System Administrator at a insurance company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Server operating systems that boast simplicity, but require more security features
Pros and Cons
  • "I like its simplicity."
  • "It would be better if they had more security features and fewer bugs. They can also improve their technical support."

What is our primary use case?

We use it for the operating system.

What is most valuable?

I like its simplicity. 

What needs improvement?

It would be better if they had more security features and fewer bugs. They can also improve their technical support.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Windows Server for about ten years.

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Windows Server
April 2024
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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?

Windows Server is scalable.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support isn't very good. I would rate it somewhere in the middle.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward.

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

It could be cheaper. 

What other advice do I have?

I would tell potential users that it depends on the solution and the setup. If it's related to security, maybe it's better to go for Linux. If they're looking for usage and administration, they can go for Windows.

On a scale from one to ten, I would give Windows Server a seven.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
System Integration Engineer at a computer software company with 1-10 employees
Real User
Good performance, easy to set up, and good support
Pros and Cons
  • "We like the performance."
  • "The price could be better and the licensing model could be easier to understand."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution for virtualization and the remote desktop.

What is most valuable?

We like the performance. 

We use this solution because we need Microsoft. It's not a choice about the other operating systems.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Windows Servers for approximately five years.

We are not yet using the latest version. We are using version 2016.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have approximately 80 users in our company and we have a range of a couple of customers to 1,000 customers who are using this solution.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is okay.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is pretty straightforward.

Depending on the size of the infrastructure, you need one single person single-handedly to four or five people to maintain this solution.

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

The price could be better and the licensing model could be easier to understand.

Our customers prefer lifetime licenses.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others who are interested in using it.

I would rate Windows Server an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Windows Server
April 2024
Learn what your peers think about Windows Server. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2024.
769,479 professionals have used our research since 2012.
ASM at a healthcare company with 51-200 employees
Real User
A server operating system that's easy to use, but security could be better
Pros and Cons
  • "I like that it's simple and the users are happy."
  • "It could be more secure. We can't compare it to other products because they have their own security and all those things. When it comes to email security, there are issues. Microsoft products used to get hacked all the time, but we're still comfortable with that."

What is our primary use case?

We're using it primarily for domain control, additional domains, and servers. Everything is used under the Windows platform.

What is most valuable?

I like that it's simple and the users are happy. 

What needs improvement?

It could be more secure. We can't compare it to other products because they have their own security and all those things. When it comes to email security, there are issues. Microsoft products used to get hacked all the time, but we're still comfortable with that.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Windows Server for almost ten years, and we're still using it.

How was the initial setup?

It was a straightforward installation.

What about the implementation team?

My four-member team of engineers can install and manage it themselves.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to potential users.

On a scale from one to ten, I would give Windows Server a seven.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
organizator informatike at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Straightforward to set up and stable, but the administration is complicated
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of this solution is the ESRP that is used with the Windows Platform."
  • "In the next release, I would like to see the administration simplified."

What is our primary use case?

We use these servers for databases and applications.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of this solution is the ESRP that is used with the Windows Platform.

What needs improvement?

Windows Platforms become rather complicated. We started with the Windows Platform because they simplified it, but now, it has become quite complicated.

The administration has become quite heavy and also the specialization. 

We are a rather small factory, not a big system. We are small with a thousand employees, and we need a simplified environment.

In the next release, I would like to see the administration simplified.

For how long have I used the solution?

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

The version we are using is quite new, 2020.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Windows Server is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is scalable, but the administration becomes quite complicated.

How are customer service and technical support?

We have not used the technical support, we have had contact with the third-party partners.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of Windows Server is straightforward.

What other advice do I have?

In our country, the Windows platform is widespread, which means there is a high amount of usage. We primarily use Windows Solutions. Some also use Linux, but Linux is the minority.

I would rate Windows Server a seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud

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

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Manager at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Real User
A simple solution that's easy to use and has okay stability
Pros and Cons
  • "The product, overall, is very simple. It's easy to use and navigate. It's got a good design."
  • "The stability is okay, however, it could be better. It's an area that they could improve on if they wanted to."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution as a database.

What is most valuable?

The product, overall, is very simple. It's easy to use and navigate. It's got a good design.

The implementation is very easy. It doesn't give you any trouble.

What needs improvement?

The stability is okay, however, it could be better. It's an area that they could improve on if they wanted to.

For how long have I used the solution?

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

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is somewhere in between good and bad. It's so-so. It could be better. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have 15 people that use the solution, and five engineers that manage everything as necessary.

We do plan to continue to use the product going forward.

How are customer service and technical support?

I don't really need the assistance of technical support. I'm an engineer. Typically, I can fix any issues that may arise. Therefore, I don't contact Microsoft. I can't speak to their support service and how helpful they are.

How was the initial setup?

We found the initial setup to be very simple and straightforward. It's not complex. We didn't have any issues.

I can't recall how long the actual deployment took. It was a while ago now.

I handled the installation by myself. You only really need one person to deploy the product.

We have engineers that can handle maintenance on the solution in our company.

What about the implementation team?

I handled the implementation myself. I didn't need to have the installation done by a consultant or integrator.

What other advice do I have?

We only really use Windows Server for one thing. We don't have too complicated of a setup.

I would recommend the solution to other organizations. I've mostly been happy with the product overall.

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

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?

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
IT Engineer at a printing company with 201-500 employees
Real User
A stable communication tool for a company of any size
Pros and Cons
  • "The initial setup was straightforward. We had it fully installed within one or two hours."
  • "The user interface could be simplified."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution for common management and group policy management. Within our organization, there are between 300 to 400 people using this solution and we intend to expand and continue using Windows Server in the future.

What needs improvement?

The user interface could be simplified. Sometimes I feel like there are too many things going on at once. It should be easier to navigate and find the functions that I am trying to implement. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for roughly 20 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Windows Server is reasonably stable.

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support is okay. Sometimes Microsoft cannot answer our questions quickly or precisely. There are times when we need to trouble-shoot on our own.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward. We had it fully installed within one or two hours.

What other advice do I have?

On a scale from one to ten, I would give this solution a rating of eight.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
IT Infrastructure Engineer at a government with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
Top 20
Straightforward to set up and works well as a hypervisor
Pros and Cons
  • "This is a stable product and we plan to continue using it in the future."
  • "I would like to see the security features improved in the future."

What is our primary use case?

I primarily use Windows Server as a hypervisor, running Hyper-V.

What needs improvement?

I would like to see the security features improved in the future.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Windows Server for about 15 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a stable product and we plan to continue using it in the future.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

There are more than 10,000 users for the services that we have running.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have not needed to contact technical support for Windows Server.

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

We only use Microsoft products, so we did not use another product before this one.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup with Microsoft products is always straightforward. The length of time for deployment depends on the services that are being implemented.

What about the implementation team?

In some cases, I use a consultant to assist with deployment. However, this is not always the case because our in-house team can also do it.

We have about five people in our team for deployment.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We did not evaluate options by other vendors. Microsoft is a well-known brand and the only company to use for some services.

What other advice do I have?

This is a good product and one that I can recommend.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Responcible specialist at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Useful for Active Directory, DNS, and TCP
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is easy to use. We are satisfied with its performance."
  • "We are waiting for the solution to be more secure and more stable."

What is our primary use case?

We are using it for Active Directory, DNS, and TCP.

The solution is deployed on-premise. There are over 5,000 people using this solution in my company.

What is most valuable?

The solution is easy to use. We are satisfied with its performance.

What needs improvement?

We are waiting for the solution to be more secure and more stable.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for about 10 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It could be more stable.

How are customer service and support?

We have enterprise rights for support for Microsoft. We communicate with them on tickets.

How was the initial setup?

The complexity of setup just depends. Sometimes it takes half a day, and sometimes it takes one or two hours.

For maintenance, we have one manager and two operation specialists.

What about the implementation team?

We have sometimes used a consultant for deployment. For example, we have one for AD FS role, but we don't have DNS, TCP, Active Directory. We manage it by ourselves.

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

We have an enterprise agreement.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution 9 out of 10. 

I would recommend this solution for someone who wants to start using it.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Windows Server Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: April 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Windows Server Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.