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reviewer1707912 - PeerSpot reviewer
System Analyst and Team Lead at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Stable, scalable, and simple installation
Pros and Cons
  • "Many developers like SQL Server."
  • "The solution could improve by having more integration with other operating systems and other platforms."

What is our primary use case?

I am a professional and I use this SQL Server in different companies. One of the companies I worked for was in the automotive industry. They had automobile products which they developed the SQL Server and database. At that time it was the first time I used SQL Server. I have also used Suprema which is a biometric system that also had an SQL Server. Our main products for data we have used SQL Server. However, my main application is developed on Oracle and MySQL, not any other database solution.

All of our systems use this solution, it can control security, data management, and integration. 

What is most valuable?

Many developers like SQL Server.

What needs improvement?

The solution could improve by having more integration with other operating systems and other platforms.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used SQL Server within the past 12 months.

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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

SQL Server is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable.

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

I have used MySQL.

How was the initial setup?

If you follow the restoration policy, the installation is not a problem. If you want connectivity in the application then you have to open the ports and configure them. Otherwise, I'm very pleased it is very simple.

What about the implementation team?

I can do the implementation myself.

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

SQL Server is under a license from Microsoft.

What other advice do I have?

I would not recommend this solution.

I rate SQL Server a six out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1561038 - PeerSpot reviewer
Chief Technology Officer at a financial services firm with 11-50 employees
Real User
Stable, simple installation, but scalability could improve
Pros and Cons
  • "The initial setup was straightforward."
  • "I would like the SQL Server to be able to provide cloud support. We use the solution with a Korean provider supporting only MySQL rather than Microsoft SQL Server, which would be preferable and cheaper. This would prevent us from having to pay for troubleshooting and hosting the server."

What is our primary use case?

The main use of this solution is to control and manage data storage information.

What needs improvement?

I would like the SQL Server to be able to provide cloud support. We use the solution with a Korean provider supporting only MySQL rather than Microsoft SQL Server, which would be preferable and cheaper. This would prevent us from having to pay for troubleshooting and hosting the server.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for approximately two 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?

I find the solution not to be scalable. 

There are approximately six people in our company using SQL Server.

How are customer service and support?

I have not needed to contact technical support.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward. 

What about the implementation team?

I did the implementation of the solution myself, it does not require any consultants or integrators.

What other advice do I have?

I rate SQL Server a six out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
SQL Server
March 2025
Learn what your peers think about SQL Server. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2025.
857,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.
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CTO at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Reliable and easy to use with good technical support
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is very common. It's easy to use."
  • "The solution is expensive. The licensing costs are high."

What is our primary use case?

The solution is primarily used as a relational database. It's a great option for anyone who needs to still use a database.

What is most valuable?

The solution is very common. It's easy to use.

The product offers a lot of support. Technical support has been great.

It's a reliable solution currently in this space.

The solution doesn't take a long time to set up. It's pretty straightforward. 

What needs improvement?

The solution is expensive. The licensing costs are high. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been dealing with the solution for 20 years or so. It's been two decades. I've used it for a while. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is pretty good. I find it to be reliable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. The performance is good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have 150 users on the solution currently.

How are customer service and technical support?

I've contacted Microsoft technical support in the past and have been satisfied with the level of service I get. They're good.

How was the initial setup?

We have a special database team that is running. Except for the initial installation of the hardware, they are doing everything as it's an in-house solution.

It took a day or two to implement. It might have even taken less time. 

What about the implementation team?

We have a team that can manage the implementation process. 

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

The licensing is a bit expensive. We'd like them to be more flexible in terms of costs.

We pay a yearly licensing fee.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We did not evaluate other solutions before implementing this solution. 

What other advice do I have?

I'm using either the 2018 or 2019 version of the solution. I don' know the exact number off-hand.

I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten. It's a very good solution and I've been pretty happy with its capabilities. 

I would recommend the solution to other users.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Senior Digital Services Engineer at a pharma/biotech company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Configurable, stable, and scalable
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is configurable."
  • "The integration could be better. They are not open-source, so the integration with other platforms is not that easy."

What is our primary use case?

We only use it as a logging solution. We use it as logging for processing our database. It holds records for some systems and so on. That's it.

What is most valuable?

The solution is stable.

The product is scalable.

The solution is configurable. 

What needs improvement?

The IT and digital transformation department are a bit fresh in this company that I am working for. They have a lot of plans, a lot of visions. I don't know how are they are going to do the infrastructure. I don't know their vision.

So far, the solution fits the scope of our company. We aren't missing any features. 

The integration could be better. They are not open-source, so the integration with other platforms is not that easy.

For how long have I used the solution?

The company has been using them for a long time. I newly joined the company two months ago, so I don't know when exactly they start using it.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is very stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

You can scale the product. You can increase and decrease the storage as needed. It's very easy.

The amount of users on the solution is anywhere between 1,000 and 2,000 users. 

How are customer service and technical support?

While I've never been in touch with technical support, the administration team has. They've contacted the team in Egypt. I haven't heard of any negative experiences.

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

I've also worked with Oracle in the past. At this company, since it is an older server, it may have been in service longer. We were using the two databases for two different functions.

How was the initial setup?

I wasn't a part of the installation process, however, it's my understanding that the company handled the installation themselves. 

The administration team has three or four team members. They can handle maintenance tasks and rotate tasks between themselves.

What about the implementation team?

My understanding is that the company handled the installation internally. However, I was only recently hired. 

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

Any kind of information related to costs or licensing is beyond my scope. I don't deal with that aspect of the solution. I do not know if licensing is paid monthly or yearly.

What other advice do I have?

We are customers and end-users.

Our architecture is divided. There are parts on-premise and parts on Azure cloud. I don't know exactly where the SQL Server sits. 

I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten.

I might recommend it to other organizations. That said, it depends on the solution they need. I've worked on Oracle, I have worked on my Microsoft SQL servers. What would be best depends on the solution they need. However, Microsoft SQL servers are a very trusted product. I would recommend it if someone was asking about it.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Senior Database Administrator at ITGStore
Real User
A stable, scalable and easily installable solution for saving and managing data and applications
Pros and Cons
  • "Most valuable features include: high availability, clustering, save backup and recovery."
  • "Although I am satisfied with the solution, some clients have asked us to resolve technical issues, such as those involving silver solution and replication."

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution as a database for saving and managing data and applications.

What is most valuable?

Most valuable features include: high availability, clustering, save backup and recovery.

What needs improvement?

Although I am satisfied with the solution, some clients have asked us to resolve technical issues, such as those involving silver solution and replication.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with SQL Server for four or five 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 am satisfied with the solution's partner support. 

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

I am  satisfied with SQL Server.

Use of alternative solutions varies with the client involved. Some make use of all that SQL Server has to offer, while others employ everything in Oracle Database. We have managed to resolve any issues they have encountered in the two cases in which they have approached us. 

When examining Oracle or IBM db2, Oracle and SQL Server are generally the prefered products. 

How was the initial setup?

While I find the setup and installation to be easy, others may find it difficult. 

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

I am only a technician and responsible for the installation, so I cannot comment on the licensing, although there are others in my company who are better qualified to do so. 

What other advice do I have?

The solution is mostly deployed for our clients on-premises. 

We are satisfied with the documentation. 

My advice is that one adhere to the documentation before doing installation. 

I rate SQL Server as a nine out of ten. 

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Integrator
PeerSpot user
Managing Partner at Veribir Ltd
Real User
Easy to manage, stable and scalable
Pros and Cons
  • "SQL Server is easy to manage because all our DevOps team are familiar with it and simple to access because it is cloud-based."
  • "The solution could improve by being more user-friendly."

What is our primary use case?

We are using SQL Server for internal development projects.

What is most valuable?

SQL Server is easy to manage because all our DevOps team are familiar with it and simple to access because it is cloud-based.

What needs improvement?

The solution could improve by being more user-friendly.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using SQL Server for approximately 10 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, we have found it to be vertically scalable, but horizontal scaling, we have not used it for this purpose.

We are mostly using this solution for internal use, not for public services. We have approximately 10 developers using it.

How are customer service and technical support?

My experience with technical support has been an average level of satisfaction.

How was the initial setup?

The installation is easy.

What about the implementation team?

We have one individual that is managing the solution at this time.

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

For our purpose, we are not required to have a license for what we are using it for.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to developers who are familiar with Microsoft's platform. However, for others who work with Linux-based solutions, I could recommend something else.

I rate SQL Server an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1643577 - PeerSpot reviewer
Project Manager at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
Reseller
Overall good functionality, scalable, and stable
Pros and Cons
  • "In Poland, SQL Server is the most popular database engine, and overall, our customers like it."
  • "For small-scale businesses, Microsoft could improve by removing some limits in SQL Express."

What is our primary use case?

SQL Server is our main database solution. For example, we use it for our contact center software.

What is most valuable?

In Poland, SQL Server is the most popular database engine, and overall, our customers like it.

What needs improvement?

For small-scale businesses, Microsoft could improve by removing some limits in SQL Express.

In the future, it would be a benefit to have web-based management capabilities.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for approximately five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Five years ago there were some stability issues but in the current version, the stability is good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable.

How are customer service and technical support?

We use the documentation provided online by Microsoft that has been helpful. We do not need to use technical support because we have many high-level technical staff who know how to use the solution.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very simple.

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

For smaller companies, they find this solution expensive.

What other advice do I have?

I rate SQL Server 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: reseller
PeerSpot user
reviewer1646865 - PeerSpot reviewer
ICT Consultant at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Stable, easy to use, and simple to deploy
Pros and Cons
  • "The product can scale if a company needs it to."
  • "The solution could be more secure."

What is our primary use case?

We have used it in a variety of ways, including for e-commerce deployments. 

What is most valuable?

The solution is easy to use.

The deployments are very easy.

Technical support is very helpful.

The product can scale if a company needs it to.

The stability is quite reliable. 

What needs improvement?

The product can cost a bit, however, it depends on how you use it. 

The solution could be more secure.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution over a number of years. I may have started originally around 2000. It's likely been two decades or so.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The product is quite 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?

You can scale this solution if you need to. It's not an issue. 

Everyone in our company is using the product. We have about 80 users on it currently.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support has been helpful and responsive. We have no complaints. We are satisfied with the level of service provided to our company.

How was the initial setup?

The solution is very easy to deploy. It's not a problem.

The amount of time it takes to deploy depends on what you want the solution to do for your company.

What about the implementation team?

We have an installer available to us that can guide us through the process and help us choose the right options. 

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

The solution can get expensive. You do need to pay a licensing fee in order to use it. I can't speak to the exact costs. There are different subscription types and the subscription a company needs depends on the deployment they have in mind.

What other advice do I have?

I've used the solution on a couple of deployments and also deploy patches. 

I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten.

I would recommend the solution to other organizations and companies. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

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

Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
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