We use Windows Server as our certified server for compatibility.
IT manager at IRPC PCL
Scalable, easy to deploy and maintain
Pros and Cons
- "We have not contacted technical support."
- "The compatibility and the ease of use are areas that I would like to see improved."
What is our primary use case?
What needs improvement?
It could be more compatible with other platforms.
The compatibility and the ease of use are areas that I would like to see improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Windows Server since 2016.
We are using the latest version.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's a stable solution.
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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's a scalable product. We have approximately 3,000 users in our organization.
We plan to continue to use this solution.
How are customer service and support?
We have not contacted technical support.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward. It was easy to install.
The deployment took three to six months.
We have a team of 50 admins for deployment and maintenance.
What about the implementation team?
We had the help of a system integrator.
What other advice do I have?
Definitely, I would recommend this solution to others who are interested in using it.
I would rate Windows Server an eight 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.
IT manager at a non-profit with 1-10 employees
An easily deployable solution
Pros and Cons
- "The deployment can be done with rapidity and much ease."
- "While the solution is stable, it could be more so."
What is our primary use case?
I use Windows Server 2015.
We have data center and now we use the software to do the virtualization. We develop certain functions.
What needs improvement?
While the solution is stable, it could be more so. There are times when there is a need to make corrections.
It would also be nice to see more integration.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Windows Server for awhile, at least for a couple of years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Although the solution is stable, this could stand some improvement.
How are customer service and technical support?
Owing to the distance which is sometimes involved, the technical support can stand improvement.
How was the initial setup?
Windows Server is very easy to install. There is no issue in this regard. It can be done on one's disc, if he has one.
The deployment can be done with rapidity and much ease.
What about the implementation team?
While I have five people in my organization, the deployment can be handled by a single engineer in my company.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There are no fees involved in the solution.
The government directly pays the licensing fees for all public organizations, of which we are included. The organization's name is IDU, which does license development for the country in the computer science department. They give us the SQL Server and Microsoft Office to install in our public hospital.
What other advice do I have?
I work in MS Office, Oracle and SQL Server. Our company primarily uses MS Office.
We have, perhaps, 200 users.
I would recommend the solution to others, as I have done so in the past.
I rate Windows Server a ten out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
Windows Server
December 2024
Learn what your peers think about Windows Server. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2024.
831,265 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Senior Associate Consultant at Infosys Compaz
Operating system with a good interface, but updates take longer and need to be faster
Pros and Cons
- "Operating system with a good interface that can run applications."
- "Its updates need to be faster, so that's an area for improvement."
What is our primary use case?
We're using Windows Server for its basic function. We use it to run applications, but there's a team who manages that, and they are certified. I'm not the one managing. I'm just a user.
What is most valuable?
The Windows Server interface is okay, though it would still depend on the usage perfective. The interface is what I like about this solution.
What needs improvement?
What I'd like to see in the next release of Windows Server is for it to have faster updates.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been dealing with Windows Server for five years now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Windows Server is stable. I've had no issues or problems with it.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I've evaluated Linux.
What other advice do I have?
I'm using both Windows and Linux operating systems.
We have a team who does the installation of Windows Server, so I'm unable to give information on whether it's easy or complicated to install. For deployment and maintenance, we have five to eight people in charge.
We have 30 to 50 end users of Windows Server within our company, and currently we don't have plans of increasing usage.
Whether the technical support for Windows Server is fast or is knowledgeable, it would depend. It's a case to case basis, but I'm not the one who's creating the tickets, so whenever we have any issues, we send it to our team who's in charge of creating the tickets for the Windows support team.
Windows Server is a solution I can recommend to others, if we're basing my recommendation on my satisfaction with it.
I'm rating Windows Server a five out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Control Systems Supervisor with 201-500 employees
Stable, reliable, and is able to run many applications
Pros and Cons
- "The only thing that is extremely valuable about the solution is that most applications run on it. That's where it brings the value in as we have the server to run our applications."
- "There's always room for improvement. However, I'm not in the main IT department, and therefore, I'm not as close to the product as others on my team."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution as our general operating system.
What is most valuable?
The only thing that is extremely valuable about the solution is that most applications run on it. That's where it brings the value in as we have the server to run our applications.
The product is stable.
What needs improvement?
I can't think of any improvements off the top of my head.
There's always room for improvement. However, I'm not in the main IT department, and therefore, I'm not as close to the product as others on my team.
For how long have I used the solution?
The company has used the solution for quite a while. They were using it well before I arrived at the organization.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution seems to be quite stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable.
How are customer service and support?
To my knowledge, we have not dealt directly with Microsoft support. We haven't really had a need.
How was the initial setup?
For the most part, we didn't do the initial setup on it. We either buy the product with Microsoft already installed or the system integrator will install it.
We have systems administrators that can maintain the solution. We have a few people on our team that can handle any tasks.
What about the implementation team?
Occasionally, we have a systems integrator that assists in the installation or it comes pre-installed.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I don't deal with pricing or licensing. I can't speak to how much the licensing costs.
What other advice do I have?
I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten overall. We've been overall very pleased with the product.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Manager
A trusted brand with a stable product and good reliability
Pros and Cons
- "Microsoft is a trusted brand and I enjoy working with it."
- "The graphical user interface could be better. It's a little dated."
What is most valuable?
The product is stable. It's reliable.
Microsoft is a trusted brand and I enjoy working with it.
What needs improvement?
The graphical user interface could be better. It's a little dated.
I do not like Microsoft's intrusive policies.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've used Windows Server for quite a long time. We've used it since around the 2012 version at least.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of the product is relative. Certain services are better handled by the Microsoft system. For example, the active directory. Microsoft Hyper-V, we use in many, many cases. However, with Linux systems, we don't have the ability to use some features of these systems. For example, with the authentication server, we use the Windows Server in most cases. If we do that, it's stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have 100 people, more or less, on the solution.
How are customer service and technical support?
We have technical support. We pay in order to have access to them.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I'm also familiar with Linux, although I prefer Windows.
How was the initial setup?
I wasn't a part of the initial setup. It was already in place when I arrived at the company.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I was not involved in the acquisition of the solution, so I do not have exact details about the pricing.
We do pay for technical support. We have that until December and then we will need to re-subscribe.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We are a public company, a government company, and, due to legislation, most of the time, we can't simply choose a vendor. If we need to acquire a contract solution, we make a technical study where the features are evaluated and the final specifications are always based on features, not on vendors, or manufacturers.
What other advice do I have?
We are service providers. We are implementers and sometimes we do the plans of the implementation.
We are a customer of Windows Server. Our company has an active contract for technical support as well.
We use the current version and past versions too in a hybrid environment.
The local infrastructure is hybrid in the sense of we maintain a large spectrum of systems. For example, legacy systems are on the same infrastructure as a Windows Server 2019, for example. Basically, legacy systems are on the same network as the most recent system.
I'm note of a Windows guy than a Linux guy. I like this product.
I'd rate the solution at an eight 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.
GM: Information Systems at a logistics company with 501-1,000 employees
User friendly and compatible with other solutions
Pros and Cons
- "The features that I have found most valuable are its ease of use and the compatibility with most other products."
- "I would definitely like to see bolting monitoring tools. To monitor the server you usually have to install third party tools. I would like to be less reliant on third-party tools. They always create some sort of security issue regarding ports that need to be opened, that type of thing. Windows Server has internally monitorable software but remote monitoring software would be a great add-on."
What is our primary use case?
We are using Windows Server on virtual machines running off-premise.
This operating system for business can be useful for personal documents or any daily or routine stuff.
What is most valuable?
The features that I have found most valuable are its ease of use and the compatibility with most other products.
What needs improvement?
I would definitely like to see bolting monitoring tools. To monitor the server you usually have to install third party tools. I would like to be less reliant on third-party tools. They always create some sort of security issue regarding ports that need to be opened, that type of thing. Windows Server has internally monitorable software but remote monitoring software would be a great add-on.
In the next version I would like to see monitoring tools or maybe an easier way to figure out who were the last people that were working on the server, something that gives me better insights into the actions taken by different users who need to access the server. Our server is definitely not for everybody to access, but even if it had logging installed or activated, it's quite difficult to figure out who did what.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Windows Server for a couple of years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Windows Server is definitely scalable.
We have 200 users using it in the network.
How was the initial setup?
I was not part of the initial setup, I'm not part of the technical team. But I know from the people who did install it that it was quite easy.
What other advice do I have?
On a scale of one to ten I would give Windows Server a nine.
I would recommend Windows Server for users who want to start using it.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Senior Architect at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees
Stable, easy to install, and scales well
Pros and Cons
- "The installation was straightforward and easy."
- "The performance is good but we have had some issues when we use virtual machines."
What is our primary use case?
We are using Windows Server as an operating platform. It's an Operating system.
We host our products on the Windows Server.
What is most valuable?
The performance is good.
What needs improvement?
While it is easy to use, it could be easier.
The performance is good but we have had some issues when we use virtual machines. Loading and processing a lot of data leads to memory-related issues. As such, while the performance is good, it could still be improved.
We are using version 2012 and it could be that other versions have improved this feature.
For how long have I used the solution?
We are currently using Windows Server 2012. We have been using this solution for approximately 12 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have no issues with the stability of the Windows Server.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's scalable. I am satisfied with the scalability of this solution.
We don't have plans to increase our usage.
How are customer service and technical support?
We don't deal with Microsoft support directly. Our service team is in contact with them if there is an issue.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Previously, I did not use another solution.
How was the initial setup?
The installation was straightforward and easy.
We have a team of server maintenance and network engineers to maintain this solution.
What about the implementation team?
We had help from the Server team to implement this solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Licensing fees are paid on a yearly basis.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others.
I would rate Windows Server an eight 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.
Senior Solutions Architect at a manufacturing company with 51-200 employees
High performance, scalable, and straightforward installation
Pros and Cons
- "If everything is configured correctly this solution provides high performance. Building a Failover Cluster is comparatively much easier in Windows Server than any of the Linux-based solutions."
- "They should release a command-line version of the solution."
What is our primary use case?
Windows Server can be used for various mission-critical applications, such as SAP, web servers, SQL databases, and hosting. Various security applications, for example, Symantec or McAfee, all need Windows Servers as the back end to operate. Additionally, this solution can be used to build up a Failover Cluster.
What is most valuable?
If everything is configured correctly this solution provides high performance. Building a Failover Cluster is comparatively much easier in Windows Server than any of the Linux-based solutions.
What needs improvement?
They should release a command-line version of the solution.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for approximately 15 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Windows Server is stable. However, there is some maintenance required for smooth operations.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution can easily scale.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is straightforward and takes approximately one hour.
What about the implementation team?
If the server environment is large I would advise using an integrator. We have a team that does the maintenance of the solution which is important because it is used for mission-critical applications.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution could improve by changing the licensing model. In Windows Server 2008 they provided two versions, one regular and the other was free with no graphics. In Windows 2012 they stopped providing the free version. They should go back to the previous model and let customers have the choice whether they want to opt for a free version or have the Microsoft supported version or the OEM version.
If you choose Windows Server on-premises, you will receive a perpetual license and there is also a subscription license option. For the cloud version, there are several options available, such as a monthly subscription.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others.
I rate Windows Server a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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