It's there just hosting the SQL Servers and they're not using IIS or some Microsoft-specific technology. We're just hosting some MSSQL.
Chief Technology Officer at a financial services firm with 11-50 employees
Easy to install, scalable, and stable
Pros and Cons
- "The product is scalable."
- "The solution needs container compatibility."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The solution is very stable.
The product is scalable.
The solution is pretty easy to install.
What needs improvement?
I can't speak to any missing features. I don't have any opinion on how to improve the product.
The solution needs container compatibility. Windows Server is not able via Docker, for example.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for half a year.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution scales well. A company shouldn't have any issues if they want to scale.
That said, I didn't choose Windows Server for that kind of purpose. It's just there for hosting the SQL Server.
There is one user for the Windows Server itself. Everyone else is using just the database and not the Windows Server.
How are customer service and support?
We haven't dealt with technical support yet. I haven't been in contact with them.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We're also using Linux Servers.
How was the initial setup?
The solution is pretty straightforward. It's not overly complex.
While I didn't handle the installation myself, I would estimate deployment takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
We have four team members that are able to handle deployment and maintenance.
What about the implementation team?
We had a team member who handled the implementation in-house. We did not need a consultant or integrator.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I don't have any insights into the licensing.
What other advice do I have?
We use the solution both on-premises and on the cloud.
I'd rate the solution at a five out of ten. I'm neutral on it. It doesn't impress me. It just does what it does.
I'd advise those considering the solution that if they want to run some Microsoft-specific applications, then there's a lot of choices.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Programma / Project Manager at a transportation company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Easy to set up, scalable, and secure
Pros and Cons
- "The solution has a sufficient amount of stability and performance that meets my needs."
- "The cost to use the solution is quite high."
What is our primary use case?
I primarily use it for my day-to-day business tasks.
What is most valuable?
As an end-user, the experience of the solution is that it's very reliable. It just works. As long as it doesn't affect my daily operation and we can work safely and securely with each other, that's all I care about.
The solution has a sufficient amount of stability and performance that meets my needs.
I can work securely and all the files are easily accessible.
The initial setup is very simple and straightforward.
The scalability potential is quite good.
What needs improvement?
The cost to use the solution is quite high.
Our main problem is the Citrix environment we're still in. However, we're migrating from that to the Windows 10 environment, so Citrix will be out within two or three years. Therefore, performance is not really an issue - on the operating system at least.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used the solution for more than three years at this point, It's been a while now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable and the performance is good. I've found it to be reliable. It doesn't give me trouble. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution can scale if you need it to.
We have about 70,000 users on this product currently.
How are customer service and technical support?
I don't have any experience with technical support. I cannot speak to how helpful or responsive they are.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We did not previously use a different solution. It's always been Windows, although we may at some point have also used Unbuntu Linux.
How was the initial setup?
The initial implementation is easy. It's not overly complex or difficult. It's just pushed with the build we have and that way it doesn't affect the end-user. It's just ready to go. We find that the installation is simple and efficient.
While we have a technical team of about 5,000 or 6,000 users, I'm not sure how many were involved in the initial deployment.
What about the implementation team?
The initial setup was handled internally. They did it themselves. There's sufficient knowledge of the Windows Server products to do it in-house. We have a rather large IT department. It's over 5,000 people.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is quite high on Microsoft products. It would be ideal if they were made to be more affordable.
With the magnitude of our organization, every three years, a proper review of the contracts would be handled.
Although it's my understanding that we have some special deal with Microsoft, I cannot speak to the exact cost or the licensing agreement that was reached.
What other advice do I have?
We are customers and end-users of the product.
In general, if you're asking me if I'm happy with Windows Server, yes, I am.
On a scale from one to ten, I would rate it at an eight. I'm satisfied with its overall capabilities.
I would recommend the solution to other users and organizations.
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
October 2024
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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.
IT Manager at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Scales well, and offers support for a variety of applications
Pros and Cons
- "This product works well for the applications that we have hosted on it."
- "Stability-wise, there is room for improvement."
What is our primary use case?
We use a variety of applications that are hosted on our Windows Server.
What is most valuable?
This product works well for the applications that we have hosted on it.
What needs improvement?
Stability-wise, there is room for improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been working with Windows Server since it was first released.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
This is a scalable product. We have thousands of users.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have not been in contact with technical support.
What about the implementation team?
We have an in-house team responsible for deployment and maintenance.
What other advice do I have?
This is a product I can recommend and as far as I know, we plan to continue using Windows Server in the future.
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.
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.
RPA Project Manager at a outsourcing company with 10,001+ employees
A reliable solution
Pros and Cons
- "I like that the solution is reliable."
- "Perhaps the scalability could be better."
What is our primary use case?
I use the solution solely for official purposes.
What is most valuable?
I like that the solution is reliable.
What needs improvement?
Perhaps the scalability could be better.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Windows Server for around ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have no issues with the stability. I feel the solution to be reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
For my purposes, I don't see any need to scale the solution, although this can possibly be improved.
How are customer service and support?
I do not have experience with tech support.
What about the implementation team?
I do not possess information about the technical team required for deployment and maintenance.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I did not evaluate other operating systems for business before going with Windows Server.
What other advice do I have?
I have no issues with the security features. I consider everything about the solution to be fine.
There are more than 10,000 people using the solution in my organization.
I rate Windows Server as 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.
Senior Cloud Architect at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
Scalable, highly stable, and easy installation
Pros and Cons
- "We have been using this solution for a long time and it has been stable."
- "The solution could improve by being more secure."
What is our primary use case?
We are using Windows Server to run applications.
What needs improvement?
The solution could improve by being more secure.
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?
We have been using this solution for a long time and it has been stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable.
We are using virtualization servers, and on average we have installed approximately 200 servers.
How are customer service and technical support?
We have not needed to contact the support.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is straightforward.
What about the implementation team?
We have two managers doing the maintenance of the solution and a team of five that handles the operations.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There is an annual license required for this solution.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others.
I rate Windows Server an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
IT Manager at a healthcare company with 201-500 employees
Offers a host of features and is stable, scalable and easy to setup, but is excessively priced
Pros and Cons
- "The initial setup is very simple."
- "The security should be improved."
What is our primary use case?
I use the solution for all my servers, for the domain, the file server and other applications with which it is compatible.
What is most valuable?
I consider Bixby, DNS, Active Directory, File Servers, Print Servers, Windows Defender and a host of other features to be valuable.
What needs improvement?
It would be nice if the the Windows Defender feature would be enhanced to be similar to that of other antiviruses or endpoint features on the market that have whole and individual features and are reliable. At present, Defender cannot be relied on independently. Another endpoint must be installed. It would be better could we rely on the more compatible endpoint features that already accompany Windows.
There should be inbuilt endpoints, such as we find with Linux, Unix, Apple Macintosh and other browsers, which don't require the installation of additional endpoints.
Patch updates should be less frequent. Instead of them being put out daily, they should be put out weekly or monthly.
If the storage is not installed on the SSD hard disk, it affects the performance. I am not referring to the processor, RAM or GUI, just the storage. Windows 7 worked fine on the HDD.
The security should be improved. There are many services on the Windows Server which are enabled or started by default and this is unnecessary. Xbox would be an example of this. These should be removed. Only the minimum number of services needed to get the solution up and running should be included. The existence of services means open board and this opens one up to hackers and attackers. As an IT person, it should not be my role to come up with workarounds for such occurrences. This should be in Microsoft's domain.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Windows Server for around 12 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 technical support?
I have never had need for Microsoft's technical support, as the solution is simple and easy to manage and maintain. There are also many communities and a host of references that can be found on the internet. The internet is very helpful and makes finding the relevant answers easy.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very simple.
The solution is easy to install and to maintain. These processes are user-friendly.
What about the implementation team?
There was no need for help from the vendor. I handled the installation on my own.
The maintenance that is required involves the patching of the operating system with the latest fixes and security fixes, in addition to the updates which are downloaded by Microsoft.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price needs to be reduced. Users find it prohibitive. It is exorbitant for the value one gets with the solution.
What other advice do I have?
There are around 300 users making use of the solution in my organization.
I would certainly recommend the solution to others. I must, as it simplifies the administration and operation.
I rate Windows Server as a seven 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.
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