We primarily use the solution for a variety of tasks including active directory servers, exchange servers, hosting applications, running insurance apps, and SQL databases. A whole gamut of things.
Platform Manager at a insurance company with 10,001+ employees
Easy to use, stable, and scalable
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is very easy to use and very easy to onboard."
- "It requires a lot of monthly maintenance in terms of vulnerability management, which is the downside."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The SQL version of the solution is its most valuable aspect.
The solution is very easy to use and very easy to onboard.
The solution, for the most part, is stable. The stability is actually pretty good in terms of availability.
The product's performance depends on the use case.
The solution is very scalable.
The initial setup isn't overly difficult.
What needs improvement?
It requires a lot of monthly maintenance in terms of vulnerability management, which is the downside.
I would say the biggest improvement could be improvement in the vulnerability space. Every month we get critical vulnerabilities across the Windows Server fleet. If I could see the volumes come down there, that would be the biggest step forward.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for 15 or more years at this point. It's been well over a decade. it's been a while.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is pretty stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze.
However, every release gets more stable and offers more performance with the exception of vulnerability management, which doesn't seem to improve. I would say, we haven't got that much experience with 2019, yet 2012 was a big advancement on 2008's version. 2016 advanced as well. Every newer version gets better in terms of performance and stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We tend to scale horizontally, and that'll scale up to quite a degree. We have some very large SQL Servers in particular that are scalable.
We have about 5,000 to 10,000 users on the solution currently.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is okay. If I had to rate it against any industry standards, I would rate it at a six or seven out of ten. It's not as good as other providers I work with. Right now, Microsoft needs you to prove it's a Microsoft issue before they'll work on it.
How was the initial setup?
We generate a custom build that's automated. Automating everything took quite a lot of effort, however, now that we have an automated build, implementing that for any new version probably takes, I'd say, a month, or maybe a bit more, which is not too bad. It's pretty straightforward.
We have a team of eight or nine individuals that can handle deployment and maintenance.
What about the implementation team?
We handled the implementation by ourselves. We didn't need the assistance of any consultants or integrators.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have enterprise agreements with Microsoft.
What other advice do I have?
We are customers and end-users.
While the deployment models we use are mostly on-premises, we do sometimes use cloud deployment as well.
We use a variety of versions of the solution, including 2019, 2016, and 2012. We actually use a lot of 2012.
I'd rate the solution at a seven out of ten. It's a step up from older versions.
I'd recommend the solution to other companies. However, it depends on the use case. If you were hosting SQL or Exchange server, certainly. However, in other circumstances, if it was between this and Red Hat Linux, you might choose Red Hat Linux.
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.
Chief Information Technology Officer at AMX
User-friendly platform with efficient feature for centralized management of applications
Pros and Cons
- "Windows Server is a good technology that allows IT staff to consolidate their expertise on a single product, avoiding the need to manage different sources."
- "The product's pricing needs improvement."
What is our primary use case?
We use the product as an application and SQL server.
What is most valuable?
The platform’s most valuable features are performance and centralization of operating systems. We can use one standardized system to host all applications.
What needs improvement?
The product's pricing needs improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Windows Server for more than 20 years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have more than 100 Windows Server users in our organization. It is a scalable product.
How are customer service and support?
We contact the technical support team for a few queries.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We used Linux before. In some cases, it works better than Windows in terms of administration tools, especially for small companies.
From a centralization standpoint, Windows Server is a good technology that allows IT staff to consolidate their expertise on a single product, avoiding the need to manage different sources for Linux and Windows.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Windows Server is highly priced. They offer bundled licenses to be purchased yearly. Also, we need to pay extra for support services while utilizing different sources such as Linux.
What other advice do I have?
Windows Server’s integration with Active Directory enabled a single technology to manage multiple applications. Additionally, the feature for centralized management has proven beneficial in enhancing overall efficiency and meeting evolving requirements compared to Linux.
It is primarily suitable for enterprises as the cost would be a concern for smaller organizations.
It is a user-friendly platform. I rate it a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Last updated: Mar 11, 2024
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November 2024
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NMS Service Automation & RPA Technical Lead at Vodafone
Scalable platform with an easy setup process
Pros and Cons
- "The product helps us manage user credentials and daily passwords for various applications."
- "We encounter issues related to the product's UI when multiple users access the same machine."
What is our primary use case?
We use Windows Server as a mandatory tool to host applications, specifically for robotics process automation (RPA). It provides an efficient output and allows multiple users to access the same machine simultaneously.
How has it helped my organization?
The product helps us manage user credentials and daily passwords for various applications.
What needs improvement?
We encounter issues related to the product's UI when multiple users access the same machine. Additionally, sometimes it doesn't work while upgrading patches from Microsoft. This particular area needs improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Windows Server for five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable platform. I rate the stability an eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is a scalable platform. We have around 1000 Windows Server machines in our organization.
How are customer service and support?
We communicated with the technical support services for problems related to corrupted computing resources.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is easy. I refer to the documentation available on the internet to understand the implementation. It takes 20 minutes to complete the process.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Windows Server has medium pricing.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend Windows Server to others and rate it an eight out of ten. I advise using Windows Server or Linux, depending on the specific needs and compatibility of the applications.
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.
Enterprise API Architect at Al-Futtaim Group
Beneficial application compatibility, highly scalable, and good support
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of Windows Server is the ease of use and the applications that are available."
- "Windows Server could improve by improving technology modernization."
What is our primary use case?
For the server-side deployment, we use Windows Server to run applications.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Windows Server is the ease of use and the applications that are available.
What needs improvement?
Windows Server could improve by improving technology modernization.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Windows Server for a very long time.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of Windows Server is an important feature.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have approximately 200 users using this solution.
How are customer service and support?
The support from Microsoft is good.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Windows Server was straightforward.
What about the implementation team?
The implementation requires a full team to accomplish the task.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There is a license required to use Windows Server.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others.
I rate Windows Server a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
System Administrator at Finlays
Reliable, commonly known and used, and scalable
Pros and Cons
- "Windows Server is most commonly used and practiced."
- "Often, we get updates that affect productivity."
What is our primary use case?
We upgraded to 2019 and use this as our operating system for our domain controller, for our file server, and for running our ERP. We're also run our ERP on Microsoft Dynamics.
What is most valuable?
Windows Server is most commonly used and practiced. It is compatible with what we are running. You can run Dynamics on Linux or other operating systems, but our clients commonly use Windows Server, Microsoft products, and Office 365.
What needs improvement?
Often, we get updates that affect productivity. It's the way they do the updates.
After an update has been done, Microsoft notifies us that there is a problem.
It is not practical to have a test environment. There should be an easier process, as currently, it's a bit tedious. They should find a way of proving or revamping this procedure. It should be very fast.
When you are running Windows and Microsoft, you will see an error message regarding ransomware and suggest the security is up-to-date, but the update always affects the operating system. Most of the issues we have are when we apply security updates or critical updates, which will affect the operating system, the production environment, and your business.
It is recommended to have a test environment, run it on the test environment to make sure that it is working well then put it in the production environment. This is a tedious process. Most of the time, people just take a risk and just apply it without doing the test.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Windows Server for more than 10 years.
We are using Windows 2019, 2016, and 2012.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Windows Server is scalable.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We are also using Exchange version 2016, and Windows 10.
What other advice do I have?
With a proper deployment, Windows Server is good.
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.
Data Solution Architect at Econet Wireless Zimbabwe
Good user interface and technical support, and Active Directory is very helpful for us
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature is Active Directory."
- "Better integration with more platforms would be useful."
What is our primary use case?
We use Windows Server to host all of our Windows-specific applications, such as Active Directory. We also use it for our systems that are running Microsoft SQL Server, since it used to be dependent on Windows. That is no longer necessary because we have an option to run it on Linux, as well.
Our infrastructure includes systems from Microsoft, Linux, and IBM.
How has it helped my organization?
Windows Server is well-integrated into what we do. It even integrates well with remote working tools like Teams.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is Active Directory.
Microsoft Exchange is very valuable for us.
I am quite satisfied with the user interface.
Recently, they added a new terminal window where you can SSH into Linux machines easily. The Linux packages that are now installed with the Microsoft Store can support a miniature version of Ubuntu and Linux integration tools. When installed, it can easily connect remotely to other operating systems.
What needs improvement?
Better integration with more platforms would be useful.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Windows Server for perhaps 15 years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is easy to scale up and scale down Microsoft products. Expanding can be done by adding more servers, or just adding resources to a single server. For example, if I want more processing power then I can add RAM or upgrade the CPU. Then if the load on a single server becomes overwhelming then more nodes can be added.
Another case where adding more nodes is done is to have replication between data centers for Exchange or Active Directory.
We have approximately 2,000 users that access their email and we plan to continue using it in the future.
How are customer service and technical support?
Once in a while, we contact Microsoft for support on the product and they have responded well. There have been cases where the problem is too complicated to easily correct over the phone, so they sent a local technical from their support team to assist us in troubleshooting.
Overall, I would say that the support is quite good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We have always used Windows Server, although, with respect to email and Exchange, we switched to Windows from another product.
How was the initial setup?
Setting up Windows Server is quite straightforward and easy to follow, compared to other operating systems. The GUI makes it very easy to install both the operating system and applications.
The length of time required for deployment depends on the applications that are running. In most cases, we're deploying a single application and it will take perhaps a day or two. If we are deploying infrastructure like Exchange then it may take a week or two weeks to set up the whole Exchange infrastructure.
What about the implementation team?
We used a local Microsoft certified consultant to assist us in setting up our servers. We had internal skills as well, so it was quite easy to follow.
We have a team of ten system administrators who handle maintenance, although they are not specific to Windows Server. Rather, they take care of all of the products in our data center. Given that we also have Linux and IBM infrastructure, I would say that we have three personnel who take care of our Microsoft systems.
What other advice do I have?
This is quite a good product and one that I recommend. I wouldn't recommend anything that does not integrate well with remote working tools, as most people are now working remotely. We are able to manage our systems from home.
Overall, deployment is quite straightforward, the technical support is quite good, and we are happy with the product. That said, nothing is perfect.
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.
DGM-IT at a construction company with 10,001+ employees
Runs well, good performance, no issues and it is stable
Pros and Cons
- "Windows Server is running well, the performance is good, there are no issues and it is stable."
- "Sometimes we are getting very quick support, sometimes it takes time."
What is our primary use case?
We are using Windows Server for our business applications, ERP and everything else.
What is most valuable?
Windows Server is running well, the performance is good, there are no issues and it is stable.
Because we are using it a very long time and all our applications need Windows OS to run, so by default, we are using Windows OS.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Windows Server for more than 20 years.
In terms of the versions we are using, it is mixed - we are using 2016 and 2019. A few of our servers are still using the 2012, also.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
In terms of scalability, in one server we need to install only one OS. So if you want to install more OS's in more servers, then we can install it.
How are customer service and support?
The quality of support depends upon the Microsoft products. Sometimes they will provide quick support, sometimes it takes time, so I cannot comment exactly on their support.
Sometimes we are getting very quick support, sometimes it takes time.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We are using Windows Server as well as a few open tool Linux.
How was the initial setup?
Windows Server typically takes around 30 minutes to install.
We need very few people for deploying the Windows Server.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Without a license we cannot use Windows Server. The price depends on the people and their budget. We have our enterprise EA agreement with Microsoft and based on that we are doing the licenses.
What other advice do I have?
Everyone knows how the graphic user interface looks with Microsoft Windows Server.
In terms of whether I would recommend Microsoft Windows Server, it depends on their use case. If their application is running only in Windows Server, they should use the server.
On a scale of one to ten, I would give Microsoft Windows Server an eight.
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 iLenSys Technologies Pvt Ltd
User-friendly solution that is both stable and scalable
Pros and Cons
- "The Active Directory and the applications where the server is installed are the most valuable features."
- "Security is the main feature that needs improvement"
How has it helped my organization?
Windows Server is user-friendly.
What is most valuable?
The Active Directory and the applications where the server is installed are the most valuable features.
What needs improvement?
The main features that should be improved are the security and it should have better performance.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Windows Server for nine years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Windows Server is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
This solution is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
Every month technical support has a deployment every month making it very easy.
How was the initial setup?
The setup was very easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There are software costs that are dependent on the CAL requirements.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Windows Server a 9 out of 10. It is better than Ubuntu Linux.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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