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reviewer1740360 - PeerSpot reviewer
ICT and Cyber Security Adviser at a educational organization with 201-500 employees
Real User
Jan 11, 2022
Easy to set up and works for any size organization, but needs to be more secure
Pros and Cons
  • "We can scale the solution if we need to."
  • "The performance from time to time can be a bit suspect."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for many things. It's an operating system. We use to run many different application servers like SAP exchanges, and applications in our environment.

What is most valuable?

Overall, we've been happy with the solution. 

The initial setup is pretty simple.

We can scale the solution if we need to.

The stability is decent. 

Technical support has been okay.

What needs improvement?

We're concerned about Windows vulnerabilities and how to manage those vulnerabilities ourselves. These are the main things that are tricky in Windows, the environment. 

The performance from time to time can be a bit suspect. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution for quite a long time. It's been something like 20 years or so that I have been using this product.

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February 2026
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

To a certain extent, I would say the stability is fine. There aren't bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The product is scalable. If a company needs to expand it, it can do so. It's not a problem.

The size of the company doesn't matter. It works for any size of organization from small to large.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support was okay. We haven't really had any problems with them.

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

You do have to pay for licensing of the product. 

What other advice do I have?

We are a customer and an end-user of Microsoft. We do not have any special business relationship with them. 

I'd rate the solution at a seven out of ten. We're mostly happy with its capabilities. 

I would advise potential users to secure it well and keep it up to date. 

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
DGM-IT at a construction company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Jan 9, 2022
Runs well, good performance, no issues and it is stable
Pros and Cons
  • "Windows Server is running well, the performance is good, there are no issues and it is stable."
  • "Sometimes we are getting very quick support, sometimes it takes time."

What is our primary use case?

We are using Windows Server for our business applications, ERP and everything else.

What is most valuable?

Windows Server is running well, the performance is good, there are no issues and it is stable.

Because we are using it a very long time and all our applications need Windows OS to run, so by default, we are using Windows OS.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Windows Server for more than 20 years.

In terms of the versions we are using, it is mixed - we are using 2016 and 2019. A few of our servers are still using the 2012, also.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

In terms of scalability, in one server we need to install only one OS. So if you want to install more OS's in more servers, then we can install it.

How are customer service and support?

The quality of support depends upon the Microsoft products. Sometimes they will provide quick support, sometimes it takes time, so I cannot comment exactly on their support.

Sometimes we are getting very quick support, sometimes it takes time.

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

We are using Windows Server as well as a few open tool Linux.

How was the initial setup?

Windows Server typically takes around 30 minutes to install.

We need very few people for deploying the Windows Server.

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

Without a license we cannot use Windows Server. The price depends on the people and their budget. We have our enterprise EA agreement with Microsoft and based on that we are doing the licenses.

What other advice do I have?

Everyone knows how the graphic user interface looks with Microsoft Windows Server.

In terms of whether I would recommend Microsoft Windows Server, it depends on their use case. If their application is running only in Windows Server, they should use the server.

On a scale of one to ten, I would give Microsoft Windows Server an eight.

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
Windows Server
February 2026
Learn what your peers think about Windows Server. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: February 2026.
884,192 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Narender Reddy - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Manager at iLenSys Technologies Pvt Ltd
Real User
Dec 7, 2021
User-friendly solution that is both stable and scalable
Pros and Cons
  • "The Active Directory and the applications where the server is installed are the most valuable features."
  • "Security is the main feature that needs improvement"

How has it helped my organization?

Windows Server is user-friendly.

What is most valuable?

The Active Directory and the applications where the server is installed are the most valuable features.

What needs improvement?

The main features that should be improved are the security and it should have better performance.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Windows Server for nine years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Windows Server is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This solution is scalable.

How are customer service and support?

Every month technical support has a deployment every month making it very easy.

How was the initial setup?

The setup was very easy.

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

There are software costs that are dependent on the CAL requirements. 

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Windows Server a 9 out of 10. It is better than Ubuntu Linux.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Senior Software Consultant at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Consultant
Dec 2, 2021
Simple to set up and use
Pros and Cons
  • "The feature that I have found most valuable is the Active Directory. I have had good experience with Windows Server."
  • "The Active Directory synchronization on Azure. This is something which was not easy to do. Using Azure Active Directory, I was trying to sync and this was not straightforward. This process could be more simplified."

What is our primary use case?

I just use Windows Server to install third party software, things like data integration tools and BI tools. One of the uses was to set up an on-prem Active Directory. So these kinds of things.

What is most valuable?

The feature that I have found most valuable is the Active Directory. I have had good experience with Windows Server. I haven't had any issues

What needs improvement?

In terms of what could be improved, I would say the Active Directory synchronization on Azure. This is something which was not easy to do. Using Azure Active Directory, I was trying to sync and this was not straightforward. This process could be more simplified.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Windows Server for the past eight, nine years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a stable product.

In terms of the maintenance it requires, maybe there are some regular updates. We do make some backups as well. But this is a lab environment, we don't have much sensitive information stored here.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Windows Server is easy to scale.

We have 15 people using it.

How are customer service and support?

I do have experience with Microsoft support in general, but not related to Windows Server.

In general, my experience with Microsoft support is good.

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

If we are talking about Windows like Windows 11 or Windows 10 versus Mac OS? For personal use, I believe Mac is overall simpler and has a better user experience. It is a little bit more robust. I just prefer the way the application installations are done and services are managed within the Mac OS.

But for work, I cannot compare Mac OS to a Windows Server. I can compare Mac OS to Windows 10 or Windows 11.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was a simple one. It took maybe an hour.

What about the implementation team?

I did it by myself and we had a bunch of engineers as well, who were working on it.

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

It is a fair price. For Microsoft overall, we have a subscription with Office. So there is also a bundle for Windows.

The price is good. It is cheaper than Mac OS. In this case, it's better in terms of price.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend Windows Server because it's just easier to use for some people than Red Hat. That's the main thing - it is easier to use and maintain versus other operating systems within the Linux space.

On a scale of one to ten, let's be generous and give Windows Server an eight.

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
Amarjit Rathee - PeerSpot reviewer
Associate Vice President at Hitachi Systems, Ltd.
Real User
Top 5
Nov 2, 2021
High performance, easy to use, and reliable
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is easy to use and it has good performance."
  • "Windows Server can improve in patch management and security."

What is our primary use case?

We are using Windows Server as an operating system.

What is most valuable?

The solution is easy to use and it has good performance.

What needs improvement?

Windows Server can improve in patch management and security.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Windows Server for approximately three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Windows Server is stable.

How are customer service and support?

We have not had any issues that we would need to contact the support.

What about the implementation team?

Our in-house team of two technicians and one manager do the implementation and maintenance of the solution.

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

We have purchased a perpetual license to use the solution.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others.

I rate Windows Server a nine out of ten.

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
it_user1698912 - PeerSpot reviewer
IT manager at a agriculture with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Oct 31, 2021
A stable and easily installable deduplication solution
Pros and Cons
  • "The installation is not difficult. I found it to be very straightforward."
  • "The solution's licensing price is on the expensive side."

What is our primary use case?

We use Windows for its Single-Instance Storage, SIS, capabilities. The solution has deduplication default features. In respect of Windows security, the solution offers a GUI, graphical user interface, that is very convenient for the user. Linux, for its part, does not offer a graphical user interface. 

What needs improvement?

The solution's licensing price is on the expensive side. This is an issue which Microsoft should address right away. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have much experience with Windows Server, having used it my entire career, in excess of 15 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?

We do not have plans to increase usage for at least the coming two years. 

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

We did not use a different solution for our desktop prior to Windows Server, although for our server we used Linux. 

How was the initial setup?

The installation is not difficult. I found it to be very straightforward. 

It lasted 35 minutes.

What about the implementation team?

The installation can be done on one's own. Only one person is needed for the deployment. However, as we have a large scale data center, we have a team, consisting of five members, who are responsible for maintaining the entire infrastructure. 

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

The price of the solution's license is expensive and this an issue which demands Window's immediate attention. 

Our licensing fee is perpetual. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate Windows Server as a nine 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
reviewer972885 - PeerSpot reviewer
Control Systems Supervisor at a renewables & environment company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Oct 24, 2021
Stable, reliable, and is able to run many applications
Pros and Cons
  • "The only thing that is extremely valuable about the solution is that most applications run on it. That's where it brings the value in as we have the server to run our applications."
  • "There's always room for improvement. However, I'm not in the main IT department, and therefore, I'm not as close to the product as others on my team."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution as our general operating system.

What is most valuable?

The only thing that is extremely valuable about the solution is that most applications run on it. That's where it brings the value in as we have the server to run our applications.

The product is stable.

What needs improvement?

I can't think of any improvements off the top of my head. 

There's always room for improvement. However, I'm not in the main IT department, and therefore, I'm not as close to the product as others on my team.

For how long have I used the solution?

The company has used the solution for quite a while. They were using it well before I arrived at the organization.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution seems to be quite stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable. 

How are customer service and support?

To my knowledge, we have not dealt directly with Microsoft support. We haven't really had a need.

How was the initial setup?

For the most part, we didn't do the initial setup on it. We either buy the product with Microsoft already installed or the system integrator will install it.

We have systems administrators that can maintain the solution. We have a few people on our team that can handle any tasks. 

What about the implementation team?

Occasionally, we have a systems integrator that assists in the installation or it comes pre-installed.

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

I don't deal with pricing or licensing. I can't speak to how much the licensing costs. 

What other advice do I have?

I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten overall. We've been overall very pleased with the product.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer891348 - PeerSpot reviewer
Engineer at a pharma/biotech company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Oct 6, 2021
A robust, scalable, and low-maintenance solution
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of Windows Server is its scalability and robustness."
  • "Windows could add more tools to monitor the health of the server."

What is our primary use case?

We use Windows Server for process control in process control systems. Right now, the operations team is the only one using the solution. They conduct day collection for our process control system.

How has it helped my organization?

Windows Server provides a robust operating system that keeps our processes running 24 hours a day without any downtime.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of Windows Server is its scalability and robustness. 

What needs improvement?

Windows could add more tools to monitor the health of the server.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using Windows Server for 15 years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Windows Server is highly robust. We only have to do maintenance on the system once yearly.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Windows Server is very scalable, but we don't have any plans to increase our usage in the near term.

How are customer service and support?

So far, we've only had good experiences with Windows support.

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

We were previously running Unix, but the manufacturer of our control system forced us to switch to Windows Server. We didn't have a choice.

How was the initial setup?

We set up the servers ourselves. The time needed to deploy varies from server to server.

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

Windows could always lower the cost.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Windows Server about a nine out of 10. It's very robust, but there is always room for improvement in monitoring and other features.

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
Download our free Windows Server Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: February 2026
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Windows Server Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.