We use this solution as our operating system.
Line Technical Agent at a comms service provider with 1,001-5,000 employees
Easy to use, stable, and quick to install
Pros and Cons
- "It is very useful, and it is easy to use."
- "In the next release, I would like to see better pricing."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
It is very useful, and it is easy to use.
What needs improvement?
In the next release, I would like to see better pricing.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Windows Server since the beginning.
We are using the latest version.
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Windows Server
November 2024
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Windows Server is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's an operating system, so scalability is not really applicable.
Everybody in our organization is using this solution. We have approximately 200 users.
We don't have any plans to increase usage.
How are customer service and support?
I have not contacted technical support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Previously, we had not used any other solution.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward. It was easy.
It only took five minutes to deploy.
For 200 users, we need one engineer to maintain this solution.
What about the implementation team?
We completed the installation ourselves, we did not use an integrator or consultant.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
In general, the pricing can be improved.
Licensing fees are paid on a yearly basis.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend Windows Server to others who are interested in using it.
I would rate Windows Server 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.
Information Systems Computer System Controller at a insurance company with 11-50 employees
Reliable, easy installation, but quicker customer service needed
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is stable."
- "The only problem we have faced is when we are upgrading the solution it is complex."
What is our primary use case?
We are providing services to our clients using this solution.
What needs improvement?
The only problem we have faced is when we are upgrading the solution it is complex.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for more than 20 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?
My whole company is using the solution and we plan to continue using it.
How are customer service and technical support?
The technical support could have a faster response.
How was the initial setup?
We have been installing the solution for years and it has always been straightforward.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There is a license required for this solution.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Windows Server a six 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.
Buyer's Guide
Windows Server
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Windows Server. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
824,067 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Solution Architect at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
User-friendly and stable with a straightforward setup
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is stable. The performance has been great over the years."
- "It would be nice if the solution was a bit cheaper. The product is a little pricey."
What is our primary use case?
We are primarily using the solution as a domain controller for user authentication and a DNS server.
What is most valuable?
We haven't had any issues so far. It works basically without any issues.
The solution is easy to use and very user-friendly. It's simple to navigate and to work with.
The solution is stable. The performance has been great over the years.
The product has the capability to scale.
The installation was very straightforward.
What needs improvement?
It would be nice if the solution was a bit cheaper. The product is a little pricey.
For how long have I used the solution?
I use the solution daily. I've used it over the last ten years or so. It's been a decade. I've been using it for a long time.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is very stable. We upgraded from 2016 to 2019 versions and we didn't have any issues. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's very reliable and the performance is good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I have read about its scalability, however, our environment is not too big. Therefore, I don't have any experience with scaling the product directly. That said, I read that it's scalable. It's just that I haven't attempted to expand it myself.
We have about 50 users on the solution currently.
We do intend to increase usage in the future.
How are customer service and technical support?
I can't speak to how technical support is. I'm not responsible for that server. I've not experienced any issues myself that would require me to call into support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Before using the Windows Server, I did not use other operating systems for business products. We've always just used Windows and Microsoft Office-based systems.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was not overly complex or difficult. It was quite straightforward and fairly simple.
The deployment is fast. It takes less than 20 minutes.
We also moved from 2016 to 2019 versions without any issues.
Maintenance does not require a large amount of staff. One person is responsible for the environment for the Window Servers. We have an IT administrator handling the duties.
What about the implementation team?
I handled the implementation myself. I did not need the assistance of any consultants or integrators.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution does require a company to obtain a license.
We would like the licenses to be less expensive. Generally, the price is too high.
What other advice do I have?
We are just a customer and an end-user. We don't have a business relationship with Microsoft.
I would recommend this solution to other organizations.
I'd rate the solution at a ten out of ten. We've been very pleased with its overall capabilities.
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.
Manager at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
A simple solution that's easy to use and has okay stability
Pros and Cons
- "The product, overall, is very simple. It's easy to use and navigate. It's got a good design."
- "The stability is okay, however, it could be better. It's an area that they could improve on if they wanted to."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution as a database.
What is most valuable?
The product, overall, is very simple. It's easy to use and navigate. It's got a good design.
The implementation is very easy. It doesn't give you any trouble.
What needs improvement?
The stability is okay, however, it could be better. It's an area that they could improve on if they wanted to.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for two years at this point.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is somewhere in between good and bad. It's so-so. It could be better.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have 15 people that use the solution, and five engineers that manage everything as necessary.
We do plan to continue to use the product going forward.
How are customer service and technical support?
I don't really need the assistance of technical support. I'm an engineer. Typically, I can fix any issues that may arise. Therefore, I don't contact Microsoft. I can't speak to their support service and how helpful they are.
How was the initial setup?
We found the initial setup to be very simple and straightforward. It's not complex. We didn't have any issues.
I can't recall how long the actual deployment took. It was a while ago now.
I handled the installation by myself. You only really need one person to deploy the product.
We have engineers that can handle maintenance on the solution in our company.
What about the implementation team?
I handled the implementation myself. I didn't need to have the installation done by a consultant or integrator.
What other advice do I have?
We only really use Windows Server for one thing. We don't have too complicated of a setup.
I would recommend the solution to other organizations. I've mostly been happy with the product overall.
I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
IT Engineer at a printing company with 201-500 employees
A stable communication tool for a company of any size
Pros and Cons
- "The initial setup was straightforward. We had it fully installed within one or two hours."
- "The user interface could be simplified."
What is our primary use case?
We use this solution for common management and group policy management. Within our organization, there are between 300 to 400 people using this solution and we intend to expand and continue using Windows Server in the future.
What needs improvement?
The user interface could be simplified. Sometimes I feel like there are too many things going on at once. It should be easier to navigate and find the functions that I am trying to implement.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for roughly 20 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Windows Server is reasonably stable.
How are customer service and technical support?
The technical support is okay. Sometimes Microsoft cannot answer our questions quickly or precisely. There are times when we need to trouble-shoot on our own.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward. We had it fully installed within one or two hours.
What other advice do I have?
On a scale from one to ten, I would give this solution a rating of eight.
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.
IT Infrastructure Engineer at a government with 5,001-10,000 employees
Straightforward to set up and works well as a hypervisor
Pros and Cons
- "This is a stable product and we plan to continue using it in the future."
- "I would like to see the security features improved in the future."
What is our primary use case?
I primarily use Windows Server as a hypervisor, running Hyper-V.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see the security features improved in the future.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Windows Server for about 15 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This is a stable product and we plan to continue using it in the future.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There are more than 10,000 users for the services that we have running.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have not needed to contact technical support for Windows Server.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We only use Microsoft products, so we did not use another product before this one.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup with Microsoft products is always straightforward. The length of time for deployment depends on the services that are being implemented.
What about the implementation team?
In some cases, I use a consultant to assist with deployment. However, this is not always the case because our in-house team can also do it.
We have about five people in our team for deployment.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We did not evaluate options by other vendors. Microsoft is a well-known brand and the only company to use for some services.
What other advice do I have?
This is a good product and one that I can recommend.
I would rate this solution 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.
Responcible specialist at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Useful for Active Directory, DNS, and TCP
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is easy to use. We are satisfied with its performance."
- "We are waiting for the solution to be more secure and more stable."
What is our primary use case?
We are using it for Active Directory, DNS, and TCP.
The solution is deployed on-premise. There are over 5,000 people using this solution in my company.
What is most valuable?
The solution is easy to use. We are satisfied with its performance.
What needs improvement?
We are waiting for the solution to be more secure and more stable.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for about 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It could be more stable.
How are customer service and support?
We have enterprise rights for support for Microsoft. We communicate with them on tickets.
How was the initial setup?
The complexity of setup just depends. Sometimes it takes half a day, and sometimes it takes one or two hours.
For maintenance, we have one manager and two operation specialists.
What about the implementation team?
We have sometimes used a consultant for deployment. For example, we have one for AD FS role, but we don't have DNS, TCP, Active Directory. We manage it by ourselves.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have an enterprise agreement.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution 9 out of 10.
I would recommend this solution for someone who wants to start using it.
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.
Manager Operations at a non-profit with 1-10 employees
Easy to configure, stable, and easy to setup
Pros and Cons
- "It is easy to use."
- "The security policies need improvement."
What is our primary use case?
We are in service and sales. We are serving and selling products to our customers.
What is most valuable?
It is easy to use.
It is also very easy to configure.
What needs improvement?
The security policies need improvement. The port mapping and the backdoor entries need to be improved.
I would like to see improvements with the security policies and there should be some other policies inbuilt with the server addition.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Windows Server is a stable product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's a scalable solution. I would rate the scalability an eight out of ten.
80% is scalable and 20% has limitations.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have not had contact with technical support.
How was the initial setup?
It is easy to set up.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Windows Server an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
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