Karen Yerznkanyan - PeerSpot reviewer
Chief Information Technology Officer at AMX
Real User
Top 10
User-friendly platform with efficient feature for centralized management of applications
Pros and Cons
  • "Windows Server is a good technology that allows IT staff to consolidate their expertise on a single product, avoiding the need to manage different sources."
  • "The product's pricing needs improvement."

What is our primary use case?

We use the product as an application and SQL server.

What is most valuable?

The platform’s most valuable features are performance and centralization of operating systems. We can use one standardized system to host all applications.

What needs improvement?

The product's pricing needs improvement. 

For how long have I used the solution?

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

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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have more than 100 Windows Server users in our organization. It is a scalable product.

How are customer service and support?

We contact the technical support team for a few queries.

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

We used Linux before. In some cases, it works better than Windows in terms of administration tools, especially for small companies.

From a centralization standpoint, Windows Server is a good technology that allows IT staff to consolidate their expertise on a single product, avoiding the need to manage different sources for Linux and Windows.

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

Windows Server is highly priced. They offer bundled licenses to be purchased yearly. Also, we need to pay extra for support services while utilizing different sources such as Linux.

What other advice do I have?

Windows Server’s integration with Active Directory enabled a single technology to manage multiple applications. Additionally, the feature for centralized management has proven beneficial in enhancing overall efficiency and meeting evolving requirements compared to Linux.

It is primarily suitable for enterprises as the cost would be a concern for smaller organizations. 

It is a user-friendly platform. I rate it a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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AhmedElbadry - PeerSpot reviewer
NMS Service Automation & RPA Technical Lead at Vodafone
Real User
Top 10
Scalable platform with an easy setup process
Pros and Cons
  • "The product helps us manage user credentials and daily passwords for various applications."
  • "We encounter issues related to the product's UI when multiple users access the same machine."

What is our primary use case?

We use Windows Server as a mandatory tool to host applications, specifically for robotics process automation (RPA). It provides an efficient output and allows multiple users to access the same machine simultaneously.

How has it helped my organization?

The product helps us manage user credentials and daily passwords for various applications.

What needs improvement?

We encounter issues related to the product's UI when multiple users access the same machine. Additionally, sometimes it doesn't work while upgrading patches from Microsoft. This particular area needs improvement.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Windows Server for five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a stable platform. I rate the stability an eight out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is a scalable platform. We have around 1000 Windows Server machines in our organization.

How are customer service and support?

We communicated with the technical support services for problems related to corrupted computing resources. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is easy. I refer to the documentation available on the internet to understand the implementation. It takes 20 minutes to complete the process.

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

Windows Server has medium pricing.

What other advice do I have?

I recommend Windows Server to others and rate it an eight out of ten. I advise using Windows Server or Linux, depending on the specific needs and compatibility of the applications.

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.
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Windows Server
March 2024
Learn what your peers think about Windows Server. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2024.
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Sven Missorten - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior System Engineer at a transportation company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Top 5
Transparent and easy-to-learn, but the product is not stable
Pros and Cons
  • "The GUI is familiar. Anyone who doesn't know how to use a file server can be taught to use the product in a few minutes."
  • "The solution should improve its stability."

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution for mass storage and application storage.

What is most valuable?

DFS is the most valuable feature of the product. The product is very transparent. Any changes to the underlying file servers are not visible to users. It is a huge benefit for us. 

The GUI is familiar. Anyone who doesn't know how to use a file server can be taught to use the product in a few minutes.

What needs improvement?

The solution should improve its stability. After some updates, one of the KBs faced issues while booting. On boot, it started boot looping randomly.

The solution is very rigid. Whenever we want to make changes that are slightly out of the ordinary, we have to do them manually.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for four and a half years.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is definitely scalable. Around 1,500 people are currently using the solution in our organization.

What about the implementation team?

It is quite easy to maintain the product. We have deployed the solution across the whole company.

What other advice do I have?

I have used all the versions from 2003 to 2022. You can change the host and IPs and switch on the whole configuration. The users do not notice anything as long as DFS is active and the file system is the same. The product is a good choice for small-scale environments. Overall, I rate the product a seven 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.
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Kevin Honde - PeerSpot reviewer
Data Solution Architect at Econet Wireless Zimbabwe
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Good user interface and technical support, and Active Directory is very helpful for us
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature is Active Directory."
  • "Better integration with more platforms would be useful."

What is our primary use case?

We use Windows Server to host all of our Windows-specific applications, such as Active Directory. We also use it for our systems that are running Microsoft SQL Server, since it used to be dependent on Windows. That is no longer necessary because we have an option to run it on Linux, as well.

Our infrastructure includes systems from Microsoft, Linux, and IBM.

How has it helped my organization?

Windows Server is well-integrated into what we do. It even integrates well with remote working tools like Teams.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is Active Directory.

Microsoft Exchange is very valuable for us.

I am quite satisfied with the user interface.

Recently, they added a new terminal window where you can SSH into Linux machines easily. The Linux packages that are now installed with the Microsoft Store can support a miniature version of Ubuntu and Linux integration tools. When installed, it can easily connect remotely to other operating systems.

What needs improvement?

Better integration with more platforms would be useful.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Windows Server for perhaps 15 years.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is easy to scale up and scale down Microsoft products. Expanding can be done by adding more servers, or just adding resources to a single server. For example, if I want more processing power then I can add RAM or upgrade the CPU. Then if the load on a single server becomes overwhelming then more nodes can be added.

Another case where adding more nodes is done is to have replication between data centers for Exchange or Active Directory.

We have approximately 2,000 users that access their email and we plan to continue using it in the future.

How are customer service and technical support?

Once in a while, we contact Microsoft for support on the product and they have responded well. There have been cases where the problem is too complicated to easily correct over the phone, so they sent a local technical from their support team to assist us in troubleshooting.

Overall, I would say that the support is quite good.

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

We have always used Windows Server, although, with respect to email and Exchange, we switched to Windows from another product.

How was the initial setup?

Setting up Windows Server is quite straightforward and easy to follow, compared to other operating systems. The GUI makes it very easy to install both the operating system and applications.

The length of time required for deployment depends on the applications that are running. In most cases, we're deploying a single application and it will take perhaps a day or two. If we are deploying infrastructure like Exchange then it may take a week or two weeks to set up the whole Exchange infrastructure.

What about the implementation team?

We used a local Microsoft certified consultant to assist us in setting up our servers. We had internal skills as well, so it was quite easy to follow.

We have a team of ten system administrators who handle maintenance, although they are not specific to Windows Server. Rather, they take care of all of the products in our data center. Given that we also have Linux and IBM infrastructure, I would say that we have three personnel who take care of our Microsoft systems.

What other advice do I have?

This is quite a good product and one that I recommend. I wouldn't recommend anything that does not integrate well with remote working tools, as most people are now working remotely. We are able to manage our systems from home.

Overall, deployment is quite straightforward, the technical support is quite good, and we are happy with the product. That said, nothing is perfect.

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
DGM-IT at a construction company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
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: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Narender Reddy - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Manager at iLenSys Technologies Pvt Ltd
Real User
Top 5
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: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Cyber security manager at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Quick and easy installation with good troubleshooting abilities
Pros and Cons
  • "The features that I have found most valuable are that it is quick with an easy installation and has good troubleshooting compared to Linux or any other operating system."
  • "I would like to see better updates and for it to support other applications"

What is our primary use case?

Windows Server is deployed both on-premises and on cloud.

What is most valuable?

The features that I have found most valuable are that it is quick with an easy installation and has good troubleshooting compared to Linux or any other operating system.

They provide updates and patches in a timely manner.

What needs improvement?

I would like to see better updates and for it to support other applications

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Windows Server since the inception of the company.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Windows Server is stable. It is just that the updates and other things do sometimes break. The updates are fast so maybe everything is my issue with the legacy applications.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Windows Server is scalable. We have around 300 to 500 users on it.

How are customer service and technical support?

Customer support is okay, but I believe it would be much better if they supported other applications. The challenge with them is they will say that you have installed some applications that they cannot support. So the blame game is there in that case and it is not a Microsoft issue or an application specific issue. So we have to fiddle around with that.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is easy. It took 10 to 15 minutes.

We had a technical team of around 10 people for the deployment and maintenance.

What about the implementation team?

You can do it by yourself or with the help of the consultant or integrator, it depends on the configuration you need.

What other advice do I have?

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

My advice to anyone considering Windows Server is, if they don't have any other choice then they can use it. If they have a choice then they should go for an alternate solution because in the longer run they can save a lot of money in licensing.

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
Ryan Dave Brigino - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Engineer at Es'hailSat
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Easy to deploy, simple to set up and stable
Pros and Cons
  • "The scalability is okay."
  • "The solution should be less expensive."

What is our primary use case?

We are using this solution for some database applications.

What is most valuable?

The solution is mostly stable. 

The scalability is okay. We just need to get the correct edition of the Server.

The initial setup is easy and the deployment is fast.

What needs improvement?

There are some limitations around scalability.

The solution should be less expensive. Linux options are far less costly.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for five years, at least, in this company.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The product, for the most part, is stable. I would say the hardware will cause some issues before the operating system.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

In terms of hardware, it is scalable, if we can increase the hardware resources. We are not using the data center version of the OS. We're just using the standard version.

We have around 30 people using the solution.

How are customer service and technical support?

I haven't dealt with technical support. So far we haven't escalated anything as our installation is very simple.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is not overly complex. It is basically like any other Windows operating system. It's fairly straightforward.

The implementation only takes about 30 minutes. 

We have a team of three in the IT department that can handle deployment and maintenance. 

What about the implementation team?

We did not need any integrator or consultant. it's very easy for a company to handle by itself. 

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

The pricing could be more competitive.

We only pay a one-time fee and do not have to continuously pay monthly or yearly.

What other advice do I have?

I'm a customer and an end-user.

We are still using 2012, and we're planning to upgrade to 2019.

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

I would recommend the solution to other organizations. 

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: March 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Windows Server Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.