Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users
reviewer1304046 - PeerSpot reviewer
Director of Maintenance Systems Division Data Center at a computer software company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Feature-rich, but it needs more flexibility in multi-tenancy permissions
Pros and Cons
  • "My experience working with this solution has been good and I recommend it."
  • "The Self Service Interface is not very good and it needs improvement."

What is our primary use case?

We are solution providers and we are in a classic environment without automation. We are licensed and we are using vCenter to manage and maintain our environment.

What is most valuable?

All of the features are important, so it's difficult to say which is the best.

What needs improvement?

The Self Service Interface is not very good and it needs improvement. 

There should be more flexibility and rules for permissions in the Multi-tenancy.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for more than ten years.

Buyer's Guide
vCenter Configuration Manager
May 2025
Learn what your peers think about vCenter Configuration Manager. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2025.
856,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's a scalable product.

We have more than 20 engineers using this solution.

How are customer service and support?

We have not contacted technical support. We have the competence and knowledge to maintain and manage this solution.

What about the implementation team?

We did not use the help of a vendor team. We were able to implement ourselves.

What other advice do I have?

As a company, we are hosting many solutions. We are working on expanding our portfolio for both internal and external users.

We have private cloud solutions, a classic infrastructure as service, and multi-tenant. We also have public cloud solutions for our external customers.

My experience working with this solution has been good and I recommend it.

I would rate this solution seven 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
PeerSpot user
Management Information System Officer at a mining and metals company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Great for automating and very stable, but complex to implement
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is excellent at automating processes."
  • "There are some complexities within the system center. For example, we use two different applications for updates and the deployment of the machine. We also have another third party solution."

What is our primary use case?

I provide services to our customers. We largely use it for automation.

How has it helped my organization?

It's allowed us to automate most of the processes that we have in place. All the controls can now update positioning solutions. All of that is done through this software. For the company it's quite valuable, in that it saves resources, however, it also allows the IT team to be concentrated on different tasks. The company is growing and the need to focus on adding more systems etc. is very important. There are a lot of new systems being implemented. By taking manual tasks and automating them, it provides a great value for the customer.

What is most valuable?

The solution is excellent at automating processes.

Overall, it's a great tool.

What needs improvement?

There are some complexities within the system center. For example, we use two different applications for updates and the deployment of the machine. We also have another third party solution. 

However, a third-party solution is dedicated to vulnerability management. And all the updates that have to be deployed to a specific product. You spend a lot of time in configuration due to the fact that you need to make sure all of your machines are compliant. Compliance is complicated.

For how long have I used the solution?

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

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of the solution is good. We haven't run into any issues with the solution. There aren't sudden crashes. There aren't bugs or glitches. It's reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We haven't had any issues with scalability. If a company needs to expand the solution's services, they can do so easily. From a technical perspective, it's possible.

How are customer service and technical support?

I've personally contacted technical support in the past.

They were able to assist us with no problem. A few times we managed to sort out the issue ourselves. Still, mainly they do support us. We're quite happy with their services. 

One of the things that puts us at an advantage is the fact that we are not yet running the latest versions. The older versions have less issues that need to be ironed out and patched. Therefore, we're working with versions that have already been pretty much perfected. It means there's less reason to contact technical support.

How was the initial setup?

There's a bit of complexity in the initial setup. There are compliance issues you'll need to sort through. Configuration can take a while because of this.

There may be better ways to do things with System Center that we're not aware of. We always try to look at audits before we try a deployment. How long it takes tends to be decided by what a user wants the solution to do and how the company is set up.

If you want to do something relatively simple like automate updates, however, the deployment is quite straightforward. It doesn't take a lot of time.

Also, if you sorted out configurations and taken the time to fix items and iron out details, the solution will deploy fairly easily and deliver its services well.

For example, a deployment that, if done with some center, may require a workaround to sort out any problem beforehand, but once that's done, everything starts working perfectly.

What other advice do I have?

We're a customer. We don't have a special relationship with the company.

I would recommend System Center. We are going through a technological era where everything is done using technology, and security measures are important. With this solution, security is already in place.

With this solution, a lot of the items are automated, including a lot of administrative work. You can minimize so many things, including security vulnerabilities, simply by using the solution. It's great.

I'd rate the solution seven out of ten. They lose a few marks due to their general complexity, which takes a lot of time. Users need to take into consideration bandwidth and network usage when they set things up. While the solution does try to minimize resources, it takes a lot of time to get things where you need them to be. It's not straightforward. You'll need to go through many processes before you get there.

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
Buyer's Guide
vCenter Configuration Manager
May 2025
Learn what your peers think about vCenter Configuration Manager. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2025.
856,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.
General Manager IT/system engineer at VT Solutions
Real User
Work is simplified with patch management and template features; configurations could be reduced
Pros and Cons
  • "Beneficial patch management and template features."
  • "Not very user friendly, too many configurations."

What is our primary use case?

We use Configuration Manager at one or two companies where we provide services. I live in Fiji and people don't really go into the detail of compliance and automated configuration. Most things are generally done manually so with the implementation of Configuration Manager it becomes automated. There are some reporting and management tasks involved. We're partners with vCenter and I'm the IT general manager. 

What is most valuable?

As an engineer, I'd say the most valuable features would be the patch management and templates. Both of these features make my job easier. 

What needs improvement?

This is a good solution but it has too many configurations for what it does. In that sense, it's not particularly user friendly and requires too many clicks. From reviews I've read, I believe Acropolis might be easier to use in this regard.

I think the solution pretty much covers everything, I can't think of any additional features that might be useful.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for the past two years. 

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support is generally quite good although it depends who you're talking to. Most of the time issues are solved expediently although sometimes it takes a little longer than you'd probably want, but eventually it gets fixed. It's good but it could be better.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup can be a little complex. It's clear what needs to be done but because of compliance it becomes more complicated. It requires configuring thresholds and standard marks plus automated configurations. It's a matter of implementing some provisioning which can be tedious. I haven't worked with it too much, but it seems quite cumbersome. 

Deployment time probably took a little longer in our case because it was implementing  compliance, patch management and software package distribution, so it probably took a couple of days. We used our own team for configuration. 

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend people use this solution. It can make your life a lot easier and it has a lot of features which could help a system administrator prevent problems and foresee potential issues.

I would rate this solution quite highly but it loses a couple of points because of the complexity so I'll give it a seven out of 10. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
it_user1215906 - PeerSpot reviewer
Sr. System and Storage Administrator at a government with 51-200 employees
Real User
An easy initial setup with a good user interface and good technical support
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is stable and we haven't run into issues with bugs or glitches."
  • "The solution should allow for more customization."

What is most valuable?

The user interface is very good.

We like the level of technical support that we get using this product.

What needs improvement?

I don't think there are any features that the solution is lacking.

The solution is already quite user-friendly and offers good technical support, but it could always be further refined and improved.

The solution should allow for more customization.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for one year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable and we haven't run into issues with bugs or glitches.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is easily scalable. We've found it easy to expand. Other companies should not have any trouble if they need to scale it out as well.

We have about 10-15 people using the solution currently. They're all admins.

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support is very good. We've had a good experience with them and are satisfied with their level of support.

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

VMware is the most popular solution in the market and now everybody is using it. It is the most reliable as well. However, in my opinion, there are not enough competitors in the market, and all offer similar functionality.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is quite easy. It's not complex. The solution offers good documentation that assists in the process.

What other advice do I have?

We're just a customer and have no special relationship with vCenter. We use the latest version of the solution.

I would recommend the solution. I'd rate it eight 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
it_user1263480 - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Manager at sikraft
Real User
Very easy to manage, user-friendly, and simple to set up
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is very easy to manage."
  • "The snapshot functionality on the solution needs improvement. After renewing the snapshot, all of the production was stuck. Right now, its functionality is one of our main concerns."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution to control the host.

What is most valuable?

The feature that is the most valuable for us is the SP portal.

The solution is very user-friendly.

The solution is very easy to manage.

What needs improvement?

The snapshot functionality on the solution needs improvement. After renewing the snapshot, all of the production was stuck. Right now, its functionality is one of our main concerns.

Aside from the snapshot, everything else is working fine. I can't think of any other features that we'd need in future releases.

For how long have I used the solution?

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

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of the solution is very good. For us, there was no problem at all in our VMware. We haven't seen any bugs or glitches on the solution that would affect performance.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability of the solution is quite good.

Currently, we have about 100 users on the solution.

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support of VMware on Dell is excellent. We've been more than satisfied with their level of service.

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

We didn't previously use a different solution before implementing this one. It's the first provided by Dell. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of the solution is straightforward. We found it very easy. 

The deployment was quick as well. It only took us about half an hour to get everything up and running.

You only need one person to manage the deployment of the solution.

What about the implementation team?

The first time we deployed the solution, the Dell team handled the implementation. Now we are able to handle it ourselves.

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

We've had the solution for four to five years, but I'm unsure of the licensing costs surrounding it.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Before choosing vCenter Configuration Manager we didn't evaluate other solutions.

What other advice do I have?

I'd rate the solution ten out of ten. It's a fantastic product.

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
reviewer1222275 - PeerSpot reviewer
ICT Engineer at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Good configuration management solution for on-premises and cloud
Pros and Cons
  • "The feature that I have found most valuable is the virtual machine management across different hosts, located in different areas."
  • "They could improve the hybrid-cloud environment and its management, not only for the local host but also including the connection between public and private cloud."

What is most valuable?

The feature that I have found most valuable is the virtual machine management across different hosts, located in different areas. This is the most accommodating aspect I have found using vCenter.

What needs improvement?

In terms of what could be improved, I would say easier management of the whole environment, meaning an easier interface.

Additionally, they could improve the hybrid-cloud environment and its management, not only for the localhost but also including the connection between the public and private cloud.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using vCenter Configuration Manager for almost three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

vCenter is scalable.

Right now we don't have too many people using the application since we don’t need that many administrators on the environment, so less than 20 people are using it.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was not so complex. My team and I did it by ourselves.

I think the first time I set it up the installation took two or three days. My second time was much easier - just a couple of hours.

What other advice do I have?

On a scale of one to ten, I would rate vCenter Configuration Manager an eight. I would recommend it.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
PeerSpot user
PankajKumar12 - PeerSpot reviewer
Data Engineer at a media company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Good centralized management for our virtual environment, but the cost should be improved
Pros and Cons
  • "This solution supports multiple platforms in a single solution."
  • "The cost of this solution should be improved."

What is our primary use case?

vCenter Configuration Manager is a central management tool for our virtual environment. This solution is used for the configuration of our users' settings, helping to power the ITIL process. Without it, we would not be able to manage our environment.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is support for hyper-converged infrastructure.

This solution supports multiple platforms in a single solution.

What needs improvement?

The cost of this solution should be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using vCenter Configuration Manager for seven to eight years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I think that this is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability depends on the planning and the infrastructure that is in place.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. Once it is installed, everything is tested and it looks fine, we can go ahead with the converged platform.

Deploying the proper solution with the features that we are looking for takes about a month.

What about the implementation team?

We use a consultant for helping to deploy this solution.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Solution Architect, IT Consultant at Merdasco - Rayan Merdas Data Prosseccing
Real User
Top 10Leaderboard
Good disaster recovery and business connectivity capabilities but generally doesn't compare to competitors in the field
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features that VMware's vCenter Configuration Manager have, when compared with other solutions, are their disaster recovery and business connectivity capabilities."
  • "It lacks the capability to manage the other systems."

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features that VMware's vCenter Configuration Manager have when compared with other solutions are their disaster recovery and business connectivity capabilities. All the software that VMware produces has very good business connectivity and disaster recovery features.

What needs improvement?

Configuration Manager should decrease the deployment time in the data center and the management time as this could help many data centers reduce their operating costs.

I think most of VMware's software is easy and simple to use but they lack the capability to manage other systems. When working with some other software out there you have a total solution for managing and configuring your data centers. Many other virtualization systems have this feature, and it would be a good idea for VMware to switch to this approach because I think most data centers are looking for total solutions to manage their data centers. Our trends show that this kind of simple management software is going to be a part of orchestration systems. 

Overall, I think it's good enough to use for most customers who have VMware solutions in their data centers.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working on virtualization for around seven or eight years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This software helps customers to reduce management operations, including saving their resources and total cost. The basic platform is very good for reducing operational costs. Plus, the automation and easy deployment are very important to many data centers.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

In terms of scalability, yes, most of the software that VMware produces is enterprise and scalable and they define the business connectivity and disaster recovery very well in most of their software.

How are customer service and technical support?

In some cases, I have contacted support when I use the software, but mostly I am helped with the data centers by our in-house engineers. The quality is not black and white. It depends on the engineer that you get, but most of these companies have good software consultants.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is perfectly easy to deploy, as well as in other VMware software. It takes less than five hours to deploy.

Most VMware software is easy to use, although you don't need support for deployment, it may be helpful for maintenance.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

If you compare the performance between virtualization solutions, I think KVM is better than VMware. But in terms of disaster recovery and business connectivity, VMware has a better-developed software here.

Our company is a data center solution architect and consultant. We look for the best solutions for our customers and we try to find the best one for each project. It doesn't matter if that solution is from a small company or a famous company - we look for the best solution for configuring the situation.

What other advice do I have?

I think before using this kind of software, most companies should train their administrators to ensure that the deployment is perfect. Also, maintenance would be easier if you train your engineers before using this kind of software.

On a scale from one to ten, I would rate vCenter Configuration Manager a six. This is because compared to the other solutions such as Microsoft's StoreSafe or Studio Team System solutions or Ubuntu it is not as good. 

This software is specific for VMware products whereas the other software is more flexible.

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