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SCOM Reviews

Vendor: Microsoft
3.9 out of 5
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What is SCOM?

SCOM (System Center Operations Manager) is a cross-platform data center monitoring and reporting tool that checks the status of various objects defined within the environment, such as server hardware, system services, etc. The solution allows data center administrators to deploy, configure, manage, and monitor the operations, services, devices and applications of multiple enterprise IT systems via a single pane of glass. It is suitable for businesses of all sizes.

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SCOM is the #4 ranked solution in top Event Monitoring solutions and #13 ranked solution in best Network Monitoring Tools. PeerSpot users give SCOM an average rating of 7.8 out of 10. SCOM is most commonly compared to Datadog: SCOM vs Datadog. SCOM is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 65% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a financial services firm, accounting for 14% of all views.
Buyer's Guide
SCOM
June 2025
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SCOM mindshare

Product category:
Event Monitoring
As of July 2025, the mindshare of SCOM in the Event Monitoring category stands at 8.9%, up from 8.4% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Event Monitoring

PeerResearch reports based on SCOM reviews

TypeTitleDate
CategoryEvent MonitoringJul 26, 2025Download
ProductReviews, tips, and advice from real usersJul 26, 2025Download
ComparisonSCOM vs ServiceNow IT Operations ManagementJul 26, 2025Download
ComparisonSCOM vs BMC TrueSight Operations ManagementJul 26, 2025Download
ComparisonSCOM vs OpsRampJul 26, 2025Download
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Datadog4.3N/A97%187 interviewsAdd to research
Zabbix4.2N/A95%106 interviewsAdd to research
 
 
Key learnings from peers

Valuable Features

SCOM showcases extensive capabilities in monitoring Microsoft products and other technologies. Users value its reporting, dashboards, and flexibility with custom monitoring solutions. The integration with Active Directory enhances management, while real-time alerts and comprehensive management packs streamline operations. Its ease of deployment and configuration, paired with threshold notifications, provide efficient infrastructure oversight, including application and network monitoring. The seamless integration with third-party tools and Azure supports scalable solutions for enterprise systems.
  • "The most valuable feature of SCOM is its monitoring capability, and we have integrated SCOM with Grafana, which is a dashboarding tool."
  • "Setting up SCOM is straightforward and takes about an hour as long as you have all your firewalls and DNS settings in place."
  • "SCOM provides alerting capabilities and threshold settings, which are helpful for monitoring."

Room for Improvement

SCOM faces issues with high licensing costs, weak dashboards, and limited non-Microsoft application support. Reporting is complex, requiring customization. There's difficulty in monitoring non-domain systems, and false positives are common due to configuration challenges. Management packs need improvement, as does the integration with third-party systems. The user interface is cumbersome, lacking intuitive design and cross-platform support. Additionally, its ability to handle cloud, big data, and container monitoring is lacking, and application performance management features need enhancement.
  • "We believe that the dashboarding in SCOM needs to be improved or enhanced because it is not too expressive in reporting."
  • "SCOM is likely to be phased out in favor of more compatible tools like Icinga for application monitoring or when moving to cloud solutions like CloudWatch and Azure."
  • "SCOM is not as straightforward in terms of user interface or general experience, which could be improved."

ROI

SCOM provides a significant ROI by enabling efficient infrastructure monitoring and proactive issue management. Many users highlight reduced penalties and enhanced SLA compliance due to minimized downtime. Centralized data-center monitoring leads to effective issue escalation. Licensing challenges are addressed when utilizing multiple Microsoft System Center components. Some organizations are unable to quantify the ROI, yet they benefit from improved control and reduced costs. A few encounter latency issues that affect perceived benefits.

Pricing

Enterprise buyers report mixed experiences with SCOM's pricing, licensing, and setup costs. Many find it cost-effective due to inclusion in Microsoft Enterprise Agreements. Others note complexities in licensing based on agents installed and rely on Microsoft for accurate calculations. SCOM is often bundled with the System Center suite, reducing individual costs. Some users benefit from additional discounts or free setups tied to existing Microsoft agreements, while others compare SCOM unfavorably to cheaper or open-source alternatives.
  • "The platform is cost-effective due to our existing Microsoft support."
  • "It is the cheapest product available in the market."
  • "SCOM's pricing is average."

Popular Use Cases

Primary use cases of SCOM include monitoring Linux and Windows systems, network devices, hardware, and infrastructure in Microsoft environments. Users use it for server performance tracking, application monitoring, reporting, and analytics. It integrates with third-party dashboards, supports virtual environments, and handles endpoint management. SCOM is employed for service availability and proactive system health checks, alerting users to issues across diverse sectors and industries.

Service and Support

Microsoft's customer service and support for SCOM receive positive feedback. Users note prompt, professional attention, especially with Microsoft Premier agreements. Technical support often resolves complex issues quickly, guided by knowledgeable personnel. However, experiences vary with occasional limitations. Users frequently rely on community resources like TechNet and forums for additional insights, highlighting the importance of Premier agreements for more effective support. Some users report sluggish responses and prefer hands-on assistance or alternative services for faster resolutions.

Deployment

SCOM's initial setup is often described as straightforward, especially when documentation and best practices are followed. Some users find it complex due to prerequisites like TCP ports and resource allocations. The process is simplified if preliminary work is done, but configuring and tuning alerts presents challenges. Deployment duration varies depending on environment size, ranging from a few days to several weeks. Users appreciate available guidance but note that complex configurations require significant attention and experience.

Scalability

SCOM is known for its capability to increase in size efficiently. Users can incorporate additional management servers or resources, facilitating easy growth. The architecture supports numerous devices and servers, though monitoring non-Microsoft systems can prove challenging. Challenges arise with specific configurations, such as extensive network devices monitoring. Nonetheless, users often commend SCOM for its flexibility in adapting capacity, scalability potential, and suitable nature for large enterprises with good monitoring expansion.

Stability

SCOM demonstrates strong reliability with most users experiencing stability and no major issues. Some mention that it depends on the infrastructure and design choices, with challenges arising from hypervisors, SQL servers, or outdated versions. Occasionally, users encounter minor glitches during maintenance or scaling, but correct configurations typically ensure smooth operation. Proper resource allocation and maintenance such as periodic updates and patching can contribute significantly to maintaining reliability. Users frequently acknowledge SCOM's robust nature.
These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.
Download our SCOM Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers
By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
14%
Computer Software Company
11%
Government
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Retailer
6%
Insurance Company
5%
Healthcare Company
5%
Energy/Utilities Company
4%
University
4%
Educational Organization
3%
Hospitality Company
3%
Real Estate/Law Firm
2%
Non Profit
2%
Legal Firm
2%
Performing Arts
2%
Media Company
2%
Construction Company
2%
Comms Service Provider
2%
Transportation Company
2%
Outsourcing Company
1%
Pharma/Biotech Company
1%
Logistics Company
1%
Wholesaler/Distributor
1%
Consumer Goods Company
1%
Aerospace/Defense Firm
1%
Recreational Facilities/Services Company
1%
Security Firm
1%

Compare SCOM with alternative products

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Learn more about SCOM

SCOM Features

SCOM has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:

  • Application monitoring
  • Database monitoring
  • Threshold alerts
  • IT Asset Discovery
  • Predictive capabilities
  • Server usage monitoring and capacity forecasting
  • Application performance management console
  • Server availability and performance monitoring
  • Collaboration tools
  • Virtualization monitoring
  • Patch management
  • Out-of-the box templates to monitor applications
  • Application dependency mapping and thresholding

SCOM Benefits

There are several benefits to implementing SCOM. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:

  • Management and monitoring of Windows as well as Unix/Linux platforms
  • Remotely connect to Windows machines and perform administrative tasks from the console itself
  • Custom dashboard creation to help monitor the datacenter with ease
  • Agent based monitoring
  • Integrates well with other Microsoft products
  • Easy to use and reliable

Reviews from Real Users

Below are some reviews and helpful feedback written by PeerSpot users currently using the SCOM solution.

A Manager at a financial services firm says, “The feature I like most about SCOM is that it is easy-to-use. I find it very user-friendly. I also like the knowledge base which it has. You can find the resolution to questions or issues directly within the SCOM itself. It will alert you with a recommendation of what you need to do at the same time. This sort of self-diagnosis or prompting is one of the great values you get from SCOM compared to other solutions.”

PeerSpot user Zahari Z., Information Technology Auditor at a financial services firm, mentions, “Availability monitoring is the feature I have found most valuable, as well as the capacity and ability to send notifications. There is a mechanism to set up a notification from the SCOM and whenever there is a drop in the availability the notification alerts not only for availability but for other issues as well. You can align thresholds according to the speed of your environment and you can have a threshold related notification, which is one of the useful features.”

Bill W., Sr. Systems Engineer at Arapahoe County Government, comments, “ I like some of their newer features, such as maintenance schedules, because SCOM records SLA and SLO time. When we patch, things are automatically put into maintenance mode so that the numbers for our systems being down, do not count against us.”

A Project Manager at a tech services company explains, “The feature I have found most valuable is the book feature. While we run the Sprint one we can add some setups for multiple sprints.”

A Systems Engineer at an educational organization states, “Because it's Windows-based, it actually reports quite well. It reports everything you can think of on the Windows server and allows you to monitor anything. It's excellent for those in the Windows world as it's very good at it.”

SCOM was previously known as System Center Operations Manager, SCOM 2012.

SCOM customers

Dialog Telekom

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SCOM reviews

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AK
Assistant Manager at SMS group GmbH
Verified user of SCOM
Jun 26, 2025
Product version discussed: 2019
Have integrated effective monitoring and seamless alerting with improved visualization capabilities

Pros

"The most valuable feature of SCOM is its monitoring capability, and we have integrated SCOM with Grafana, which is a dashboarding tool."

Cons

"We believe that the dashboarding in SCOM needs to be improved or enhanced because it is not too expressive in reporting."

What is our primary use case?

My usual use case for SCOM is as an administrator role where I create reports and provide system configuration for Linux and installation of the SCOM agent. I handle deploying and upgrading the agent, upgrading software, and installing patches within the system.

These are the roles I handle with SCOM currently. I also work with version upgrades as an administrator to manage the system.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of SCOM is its monitoring capability, and we have integrated SCOM with Grafana, which is a dashboarding tool.

We have implemented and integrated this to create dashboarding of the SCOM monitoring system for the database, SQL, and the Linux servers we have configured in SCOM. We have created separate dashboarding for it, and the monitoring and creating rules and monitors in the management servers and management packs that SCOM provides are very useful for us.

The alerting mechanism of SCOM has benefited our operations because we have modified the thresholds as per our internal requirements. We have configured threshold modifications for the CPU, memory, and especially for disk space.

For routine disk space usage on the system, we have provided a separate threshold configuration.

*Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Read full review (773 words)
MarcMermuys - PeerSpot user
ICT System Administrator at College of Europe
Verified user of SCOM
Nov 17, 2024
Has efficient monitoring with robust integration capabilities

Pros

"SCOM integrates several systems and offers correlation features, like setting up everything around Active Directory or DNS."

Cons

"SCOM is not as straightforward in terms of user interface or general experience, which could be improved. "

What is our primary use case?

We use SCOM to configure different monitors using several management packs. It integrates systems like Active Directory and correlates them, and it is used for monitoring and managing systems.

How has it helped my organization?

SCOM allows integration of several systems, providing correlation between different systems such as Active Directory and monitoring servers. It offers alerting capabilities and threshold settings for system monitoring.

*Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Read full review (333 words)
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Find out what your peers are saying about SCOM. Updated June 2025
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MF
Network Operations Center at Student Loans Company
Verified user of SCOM
Mar 6, 2025
Faces potential phase-out as monitoring needs evolve while offering reliable basic performance metrics

Pros

"Setting up SCOM is straightforward and takes about an hour as long as you have all your firewalls and DNS settings in place."

Cons

"SCOM is likely to be phased out in favor of more compatible tools like Icinga for application monitoring or when moving to cloud solutions like CloudWatch and Azure."

What is our primary use case?

I am responsible for monitoring our whole estate through SCOM. I use it for infrastructure monitoring, specifically for performance-related metrics like CPU, memory, and space. It helps me navigate issues such as when a server goes down and provides basic out-of-the-box performance monitoring. I use other systems for application monitoring.

What is most valuable?

I acquired SCOM for infrastructure monitoring, focusing on performance metrics, such as CPU, memory, and space. It assists me in detecting server downtime and delivers basic performance monitoring right out of the box. It includes an alerting system with third-party integrations like OpsLogix for monitoring virtual machines. This involves agent-monitored systems and covers about 4,000 servers. I also integrate closely with our DevOps department when using Icinga for application monitoring. This application helps me design and adjust our infrastructure for more granular monitoring.
*Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Read full review (421 words)
GaneshRp - PeerSpot user
Senior Manager - Monitoring & Observability at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Verified user of SCOM
Aug 25, 2024
Provides end-to-end application monitoring, inbuilt reporting and capable of monitoring the operating system

Pros

"The inbuilt management pack that Microsoft provides is really helpful. I know it's a mature product, and they keep upgrading the management pack. "

Cons

"In future releases, I would like to see APM solutions and dashboards like Grafana. "

What is our primary use case?

I manage SCOM. We use it mainly for Windows operating system monitoring and especially for Microsoft products, like Active Directory, Exchange, SharePoint, Teams, Skype for Business, System Center, and MECM. Application-level monitoring for these Microsoft products has been taken care of by SCOM because it's a native tool by Microsoft. 

So it provides end-to-end application monitoring. Apart from this, it is capable of monitoring the operating system. So this is the tool which we are using as of now.

How has it helped my organization?

One of the good features is the inbuilt reporting in SCOM. It has a reporting tool where you can fetch the performance data and have historical data. By default, SCOM has a data warehouse, so all the data is collected and stored there, and you can use it for future analysis. That is one of the features. 

And apart from that, we have the web console. You don't need to have the thick client installed on your laptop. You can just go to the web console URL and see the HTML dashboards and live alerts. You can even see the live data and live performance data, the graphical view of the current performance of your application.

*Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Read full review (824 words)
Mohamed Tantawy - PeerSpot user
IT Technical Support Deputy General Manager at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Verified user of SCOM
Jun 30, 2024
Has valuable reporting features and good technical support services

Pros

"Alerts notify the server or service owner of problems, allowing quick decisions or actions to keep the service running based on configured thresholds. "

Cons

"They could provide better dashboards, detailed logs, and reports crucial for monitoring services in real-time. "

What is most valuable?

The product's availability reports are valuable because they provide feedback on service stability. If a service isn't stable, the team focuses on maintenance or looks for alternative solutions.

What needs improvement?

They could provide better dashboards, detailed logs, and reports crucial for monitoring services in real-time.

*Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Read full review (279 words)
Starlen Sass - PeerSpot user
Information Technology Consultant at University of the Witwatersrand
Verified user of SCOM
Feb 28, 2024
Has a good reporting engine, but its monitoring of the cloud-based environment could be improved

Pros

"The solution's reporting engine has given me detailed information on which applications or services I've either failed or about to fail in terms of the predictive makeup on Azure cloud."

Cons

"The solution should have more tools for monitoring the cloud engine versus on-premise."

What is our primary use case?

I use SCOM for performance monitoring on the Windows environments, role-based access for SharePoint, software deployment, and reporting on any issues in the logs.

What is most valuable?

The solution's reporting engine has given me detailed information on which applications or services I've either failed or about to fail in terms of the predictive makeup on Azure cloud.

The solution gives us an overview of where the bottlenecks could be. When there are issues, the solution helps us to easily detect which node the issues came from. Applying patches and fixes is also very easy once you've configured the system into the configuration manager correctly.

*Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Read full review (420 words)
Mike Houser - PeerSpot user
It Genst Adm 1 at a government with 10,001+ employees
Verified user of SCOM
May 8, 2024
Useful for Windows servers but improvement is needed in usability

Pros

"The tool helps to monitor Windows servers. It offers alerts from a central location. "

Cons

"SCOM needs to improve its usability. "

What is our primary use case?

We use the product in our Windows servers. 

What is most valuable?

The tool helps to monitor Windows servers. It offers alerts from a central location. 

*Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Read full review (259 words)
GV
system engineer 2 at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
Verified user of SCOM
Apr 17, 2024
Has good alerting capabilities and is user-friendly

Pros

"The most valuable features in SCOM are Azure monitoring and integration with Azure Monitor for monitoring Azure-hosted servers from SCOM on-premises. "

Cons

"Direct integration with third-party tools, like ticketing systems, is lacking but would be beneficial."

What is our primary use case?

We use SCOM for monitoring our servers in one place.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features in SCOM are Azure monitoring and integration with Azure Monitor for monitoring Azure-hosted servers from SCOM on-premises.

*Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Read full review (357 words)