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MdZaman - PeerSpot reviewer
IT manager at a agriculture with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Top 10
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. 

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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
reviewer891348 - PeerSpot reviewer
Engineer at a pharma/biotech company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
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
Windows Server
May 2025
Learn what your peers think about Windows Server. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2025.
856,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.
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Manager at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Real User
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
PeerSpot user
Group DWH and BI Senior Manager at Virgin Mobile Middle East and Africa
Real User
Plenty of support, flexible, and easy to maintain
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features are the ease of access and maintaining the solution."
  • "The security could improve. If you are comparing the Linux operating systems and Windows Server, Windows Server is still way behind in terms of security. Microsoft can enhance security instead of having customers rely on third-party security tools."

What is our primary use case?

We use Windows Server mainly for deploying high-end applications and databases.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features are the ease of access and maintaining the solution.

What needs improvement?

The security could improve. If you are comparing the Linux operating systems and Windows Server, Windows Server is still way behind in terms of security. Microsoft can enhance security instead of having customers rely on third-party security tools.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Windows Server for approximately 10 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Windows Server is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable and flexible to expend.

We have approximately 25 users using this solution in my organization.

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support and local support from Microsoft are good and there is a large online community that can support us. If we ever have any problems or bugs with the solution we can reach out to those supports to help us. However, we have not encountered any issues at this time.

How was the initial setup?

If it is a basic installation then it is pretty straightforward. However, if you need to do a lot of configurations you will need some technical knowledge.

What about the implementation team?

We can do the implementation ourselves, but mostly we distribute the task to consultants because they know the timeliness and the amount of work that needs to be done.

We have our IT support team of administrators and technicians that needs to manage the resources and in some cases do patch management and maintenance. For server maintenance, we need an expert that understands how to scale up or scale down the server.

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

There is a one-time purchase for the license of Windows Server.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Technically we only have two options to choose from for a solution to our use case. One is red Hat Linux and the other is Windows Server. Some of the applications that the team needs to develop only work on Windows Server. Based on the use case and the ease of access we went for Windows Server.

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?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1658865 - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Manager at a healthcare company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Offers a host of features and is stable, scalable and easy to setup, but is excessively priced
Pros and Cons
  • "The initial setup is very simple."
  • "The security should be improved."

What is our primary use case?

I use the solution for all my servers, for the domain, the file server and other applications with which it is compatible. 

What is most valuable?

I consider Bixby, DNS, Active Directory, File Servers, Print Servers, Windows Defender and a host of other features to be valuable. 

What needs improvement?

It would be nice if the the Windows Defender feature would be enhanced to be similar to that of other antiviruses or endpoint features on the market that have whole and individual features and are reliable. At present, Defender cannot be relied on independently. Another endpoint must be installed. It would be better could we rely on the more compatible endpoint features that already accompany Windows.

There should be inbuilt endpoints, such as we find with Linux, Unix, Apple Macintosh and other browsers, which don't require the installation of additional endpoints. 

Patch updates should be less frequent. Instead of them being put out daily, they should be put out weekly or monthly. 

If the storage is not installed on the SSD hard disk, it affects the performance. I am not referring to the processor, RAM or GUI, just the storage. Windows 7 worked fine on the HDD. 

The security should be improved. There are many services on the Windows Server which are enabled or started by default and this is unnecessary. Xbox would be an example of this. These should be removed. Only the minimum number of services needed to get the solution up and running should be included. The existence of services means open board and this opens one up to hackers and attackers. As an IT person, it should not be my role to come up with workarounds for such occurrences. This should be in Microsoft's domain. 

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Windows Server for around 12 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?

The solution is scalable. 

How are customer service and technical support?

I have never had need for Microsoft's technical support, as the solution is simple and easy to manage and maintain. There are also many communities and a host of references that can be found on the internet. The internet is very helpful and makes finding the relevant answers easy. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very simple.

The solution is easy to install and to maintain. These processes are user-friendly.

What about the implementation team?

There was no need for help from the vendor. I handled the installation on my own. 

The maintenance that is required involves the patching of the operating system with the latest fixes and security fixes, in addition to the updates which are downloaded by Microsoft.

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

The price needs to be reduced. Users find it prohibitive. It is exorbitant for the value one gets with the solution. 

What other advice do I have?

There are around 300 users making use of the solution in my organization.

I would certainly recommend the solution to others. I must, as it simplifies the administration and operation. 

I rate Windows Server as a seven 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
reviewer1643577 - PeerSpot reviewer
Project Manager at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
Reseller
Good technical support, stable, and easy to set up
Pros and Cons
  • "The initial setup is quite straightforward."
  • "The price could be a little less. It's a bit expensive."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution as a base layer for our software. Our developers decided they should create our products based on the Microsoft platform. We have to use the Windows Server as the applied model.

We have some solutions based on Linux, however, Microsoft Windows Server is the primary operating system.

How has it helped my organization?

The solution has improved our organization as we are able to sell our products with Microsoft. Without it, we can't make our business work. 

What is most valuable?

The solution is absolutely integral to our business processes. 

It's a widely used system.

The product is very stable.

The initial setup is quite straightforward. 

Technical support is very helpful.

What needs improvement?

I haven't had any experience with active data storage or high-level configuration. From my perspective, Windows Server can stay on this level without any development as it works for me how it is.

The price could be a little less. It's a bit expensive.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Maybe 10 or 15 years ago, there were some problems with stability, however, right now, we haven't needed to install any patches and we have not faced any problems. I'd describe it as quite stable at this point.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is used widely across the company. However, I cannot speak to how many servers we have at this time. 

We do plan to increase usage as we continue to grow.

How are customer service and technical support?

Microsoft technical support has been great. They are helpful and responsive. We are very happy with the level of support on offer. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very straightforward and not overly difficult.

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

The pricing isn't the cheapest. For example, Linux would be a free option. People don't have to pay for it. With Microsoft, you need to pay to license it. 

What other advice do I have?

We are a customer and end-user. We are also a Microsoft reseller. 

SQL Server 10 can't work without an operating system. It needs to be installed on the machine with an operating system, so it is dependent on it. A Windows Server needs to be installed as a first step before SQL will be installed.

We primarily use on-premies or private cloud deployment models.

I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten.

I'd recommend the solution. It's a very good platform. 

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: reseller
PeerSpot user
reviewer1401510 - PeerSpot reviewer
Team leader technical support at a manufacturing company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Reliable, scalable, and compatible with most applications
Pros and Cons
  • "Most applications are compatible with this operating system."
  • "The security suffers the same issues as our Windows 10 for endpoint deployments. It could be more secure."

What is our primary use case?

We use Windows Server as the endpoint solution and for hosting our enterprise applications.

What is most valuable?

It makes an ideal tool for certain solutions. Most applications are compatible with this operating system.

What needs improvement?

The security suffers the same issues as our Windows 10 for endpoint deployments. It could be more secure.

The support could be more straightforward.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Windows Server since its existence. It's been more than twenty years.

We use versions 2012Rs and up.

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?

It is a scalable product. We have approximately 300 users in our organization who are using Windows Server.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is a bit varied. Depending on the type of technical support that you need, most are very responsive and usually, they are quite knowledgeable.

There is definitely room for improvement, especially with more complex and less straightforward questions. It tends to stay in the area of data gathering.

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

We have just a few applications running on the SUSE Linux platform. These applications are few and far between and we are moving away from that platform.

How was the initial setup?

We use Marketplace VMs from Azure or templated solutions from our on-premise Hypervisor. Deployment takes less than 10 minutes.

What about the implementation team?

Setting up the environment where this service solution can be deployed takes a little bit longer. But we can do that ourselves with no problem.

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

They are the same type of licensing for the Windows 10 endpoint solutions. 

We pay these on an annual basis. 

It is also dependant on your relationship with Microsoft as a company.

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?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
it_user1260267 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior System Administrator at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Is easy to install, but integration and automation need improvement
Pros and Cons
  • "Windows Server is very useful and easy to install."
  • "It is not fast and is very slow. Versions before 2002 are not stable."

What is most valuable?

Windows Server is very useful and easy to install.

It has been stable after 2002, so versions 2016 and 2019 are stable.

What needs improvement?

It is not fast and is very slow. Versions before 2002 are not stable.

It is not easy to use, and it could be cheaper as well.

Windows Server could use low resources and have automation abilities.

Automation and implementation could be changed to work better with other systems. It needs be easy to integrate with other cloud and open source systems. Generally, people want to use open source systems because Windows Servers don't integrate easily.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Windows Server since 2003.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is stable, particularly after 2002.

How are customer service and technical support?

If you use Microsoft application servers and if you use Microsoft products, you can generally get good technical support.

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

I used Linux operating systems.

How was the initial setup?

It is easy to install and takes about half an hour.

What about the implementation team?

I installed it myself.

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

Windows Systems use more resources than Linux systems and can be very costly. If you use a Linux system, two CPUs are enough, but if you use a Windows system, you need eight CPUs. You should use a minimum of eight CPUs, and CPU resources are very expensive.

We have enterprise agreements regarding licensing.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Windows Server at seven on a scale from one to 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
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Windows Server Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: May 2025
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Windows Server Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.