We are using Windows Server for our business applications, ERP and everything else.
DGM-IT at a construction company with 10,001+ employees
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?
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.
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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.
IT Manager at iLenSys Technologies Pvt Ltd
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.
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Windows Server
February 2026
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Senior Software Consultant at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
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.
Associate Vice President at Hitachi Systems, Ltd.
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.
IT manager at a agriculture with 10,001+ employees
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.
Control Systems Supervisor at a renewables & environment company with 201-500 employees
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.
Engineer at a pharma/biotech company with 10,001+ employees
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.
Manager at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Scalable, easy to implement, and has a nice interface
Pros and Cons
- "We find the initial implementation process to be quick and easy."
- "The technical support needs to be improved."
What is our primary use case?
The solution is mainly used for personal tasks. A lot of the customers are working with Microsoft solutions. This product works well with Microsoft. That's why we provide the Microsoft Windows Server solution to a lot of our customers.
What is most valuable?
The solution is very stable.
The scalability has been good.
We find the initial implementation process to be quick and easy.
The interface is good.
We've found the level of security to be fine.
What needs improvement?
The technical support needs to be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for eight years. It's been a while. I've used it for almost a decade.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable. There are no bugs or glitches and it doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is very scalable. If a company needs to expand it, it can do so. It's not a problem.
We only have about 14 people on the solution currently.
How are customer service and technical support?
Microsoft technical support isn't ideal. They could improve their services. We're not 100% satisfied.
They could be faster, more knowledgeable, and more customer-friendly. They need to provide more direct answers.
How was the initial setup?
The installation process isn't too difficult. It's fairly straightforward.
The deployment is fast and only takes about three or four hours or so. It doesn't take long.
In my organization, we have eight people that can handle deployment or maintenance tasks.
What about the implementation team?
As integrators, we can set up the solution for our clients. I can handle a deployment myself. It's not overly complex.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Customers do need to pay a yearly licensing fee.
What other advice do I have?
I work with both the on-premises and cloud deployment models.
We're an integrator.
I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten. We're pretty happy with its capabilities.
That said, in Thailand, they do not sell many Windows Servers, so it's difficult to use the product, Windows Server, a lot.
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. Integrator
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