We use the solution for update management.
Infrastructure Architect - Director at a retailer with 11-50 employees
Useful for automated updates management and reduces manual effort
Pros and Cons
- "The solution's most valuable feature is the ability to set logical rules. These rules allow us to automatically apply updates based on their criticality or assign them to specific computer groups. It allows for automatic deployment to specific groups based on predefined logic, eliminating the need for manual intervention in deployment creation."
- "The product should improve its third-party management."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The solution's most valuable feature is the ability to set logical rules. These rules allow us to automatically apply updates based on their criticality or assign them to specific computer groups. It allows for automatic deployment to specific groups based on predefined logic, eliminating the need for manual intervention in deployment creation.
The tool's integration is easy. It manages everything behind the scenes.
What needs improvement?
The product should improve its third-party management.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with the product since 2008.
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Windows Server Update Services
November 2024
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the tool's stability a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Microsoft Windows Server Update Services' scalability is fine.
How are customer service and support?
Regarding technical issues, I had one that had to go through many levels and back and forth. I don't think they are great. Technical people still treat you like a beginner, assuming you don't know much. The first-level support is not very good, and we almost always have to go to the third level. As a result, it takes a lot of time.
How was the initial setup?
The solution's deployment is easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The tool is included with server products, and its pricing is good.
What other advice do I have?
The tool can function effectively for small—to medium-sized businesses. However, for enterprise companies, especially in regions like the United States or Europe, it would likely require additional support from a system center management framework to fully meet their needs.
I rate it an eight out of ten. It's beneficial, especially if you have more than a few systems to update. Using Microsoft Windows Server Update Services automates the update process, saving considerable manual effort.
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: Jun 23, 2024
Flag as inappropriateIT systems engineer at VeriFone
A pretty stable and scalable product that is easy to deploy and provides excellent features
Pros and Cons
- "PowerShell is a valuable feature."
- "The product must improve its support."
What is most valuable?
PowerShell is a valuable feature.
What needs improvement?
The product must improve its support.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for a few years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is pretty stable. I rate the stability an eight and a half out of ten. Sometimes, we have minor issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the tool’s scalability an eight out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
I opened a ticket with support two weeks ago. There have been only two email conversations between me and the team regarding the ticket. There have been no other responses. The support team is normally good.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
It is very easy to deploy the product.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I rate the solution an eight 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: Partner
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Windows Server Update Services
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Windows Server Update Services. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
816,636 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Network security engineer at freelancer
A a computer program and network service with a useful evaluation feature, but connectivity could be better
Pros and Cons
- "I like that we could evaluate every client and compare some weaknesses and vulnerability exploits in Microsoft Windows Server Update Services. This is a useful way to test applications against an attacker attempting to exploit the operating system."
- "In the next release, I would like them to provide better connectivity. They must improve the connectivity between the WSS with Microsoft or the client."
What is our primary use case?
I often use Microsoft Windows Server Update Services for updates and loyalty patch management.
What is most valuable?
I like that we could evaluate every client and compare some weaknesses and vulnerability exploits in Microsoft Windows Server Update Services. This is a useful way to test applications against an attacker attempting to exploit the operating system.
What needs improvement?
In the next release, I would like them to provide better connectivity. They must improve the connectivity between the WSS with Microsoft or the client.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Windows Server Update Services for a couple of years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Microsoft Windows Server Update Services is a stable solution. However, there have been some problems with the Microsoft update. We had to do some maintenance before restarting the WSS service or checking the connection between the OS and Microsoft accounts.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Microsoft Windows Server Update Services is very scalable. It could be deployed on the network with even 1,000 clients. At present, we have about 10,000 users.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup wasn't complex. It's easy. I think that it could be run in one day. It needs weekly or sometimes daily maintenance to check and update the signature or to check and get the update via Microsoft.
What about the implementation team?
We implemented this solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It doesn't need a license. It's offered for free with Microsoft.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to potential users as it's a vital service in every network.
On a scale from one to ten, I would give Microsoft Windows Server Update Services a seven.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Manager at Stark International
Good centralized management and merging capabilities with helpful technical support
Pros and Cons
- "The performance has been okay."
- "A few bugs need to be figured out for the security side."
What is our primary use case?
It is being used both in my company as well as in my client's companies. We work on the basis of customer demand and whether they go for Windows or Linux. 60% of users use Microsoft since it's user-friendly and if they want the capability of maintaining the servers over the CLI then they tend to prefer Windows.
What is most valuable?
The centralized management and merging capabilities are useful. Windows users can switch from open access to data from the Linux servers.
The various security updates are good for the users as well as the organizations it helps keep the solution safe.
The performance has been okay.
Technical support is responsive.
It can scale.
What needs improvement?
A few bugs need to be figured out for the security side. A few of the bugs are not even fixed completely on a full scale, and sometimes that will be tough. If a client is not maintaining proper network security, their data will be breached. The security updates need to be released regularly from Microsoft so that there won't be any loopholes in the OS.
The initial setup may be a bit difficult for beginners.
The solution is costly.
When we shift onto the graphical user interface, there'll be a bit of a lack of processing speed as there are a number of graphics included in the OS when we shift to the GUI. We'd like CLI and GUI to be equally responsive. Many users prefer the GUI, yet then they suffer from less performance due to the graphics.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The performance is okay. I would rate it seven out of ten in terms of stability. There sometimes are bugs in the product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution can scale.
We have medium-sized to enterprise-level organizations. We also use the solution for smaller organizations that would like the cloud to save costs on IT infrastructure.
We work with 250 or more companies that use this solution.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support responds spontaneously if you raise any tickets or queries regarding to the products. I raise a fewer number of queries to technical support since we are the engineers. We tend to go to the client and fix issues. In the case of major issues, we'd reach out to technical support, and they respond spontaneously within 24 hours.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We previously used Linux servers. We switched based on client requirements as they wanted a user-friendly service even with engineers assisting them.
How was the initial setup?
For beginners, it might be a bit complex to set up the solution. However, with well-experienced guides like engineers, it would be easy for them to fix the infrastructure and deploy these Windows servers.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It is a bit expensive.
The cost would be taken care of by my accounts team, so I'm not that involved in licensing. That said, to my knowledge, it's a bit expensive. If any clients want to implement their infrastructure to be run on Microsoft, then they need to purchase every license for each service. If the client wants to go for a Windows server, they need a license for the client machines and a license if they want to operate a Mail Exchange server. If all this could become bundled into one thing where small-scale industries and medium-scale industries can buy it as one item, that would be ideal.
What other advice do I have?
I'm a consultant as well as a Microsoft-certified system engineer. We are Microsoft partners.
Most likely, all my clients would prefer an on-premises deployment. They want the data to be secure as they likely have confidential data regarding their users, as well as the company's data, would be on their servers.
That said, a few clients would prefer cloud services like AWS. It totally depends upon the clients and what they would like to go for and whether they be like to invest on the on-premises or if they would like to go for a cloud to cut costs.
Most people are moving onto the Linux side, where they feel more secure, however, compared with the admin agents who are not well-versed at the CLI level, many prefer the Windows server, which is the alternative. People should remember that though there is a graphical user interface for Windows Server, they can still operate in CLI mode, which would be very fast, and very similar to a Linux OS.
I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
System and network security engineer at Central Bank of Nigeria
Product that enables users to patch and track updates easily
Pros and Cons
- "The product is quite stable."
- "The security could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
The solution is used for patching updates.
What is most valuable?
The product is quite stable. I like the stability. It makes updates easy. It enables users to track updates.
What needs improvement?
The security could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for the last five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the stability a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The tool is very scalable. We have ten users.
How are customer service and support?
We get premium support from Microsoft. It's very easy for us to get the support if we need it.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. We need two engineers for the deployment and maintenance of the tool.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have an enterprise agreement.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend the solution to others. It is a good product. Overall, I rate the product a ten out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Technology Consultant at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees
Scalable and useful for implementing patches
Pros and Cons
- "A valuable feature about this solution is that it enforces an updating and patching process for my applications."
- "This solution's deployment could be improved. When I was the admin, there were some problems when deploying to clients. Sometimes the policy is not effective. I guess, more on the reliability side, more reliable means working more often with the clients. It could be easier to deploy."
What is our primary use case?
My primary use case of Microsoft Windows Server Update Services is to enforce patching for applications. I act as the client, not the server admin. If, let's say, my laptop has not restarted frequently, this solution will force me to take a couple of minutes to restart. This solution is deployed on cloud, so I'm always using the latest version.
What is most valuable?
A valuable feature about this solution is that it enforces an updating and patching process for my applications.
What needs improvement?
This solution's deployment could be improved. When I was the admin, there were some problems when deploying to clients. Sometimes the policy is not effective. I guess, more on the reliability side, more reliable means working more often with the clients. It could be easier to deploy.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for the duration of time I've been in my company.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This solution is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
This product is scalable. In my organization, there are about 600,000 people using Microsoft Windows Server.
How are customer service and support?
I have never contacted Microsoft support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I didn't use another patch management solution before Microsoft Windows Server.
How was the initial setup?
We had a lot of issues during deployment. I remember when we first deployed this solution, it didn't work, so we had to retry, we had to troubleshoot, and then after we finally got it, we could only partially use it. It would be great if the process were more simple so that we could deploy it on the first try to hundreds and thousands of clients. I don't remember the time duration of the installation or how big our deployment team was.
What about the implementation team?
We implemented through an in-house team.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
For licensing, I think it's on a framework contract. I'd guess my CIO would know, but I didn't buy my license—it's by default on my PC.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I evaluated BigFix as part of my research, but I haven't used it.
What other advice do I have?
As an end user, I rate this solution a 10 out of 10. I've had no issues so far.
I'm not sure if I can recommend this solution because I don't know what the alternatives are, so I have no experience in an alternative solution. It could be the case that BigFix is better.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Deputy Manager at Arya Omnitalk Wireless Solutions Private Limited
Provides good reporting capabilities and helps maintain compliance and security
Pros and Cons
- "The reporting capabilities that help maintain compliance and security are good."
- "The solution must provide the issue description of the patches."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution as per Microsoft’s policy.
What is most valuable?
The reporting capabilities that help maintain compliance and security are good.
What needs improvement?
The solution must provide the issue description of the patches. We are not able to trace the issue resolution for the patches. The issues must be available in the patch portal. It will help us to be aware of the upcoming patches and the resolutions provided. We are not able to trace the problems we are facing on our platform. We need to know which patch or update will give us a solution for our issues. There should be more frequent updates.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for around ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The tool is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The tool is scalable. We have five users. The tool is not used extensively.
How was the initial setup?
The setup is easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The product is not expensive.
What other advice do I have?
The solution is built-in with Microsoft Windows Server. I will recommend the product to others. Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Last updated: Feb 28, 2024
Flag as inappropriateIT proffesional at Ambo university
Provides valuable server updates and robust reporting capabilities
Pros and Cons
- "It ensures we get the necessary updates and features from the servers."
- "While the product is generally effective, I believe the integration with other applications could be enhanced."
What is most valuable?
The product's most valuable feature is efficiently updating our server using the services provided. It ensures we get the necessary updates and features from the servers.
What needs improvement?
While the product is generally effective, I believe the integration with other applications could be enhanced. Additionally, improvements in the stability and user interface would be beneficial.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've used Microsoft Windows Server Update Services for over two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The platform is generally very stable, though there is always room for minor improvements. I rate the stability a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have more than 3000 Microsoft Windows Server Update Service users in our organization. It continues to perform efficiently.
How was the initial setup?
I wasn’t directly involved in the installation process, so I can’t provide detailed insights. However, from what I understand, it was relatively straightforward. I believe some deployment aspects could be streamlined further.
What other advice do I have?
The critical features are security solutions that ensure the security of our business data and operations.
The reporting capabilities are robust. We collect information from various sources and schedule updates accordingly.
Overall, I rate the product 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.
Last updated: Jun 2, 2024
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