Microsoft Configuration Manager vs SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Intune
Sponsored
Ranking in Configuration Management
3rd
Average Rating
8.0
Number of Reviews
168
Ranking in other categories
Remote Access (4th), Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) (1st), Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) (1st), Microsoft Security Suite (3rd)
Microsoft Configuration Man...
Ranking in Configuration Management
2nd
Average Rating
8.2
Number of Reviews
79
Ranking in other categories
Server Monitoring (2nd), Patch Management (1st)
SolarWinds Network Configur...
Ranking in Configuration Management
10th
Average Rating
8.2
Number of Reviews
23
Ranking in other categories
Network Automation (3rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2024, in the Configuration Management category, the mindshare of Microsoft Intune is 12.3%, up from 10.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Configuration Manager is 15.8%, up from 14.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is 0.8%, down from 1.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Configuration Management
Unique Categories:
Remote Access
4.5%
Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM)
36.2%
Server Monitoring
7.9%
Patch Management
21.5%
Network Automation
11.5%
 

Featured Reviews

ManojNair4 - PeerSpot reviewer
Nov 23, 2022
Replaces third-party products and is easy to deploy a configuration or policy to a system
Reporting in Microsoft solutions is pathetic. With Intune, I'm getting a free inventory tool, but I don't get a reporting tool. When I go to Intune, I can see one machine's entire data in terms of the hardware and the software running on it, but I cannot generate a report for all the machines in the organization. The reporting is the only feature holding back the functionality that is already there. All the other third-party tools are doing the same thing, whether Atlassian, ManageEngine, or Ivanti. They all install an agent on your system. Intune also has an agent on your system collecting inventory details and sending them across the central console, but Microsoft doesn't have the reporting capability there. That is the only drawback I see.
Hussein Taha - PeerSpot reviewer
Dec 13, 2022
Great at collecting data and can mitigate any potential vulnerabilities or threats
We use this solution to apply new group policies The solution was particularly helpful for patching the OS, and for the VM in our environment. With 10 branches, we have a huge number of VMs. Using ECM, we can download the new patches one by one, apply and then restore them. It saves us a lot of…
MF
Jan 31, 2024
Streamlines network configuration and compliance processes through its centralized dashboard, although its compatibility with multi-vendor devices may present limitations
Its main functionality is highly beneficial as it centralizes the management of configuration items across the network. For instance, if you need to modify something like a VLAN name, Network Configuration Manager enables you to propagate that change across a wide range of devices without the need to individually log in to each one for the update. The feature of NCM that I consider most critical for our network operations is likely the archive function. This feature retains configurations on file, which proves invaluable when there's a network change requiring a rollback to a previous configuration. Having an archive of older configurations readily available is immensely beneficial in such scenarios.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"Intune's most valuable features are the device, compliance, and configuration policies."
"I like that it's very good and very simple. I found that we just needed to have a proper subscription for an Intune tenant, and from the subscription, if we have the right role assigned, like the global admin role or the owner role, we can use Microsoft cloud resources. With the help of that, we can do many things like setting up Microsoft Intune in the cloud to create our virtual machines. All these can be done, and the steps are very simple. I really liked it. I like features like Windows Auto-Enrollment. I like it very much because whenever you supply it to the end-user, it will be ready to use immediately. The end-user only needs to provide the user credentials, and then they are good to go. I also really like Cloud PC, which was recently launched on Azure."
"Intune provides full endpoint visibility and IT control across device platforms. You can individualize it for your company with the Intune Company Portal app."
"The biggest thing for us is enforcing logins only from devices that are managed by Intune."
"The most valuable feature of Intune is the central dashboard for compliance and policy management."
"Technical support, in general, has been quite helpful."
"The solution is easy to use, simple to understand for those new to using it, and combined with the other Microsoft products it makes for an overall good package."
"Its direct integration with all the other products that we have from Microsoft is valuable. We're using the E5 license, and we have a whole wealth of different products available. It just makes it easier to have everything from one provider."
"We are happy with the collaboration of SCCM with Patch My PC, which allows us to do patch work."
"I like its ease of use. It does what you need it to do, and it's a one-stop-shop for the company and for all your deployments. If you incorporate Intune into it, you can have both. You can bring your own devices and corporate devices, and everything runs out of SCCM and Intune."
"This solution captures all the devices in our infrastructure."
"One of the standout features of SCCM is its application management capabilities. It allows us to create packages efficiently and deploy them to specific groups within our network. This streamlined process has significantly improved our software distribution workflows."
"Microsoft Configuration Manager is integrated with other Microsoft products."
"It saves a lot of money when you can install things automatically and they are installed the exact same way on every computer."
"The most valuable features are Remote Connect, SUP, Cloud functionality, Report, Query, and third-party patching."
"It has the ability to perform mass distribution."
"It is pretty straightforward to set up."
"Its main functionality is highly beneficial as it centralizes the management of configuration items across the network."
"Configuration refers to the specific settings and options that determine how a device or system behaves. It can include things, such as network settings, security settings, and other options that are specific to the device or system in question. One of the most valuable features of the solution was its ability to track and monitor changes to the configuration of devices on a network. This can be useful for troubleshooting and identifying potential issues. By keeping track of who made changes to the configuration and when it can be easier to determine the cause of any problems that may arise."
"The configuration compliance aspect of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager allows for easy comparison of configuration settings across branches, ensuring adherence to security guidelines and best practices. Automation capabilities have greatly impacted workflows, enabling tasks such as configuration backups, template deployment, and firmware upgrades to be automated, thereby streamlining processes and saving time. Compliance reporting features provide valuable insights into network compliance, offering pre-built security audit reports and customizable options to meet specific requirements."
"SolarWinds NCM provides updates on the status of your network infrastructure. If any issues arise, such as a link failure or a device going offline, you will receive notifications and alerts. Additionally, if someone unplugs a cable, SolarWinds NCM will detect it. It also features a Topology Mapper that displays the connectivity of your network devices, giving you a visual representation of the network's structure. With SolarWinds NCM, you have a clear understanding of what's happening within your network and can generate comprehensive reports."
"The features we find most valuable is the configuration backup automation, the configuration compliance, the security vulnerability detection and upgrading devices."
"The solution's view is very nice, and they have a great customized dashboard."
"The scanning features have proven to be highly valuable, particularly due to the comprehensive information they provide."
 

Cons

"I know that their AI pieces are at the infancy stage, but allowing users to do more tagging for information would be an interesting thing because Intune also directly integrates with Azure. Because a lot of the devices are hosted with that, you also get a lot of tagging of user data and other things like that."
"There is room for improvement in integration and security as well."
"We need the capabilities of the Cloud Management Gateway (CMG) to be enhanced through Intune instead of Azure."
"Microsoft Intune is not user-friendly to manage and has room for improvement."
"There should be more support for macOS. Even though macOS is supported by Intune and Microsoft is working very hard to get more features into Intune to manage macOS, that's one thing they can give a lot more attention to."
"The solution could improve by having better integration with Apple."
"Its configuration is fairly complicated. You have to do quite a bit of discovery to be able to deploy it for a customer. You have to ask them a lot of questions. So, its initial deployment is the biggest challenge. They should make it easier to deploy with the use of Wizards or something else. During the deployment stage, there could be profiles for the customers who are particularly wanting to use certain feature sets of Intune."
"They need to integrate more with security options."
"The operations could be faster and you need some patience with this tool."
"The TSM component could be improved."
"The solution is a bit heavy on the sources such as RAM or CPU and the software needs to be a bit lighter."
"The solution can be improved with the addition of a mobile device manager."
"It should provide the ability to remotely connect to mobile devices. There are some solutions that are doing that, but with Microsoft Intune, the only way to remotely connect to devices outside the organization and mobile devices is by using TeamViewer. It is pretty strange for a big company like Microsoft to not have something for that."
"This solution should be simpler, and more consistent across modules/sections."
"This solution needs to be supported on all Operating systems."
"The solution does not support remote devices so the CMG is still required."
"Improvements are needed in the automatic network mapping function."
"When we run the SolarWinds NCM jobs at the cellular line, it runs in the morning. They're just not finishing. We're getting false processing."
"The third-party plugins available in the solution could improve. I have received some issues with the templates."
"The interface of solar winds could be improved."
"The solution could have better integration."
"On NCM, reporting could be a bit better. It's completely become just one report. When I try to create a custom report, the solution just commits old server data."
"Releasing a product compatible with operating systems other than Windows would be advantageous."
"Our experience has shown that most of the problems we've had with SolarWinds NCM are related to software issues."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's affordable. It's cheaper if you have an Office 365, E5, or E3 subscription because everything is there."
"The price of Intune is often included as part of a bundle with other Microsoft licenses, which makes it somewhat cheaper."
"If you ask the accountant or the finance department, they'll tell you that it is way too expensive, but when I look at the cost and compare it with the value you actually get, it's more than fair."
"Intune is available as an individual product, but it also comes with Office 365 Premium or an Enterprise license, and the price varies for each version."
"Intune is included in the Microsoft 365 licensing package that we have."
"Generally, we get favorable discounts, so it's not too bad. Obviously, we're looking at decreasing those wherever we can to bring value back to the public purse because it's all charity based. It's all publicly funded."
"Microsoft Intune has a user-based subscription model. You can go for a monthly or a yearly payment."
"Microsoft Intune is included in the E5 license at no additional cost."
"I would rate the cost as eight out of ten."
"The licensing is good because they have various options, depending on what you are looking for."
"We use the tool's free license. It is expensive."
"The solution operates on a licensing model that can be expensive."
"Presently, I am using a free trial version."
"The price of Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager is expensive."
"I rate the price of Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager an eight out of ten."
"We have a support license from Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager and the overall price of the solution is reasonable."
"There is a license for the use of this solution and it is priced well, there is a lot of value for the money."
"Available at a moderate price"
"Additional costs beyond the standard licensing fee are inevitable."
"I have a yearly subscription."
"With a minimal bundle, we pay about $3000 a year in licensing costs. If you have multiple devices in your network, you must buy the bundle, which is 100% identical for your infrastructure. If you have 15 devices, you need 15 licenses, for example. That's one bundle. You don't pay for anything over and above that."
"You have a base license for 50 devices, and then you can add more licenses as you go."
"There is a license needed to use SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager."
"The price of the solution is high compared to other solutions."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
24%
Computer Software Company
12%
Government
7%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Computer Software Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Government
11%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
12%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

How does Microsoft Intune compare with VMware Workspace One?
Microsoft Intune is a great tool for managing a mobile device fleet while keeping access control. The solution makes ...
What are the pros and cons of Microsoft Intune?
Microsoft Intune is a great configuration management tool and has a lot of good things going for it. Here are some of...
How does Google Cloud Identity compare with Microsoft Intune?
Microsoft Intune offers not only an easy-to-deploy data protection and productivity management solution, but also ...
How does Ansible compare to Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (SCCM)?
Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager takes knowledge and research to properly configure. The length of time that ...
How to choose between ManageEngine Desktop Central and Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (formerly SCCM)?
ManageEngine Desktop Central is very easy to set up, is scalable, stable, and also has very good patch management. Wh...
What do you like most about SCCM?
One of the standout features of SCCM is its application management capabilities. It allows us to create packages effi...
What do you like most about SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager?
The configuration compliance aspect of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager allows for easy comparison of configu...
What needs improvement with SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager?
I'd like to see additional features like support for devices that don't use CLI for configuration backups, expanded i...
 

Also Known As

Intune, MS Intune, Microsoft Endpoint Manager
Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager, System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM )
SolarWinds NCM
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Mitchells and Buzzers, Callaway
Bank Alfalah Ltd., Wªrth Handelsges.m.b.H, Dimension Data, Japan Business Systems, St. Lucie County Public Schools, MISC Berhad
United Lincolnshire Hospitals, Air Rarotonga, NetSuite, Thai AirAsia, REA Group, 335th Signal Command, Agilisys, Marine Expeditionary Force
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Configuration Manager vs. SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager and other solutions. Updated: June 2024.
789,135 professionals have used our research since 2012.