Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

IBM Tivoli Asset Management for IT vs Microsoft Configuration Manager comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

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

Categories and Ranking

IBM Tivoli Asset Management...
Average Rating
7.0
Reviews Sentiment
4.8
Number of Reviews
1
Ranking in other categories
IT Asset Management (17th), License Management (11th)
Microsoft Configuration Man...
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
81
Ranking in other categories
Server Monitoring (6th), Configuration Management (4th), Patch Management (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

IBM Tivoli Asset Management for IT and Microsoft Configuration Manager aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. IBM Tivoli Asset Management for IT is designed for IT Asset Management and holds a mindshare of 0.5%, down 0.7% compared to last year.
Microsoft Configuration Manager, on the other hand, focuses on Server Monitoring, holds 5.7% mindshare, down 8.6% since last year.
IT Asset Management
Server Monitoring
 

Featured Reviews

HarshalDeore - PeerSpot reviewer
A user-friendly solution that has a good user interface, but its technical support is not good enough
Around 20 to 25 staff members are needed to deploy and maintain the solution, including two managers, one architect, and other implementers. IBM Tivoli Asset Management for IT does not adopt the latest technology. The solution can be integrated with our existing IT environment through some web services and connectors. Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.
MikeNelson2 - PeerSpot reviewer
Deployment recovery works well but requires configuration improvements
While I do not use the product frequently, many issues were due to configuration rather than the product itself. I cannot give an exact recommendation as it is not my area of responsibility. The team that uses it finds it adequate. It is presently good enough for us not to investigate other options. Overall, I rate the product a six out of ten.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"IBM Tivoli Asset Management for IT is a user-friendly solution that has a good user interface."
"The solution effectively handles inventory management, deployment, and reporting."
"I manage software updates and operating systems for devices, and within seconds, we can remotely deploy a system for, say, 2,000 devices. Not only that, but we can also deploy scripts and create comprehensive compliance rules."
"The initial setup is straightforward and not too complicated."
"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager is patch management."
"It is a very good solution. It has a good interface and is easy to use. On top of that, it is very reliable in terms of distribution as well as getting the report."
"The most valuable features are Remote Connect, SUP, Cloud functionality, Report, Query, and third-party patching."
"It is easy to install, and quick to deploy."
"Patching is the main feature because SCCM is made to control the entire environment without manually interpreting. So it is good to use for patching."
 

Cons

"The solution’s initial setup is complex and technical support is not good enough."
"They should improve their anti-malware policies like the SCEP policies. For instance, you can't have different policies for different servers, there is only one policy in all the servers, and everything is covered under that. For example, say you want to scan one group of servers on Saturday, and then you want to scan another group of servers on Sunday, you can't do that. You have to scan all your servers, a regular scan or a full scan, on the same day and at the same time. That's definitely one thing they need to resolve. In the next release, it would actually be nice if they included Apple products. It will also help if you can use Intune again. Their compliance reporting feature could also be better. They can maybe work a bit on that for patching now. It would be better if SCCM came with the functions of Right Click Tools built-in. If SCCM would have all those functions already built-in, we won't have to go and spend $5,000, just as an add-in from another company to get those functions."
"It does seem a bit buggy from time to time."
"I would like to see some improvements in WSUS and control of other, non-Microsoft, product updates."
"The configuration of Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager could be improved, it is a bit complicated."
"It would be of benefit if Configuration Manager could be connected/integrated with multiple Microsoft Intune subscriptions rather than just one (the current limit)."
"Marketing: Our management doesn't understand that there is a piece of software which helps them automate and manage the entire network, as far as operating systems on computers."
"Regarding this, I'd like to mention the agent situation. When the agent on an end-user device is not functioning correctly, it can be quite problematic. It would be highly beneficial if there were a self-healing mechanism in place. Essentially, if the agent becomes corrupted or encounters issues, it should be able to rectify itself autonomously. This is particularly critical because, in order to utilize a tool like MECM (assuming you're referring to Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager), we need to deploy agents, known as AsMs, on all the devices we use, such as Windows 10 or Windows Server. Sometimes, when we deploy configurations or updates, they don't apply properly due to agent issues. This issue has been present since we began using MECM around 23 years ago. Unfortunately, there is currently no built-in mechanism for the agent to detect its own problems and initiate self-repair. Microsoft doesn’t have any feature to scan vulnerabilities and hence, they could include those."
"Could do with some cosmetic improvements on the user interface."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"IBM Tivoli Asset Management for IT is an expensive solution."
"SCCM comes with its own version of SQL Server. If you use that SQL Server with SCCM and don't use it for another applications than you get an SQL Server for free."
"The price of SCCM depends on the size of the organization. The price is competitive."
"Overall, I think it's fine. It's pretty much in-line because there are ways to offset it with the Office 365 licensing."
"We have a support license from Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager and the overall price of the solution is reasonable."
"The price is competitive and reasonable."
"The license price could be reduced for Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager They should make the price more affordable for smaller companies, most companies would be able to use the solution if it was priced better. There are more people on this cloud because you don't have to have either a server room or an on-premise server. You can have one IT person handle this without any local infrastructure."
"Presently, I am using a free trial version."
"When you compare this solution with other tools in the market you might actually find a lot of variation in the pricing and that's why people opt for the other tools rather than Microsoft tools."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which IT Asset Management solutions are best for your needs.
850,349 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Financial Services Firm
13%
Computer Software Company
11%
Government
11%
Manufacturing Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM Tivoli Asset Management for IT?
IBM Tivoli Asset Management for IT is a user-friendly solution that has a good user interface.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Tivoli Asset Management for IT?
IBM Tivoli Asset Management for IT is an expensive solution. The solution's licensing cost depends on the number of nodes and servers. Users have to pay a yearly licensing fee for the solution.
What needs improvement with IBM Tivoli Asset Management for IT?
The solution’s initial setup is complex and technical support is not good enough. IBM Tivoli Asset Management for IT should have a cloud-based version. IBM Tivoli Asset Management for IT is expensi...
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 the set up will take depends on the kind of technical architecture that your org...
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. What I like most about ManageEngine is that I can log on to every PC very easily a...
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 efficiently and deploy them to specific groups within our network. This streamlined ...
 

Also Known As

Tivoli Asset Management for IT
Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager, System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM )
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Migros Zurich, Tyr_ns AB, Port Otago Limited, BTC, Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V., AIG, Swedish Match, DTE Energy
Bank Alfalah Ltd., Wªrth Handelsges.m.b.H, Dimension Data, Japan Business Systems, St. Lucie County Public Schools, MISC Berhad
Find out what your peers are saying about ServiceNow, BMC, Qualys and others in IT Asset Management. Updated: January 2025.
850,349 professionals have used our research since 2012.