party products. I rate the overall product an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Last updated: Aug 6, 2024
Flag as inappropriateHelps with patch management but improvement is needed in documentation with videos
Pros and Cons
- "Microsoft Configuration Manager helps with patch management."
- "The tool's deployment is difficult. Microsoft needs to improve documentation with videos."
What is our primary use case?
Microsoft Configuration Manager helps with patch management.
What needs improvement?
The tool's deployment is difficult. Microsoft needs to improve documentation with videos.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with the product for ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Microsoft Configuration Manager is stable. We have experienced downtime from time to time.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We use the tool's free license. It is expensive.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Microsoft Configuration Manager a six out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
System Specialist at Tata Consultancy
Improves time and security and helps with patch management
Pros and Cons
- "Microsoft Configuration Manager is integrated with other Microsoft products."
- "The product needs to improve scalability."
What is our primary use case?
We use Microsoft Configuration Manager for patch management.
How has it helped my organization?
The product has improved time and security.
What is most valuable?
Microsoft Configuration Manager is integrated with other Microsoft products.
What needs improvement?
The product needs to improve scalability.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with the product for three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate Microsoft Configuration Manager a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the tool's scalability an eight out of ten.
How was the initial setup?
The tool's deployment is easy. It takes between five to 25 minutes to complete.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Microsoft Configuration Manager a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Technical solution leader at Kyndryl
Highly stable, beneficial managing capabilities, and priced well
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager is the availability of being able to manage the Microsoft estate. It handles many areas, such as asset management and tracking."
- "Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager could improve the integration."
What is our primary use case?
We are using Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager to manage our client's Microsoft estate.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager is the availability of being able to manage the Microsoft estate. It handles many areas, such as asset management and tracking.
What needs improvement?
Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager could improve the integration.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager for approximately 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager is highly stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager is good.
How are customer service and support?
The support for Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager is good.
How was the initial setup?
We did not face any challenges with the initial setup of Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager. The time it takes to do the deployment depends upon the size of the environment. Smaller deployments don't take more than a week and very large deployments can take up to three to six months.
What about the implementation team?
The support staff needed for Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager depends upon the size of the deployment. However, we do not require a large number of people to support it.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Microsoft comes with an end-to-end package that can include Office 365 and many other applications put together, it makes it a very integrated system for people to use.
We have a support license from Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager and the overall price of the solution is reasonable.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Integrator
Systems Engineer at a healthcare company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Useful for easy patch management and software deployment
Pros and Cons
- "The tool's most valuable features are easy patch management and software deployment."
- "The tool's deployment can be cumbersome."
What is most valuable?
The tool's most valuable features are easy patch management and software deployment. We use it because it is a Microsoft product, which makes it more secure and easier to use.
Microsoft Configuration Manager makes it easier to control remote desktops. It supplements other products.
What needs improvement?
The tool's deployment can be cumbersome.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Microsoft Configuration Manager's stability is very good. I rate it an eight out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
We don't contact Microsoft directly for support. We get support through a third-party vendor.
How was the initial setup?
I rate the product's ease of deployment a four out of ten.
What about the implementation team?
A contractor helped us with the product's deployment.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the overall solution an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Last updated: Apr 16, 2024
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