Sr. Practice Lead, Solutions Architect at Inspirisys Solutions Limited
Real User
Flexible, easy to use, and the technical support is good
Pros and Cons
  • "The user interface is nice and very simple to use."
  • "The user experience could be improved to make it more comfortable."

What is our primary use case?

We are a solution provider and we provide cloud service to our customers using Azure Stack. Some of the services that they use are Microsoft Intune, Azure Active Directory, and Azure Storage.

What is most valuable?

The user interface is nice and very simple to use. 

Azure provides a great deal of flexibility.

What needs improvement?

The user experience could be improved to make it more comfortable.

For how long have I used the solution?

My company has been dealing with this solution for the past two years.

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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We have had no complaints with respect to stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Our customers are satisfied with the scalability of Azure Stack.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support is good.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I have experience with AWS and I would have to say that it is more comfortable to use than Azure.

How was the initial setup?

It's not complex at all. Based on the customer's requirements, we implement the solution. The deployment usually takes approximately 15 days.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

In terms of costs, it is a standard price, and there is no negotiation.

What other advice do I have?

My company is not very involved in the cloud, but Azure Stack is a product that we recommend depending on the customer. If their budget and requirements are appropriate, and they want the flexibility that this solution offers, then we can implement it.

I do not have experience with all of the products on the market, but from my perspective, Azure Stack is a good one.

I would rate this solution 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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Service Manager at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
resolve security concerns but compatibility issues with some third-party products
Pros and Cons
  • "From my experience, this solution is suitable for enterprise companies."
  • "In some cases, we've seen that some financial software is not working correctly or compatible with Azure Stack. Many companies build this, but some third-party products may not be compatible with Azure Stack. So these are some areas of improvement."

What is most valuable?

It resolves some security concerns. For instance, if the customer is a bank, they want the infrastructure to be under a data center.

What needs improvement?

We have experience in Azure Stack. Internally, the cost increases when you use Azure Stack because you have to buy services from providers like HP, for instance. So, more or less, it's more profitable to use the non-Azure Stack cloud services servers.

In some cases, we've seen that some financial software is not working correctly or compatible with Azure Stack. Many companies build this, but some third-party products may not be compatible with Azure Stack. So these are some areas of improvement. 

In future releases, there's some incompatibility with third-party software or connectors that need to be created.

For how long have I used the solution?


What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The product is stable, unfortunately, if sizing is correctly repeated during the design phase. There's no issue in Azure Stack.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?


How are customer service and support?

The support is quite excellent. 

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?


How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is easy. 

What about the implementation team?

The provider deploys the solution. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

In some cases, it's difficult to calculate the licensing costs. All the cost is the big picture there because this concerns the capacity of Azure Stack and Azure Service as well.

it's a pay-as-you-go model. So, it has some concerns to define the cost.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We are providing services based on Azure – infrastructure services, fast services, and all these kinds of things.

Azure Stack is very good technology. You can use other Microsoft products, such as Nutanix as the virtualization layer or VMware, and then install all the products that other complex vendors are using – Cloud Service or Amazon Service.

The only issue is some performance issues. And with this concern, if you have to do the right sizing.

What other advice do I have?

From my experience, this solution is suitable for enterprise companies because of the higher price, the cost is huge.

It has to do with capability. If you need all the features, you don't need to buy all the stuff upfront; you can go to the cloud service of Azure. So, in terms of cost, this is the only thing.

Overall, I would rate the solution a seven out of ten. 

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
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Solutions Specialist at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Stable, scalable and easy to install and deploy
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is certainly stable."
  • "I would like to see better network integration."

What is our primary use case?

The solution is geared towards customers with large Microsoft footprints, in which it is very advanced. There is tight integration in respect of Microsoft workloads and extremely intelligent performance. Customers can use it to run SQL Server, Active Directory, VDI, Windows Server and other workloads. Many users use it for their dynamics, although I am not aware of a lot of deployments with SAP HANA. One who has a 60 or 70 percent footprint in the data center with Microsoft can save a lot. 

What is most valuable?

Azure Stack is a really good product when it comes to the functionality and the Azure Stack offer. Its most attractive feature is the licensing. The virtualization is in-built and free and it offers almost all the functionalities someone looks for from the Azure platform. 

Now that the solution is transitioning to a hybrid cloud approach, the licensing is not determined by the number of instances and this can result in huge savings. 

A subscription model customer will not need to do much up front purchasing. He can obtain all the up to date features offered on public cloud and grow at the rate he feels is best, with the attendant savings. 

What needs improvement?

I would like to see better network integration. 

While they are working on security, several things can be brought in on the networking side, such as extending to networks stretching in between data centers. These are absent at the moment. It would be good to have a single control plane for the networking.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have around two years of experience with Azure Stack. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is certainly stable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is definitely scalable. 

How was the initial setup?

Installation is straightforward and not very involved. It can even be automated. 

The deployment was straightforward and really nice. While creating a system and configuring a cluster is possible, it would be really beneficial to do this in the reverse, since the cluster can be pushed in using the hardware management ID. 

What about the implementation team?

While deployment is straightforward, it would require a good skill set with Microsoft technologies and a certain amount of networking knowledge to handle any trouble which may arise. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The licensing is one of the solution's most attractive features. 

Subscription model customers need not make large expenditures on upfront purchasing. 

A customer must purchase the software needed for Microsoft support, if he wishes to have this. This would incur a monthly fee. But, the upcoming Azure Stack HCl, which is hybrid cloud, does not involve an upfront purchase, only a subscription-based fee. 

What other advice do I have?

I work with Lenovo as a consultant, which means I handle deployment for others. 

We have a handlful of customers, most of whom are using Microsoft products, but some of whom use Windows. Many go with the Azure Stack solution. 

I would recommend the solution to others. 

I rate Azure Stack as an eight out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
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R&D Operations Manager at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
A scalable, stable solution with a wide variety of use cases
Pros and Cons
  • "The scalability of the solution is good. We have hundreds of users internally and thousands of users externally. We do plan to increase usage shortly."
  • "Technical support is very poor. When we meet Microsoft in the coming weeks to discuss expansion, we'll be speaking to them directly about this."

What is our primary use case?

There are multiple use cases for us in regards to this solution, including IoT, DevOps, storage, analytics, and many, many other scenarios.

How has it helped my organization?

We use it for our periodic builds, and for our source control.

What is most valuable?

The IoT, DevOps, microservices, micro functions, and storage are all valuable features.

What needs improvement?

The solution should be more open to allowing access to other tools and environments.

Technical support also needs a lot of improvement.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is pretty stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability of the solution is good. We have hundreds of users internally and thousands of users externally. We do plan to increase usage shortly.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is very poor. When we meet Microsoft in the coming weeks to discuss expansion, we'll be speaking to them directly about this.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Previously, we used AWS.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was quite a long time ago, so I don't remember the details of the implementation.

What about the implementation team?

We received some help with the implementation from Microsoft.

What other advice do I have?

We are using the on-premises deployment model.

I would advise others considering implementing the solution to ensure they understand the solution to a high degree, as they won't get much help from technical support if they have questions.

I would rate the solution eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Transformation advisor at System technique
Real User
Top 20
Stable, scalable, and simple implementation
Pros and Cons
  • "Azure Stack is very stable."
  • "The licensing model of Azure Stack is complicated."

What is our primary use case?

I am using Azure Stack to build a lot of different solutions.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Azure Stack for approximately nine years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Azure Stack is very stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability of Azure Stack is good.

I have approximately 200 users using this solution in my company.

How are customer service and support?

I rate the support from Azure Stack a five out of five.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I did not use other similar solutions in this category.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of Azure Stack is very simple. It takes approximately 48 hours to build a complete platform.

What about the implementation team?

The implementation of Azure Stack was done in-house. We have five people for the maintenance of the solution.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The licensing model of Azure Stack is complicated. The solution is expensive.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others.

I rate Azure Stack an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Exec Manager IT Security & Risk at a non-tech company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Has good stability and an easy setup
Pros and Cons
  • "The stability is good. We haven't had any issues with the viability or scalability. It's been good so far."
  • "As opposed to AWS, Azure is a costly solution. It's on par with AWS more than anything else."

What is our primary use case?

Our use case is for accessing central records and updating the backend system.

What needs improvement?

When you compare AWS to Azure adding on all the security components you require to protect your application and data AWS is by far the cheaper alternative, like the cost of Defender and ATPm, MCAS, ADFS, etc.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is good. We haven't had any issues with the viability or scalability. It's been good so far.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward. We have a business unit that specializes in this and they set it up from scratch.

What other advice do I have?

My only comment would be to look at your use case and just weigh up both AWS and Azure to see which one best suits your use case and your budget. If you go with Microsoft Azure and you use all the security tools and everything that Azure offers, it will be an expensive proposition. Whereas AWS gives you all the security tools but it's less expensive. They both offer a similar service. It's just the cost differential.

I would rate it a nine out of ten. Not a perfect ten because of the price. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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CyberSecurity Engineer at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
Stable with a straightforward setup and fair pricing
Pros and Cons
  • "The setup is very straightforward and it's quite stable."
  • "The solution could use more training materials to help users understand how to use the product effectively. Online training would also be a beneficial addition to the product."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for everything from VM storage to networking to app services.

What is most valuable?

We use almost every aspect of the solution. Overall, it's quite a valuable product for our organization.

The setup is very straightforward and it's quite stable.

What needs improvement?

I can't think of any area in which the solution is currently lacking.

The solution could use more training materials to help users understand how to use the product effectively. Online training would also be a beneficial addition to the product.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for about five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is quite stable. We've never faced any issues so far.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability potential of the solution is very good.

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support has been good so far. We have been satisfied with the level of service they've provided to us. They've always answered our questions, and, depending on the severity of the issue, they've been able to resolve things quite quickly.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We didn't previously use a different solution.

How was the initial setup?

We've found the initial setup to be quite straightforward and simple to execute.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing of the solution is quite fair. It's not too expensive.

What other advice do I have?

I'd advise those who don't want to spend money on hardware to try the solution out. I'd recommend it to others.

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten overall.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Lead solution architect at a recreational facilities/services company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
User friendly, not code intensive, and secure
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is easy to use, especially for individuals who are not familiar with coding and has security built-in."
  • "The user interface could be more user friendly."

What is our primary use case?

Last year I used the solution to develop phone applications. We did some work with AAD which is the Azure Active Directory. We used the solution to its full potential.

What is most valuable?

The solution is easy to use, especially for individuals who are not familiar with coding and has security built-in.

What needs improvement?

The user interface could be more user friendly.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for more than six years.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have a team of five that use the solution in our organization and they do all the development for us.

How are customer service and technical support?

The support for the solution is very helpful. They are responsive and return with resolutions quickly.

How was the initial setup?

The installation is easy, there are only a few clicks.

What about the implementation team?

I did the installation myself.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend the solution to others.

I rate Azure Stack a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Updated: April 2024
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Download our free Azure Stack Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.