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BMC Helix Discovery Reviews

Vendor: BMC
4.2 out of 5
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What is BMC Helix Discovery?

BMC Discovery, formerly ADDM, is a digital enterprise management solution that automates asset discovery and application dependency mapping to build a holistic view of all your data center assets and the relationships between them. 

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BMC Helix Discovery is the #3 ranked solution in top IT Asset Management solutions. PeerSpot users give BMC Helix Discovery an average rating of 8.4 out of 10. BMC Helix Discovery is most commonly compared to ServiceNow: BMC Helix Discovery vs ServiceNow. BMC Helix Discovery is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 71% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a financial services firm, accounting for 18% of all views.
Buyer's Guide
BMC Helix Discovery
August 2025
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BMC Helix Discovery mindshare

As of August 2025, the mindshare of BMC Helix Discovery in the IT Asset Management category stands at 7.4%, down from 8.4% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
IT Asset Management Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
BMC Helix Discovery7.4%
ServiceNow20.4%
Lansweeper11.5%
Other60.7%
IT Asset Management

PeerResearch reports based on BMC Helix Discovery reviews

TypeTitleDate
CategoryIT Asset ManagementAug 29, 2025Download
ProductReviews, tips, and advice from real usersAug 29, 2025Download
ComparisonBMC Helix Discovery vs ServiceNowAug 29, 2025Download
ComparisonBMC Helix Discovery vs LansweeperAug 29, 2025Download
ComparisonBMC Helix Discovery vs ServiceNow DiscoveryAug 29, 2025Download
Suggested products
TitleRatingMindshareRecommending
ServiceNow4.220.4%91%223 interviewsAdd to research
Qualys VMDR4.13.2%94%94 interviewsAdd to research
 
 
Key learnings from peers

Valuable Features

BMC Helix Discovery offers agentless operation, comprehensive dependency and service mapping, and integration with ITSM. It excels in intuitive UI, security, automated service mapping, and fast deployment. The system is highly stable and scalable, enhancing IT asset visibility and compliance. AIOps facilitates proactive issue resolution by identifying root causes quickly. Users appreciate data modeling, flexibility, and a robust query tool. The platform aids in resolving issues efficiently, saving time and resources.
  • "The best aspect of BMC Helix Discovery is its flexibility. You can perform scanning at any time, and it provides substantial data for extraction."
  • "BMC Helix Discovery has delivered a very good return, and we cannot stop using it at this moment."
  • "It immediately understands which component it is, and it provides the exact API details with all the components."

Room for Improvement

BMC Helix Discovery could improve its automation, customization, and integration capabilities. Users desire enhanced cloud platform scanning, improved client-side and IoT discovery, and more user-friendly features. Concerns include stability, duplicate record reduction, database configuration, and mapping features. More frequent updates, flexible licensing, and efficient technical support are also needed. Public cloud compatibility, dependency mapping, and education on asset management are areas for enhancement. Users face challenges with pricing and complex query language.
  • "The query language is somewhat challenging to learn. It uses a Berkeley database, and the query language is not easy to master for performing complex queries."
  • "I would like to see a lower price and better technical support."
  • "The improvement I want to see is a reduction in duplicate records."

ROI

BMC Helix Discovery generated substantial ROI, with multiple users experiencing significant financial benefits. Implementation drastically reduced time required for tasks, exemplified by software audits shrinking from months to minutes. Users highlighted its broad functionality and customization options. A study indicated a 314% ROI, emphasizing cost efficiency through operational optimization. Automation reportedly saved up to 80% administrative time and reduced reliance on other tools. Enthusiasm for continued use remains strong among users.

Pricing

BMC Helix Discovery's pricing is perceived as both fair and expensive. It offers competitive rates compared to ServiceNow, though some users find it costly. Licensing is complex, based on assets, with challenges in license management due to equipment-specific charges. Options include yearly and perpetual licenses, with optional consulting services. While some find the price high, others note its affordability and inclusion of support. Overall perceptions vary, making thorough evaluation vital.
  • "I've heard that the solution was expensive earlier but is now much cheaper than its competitors."
  • "It's not a cheap product. But the benefits it delivers is that it's a fair price."
  • "I rate the pricing an eight out of ten. All BMC products are expensive."

Popular Use Cases

BMC Helix Discovery is used to identify IT configuration items, manage infrastructure and assets, and support data center tooling. It facilitates the discovery of devices connected to networks, maps relationships, generates organizational maps, and discovers assets on various platforms. Users employ it for Configuration Management, IT security, inventory tracking, and service management. It integrates with CMDB systems to provide comprehensive insights, supporting numerous business processes, from IT to enterprise service management.

Service and Support

Customer service and support for BMC Helix Discovery receive mixed feedback. Some users praise responsiveness and professionalism, especially from premier support, while others cite slow response times. Technical support expertise is valued, particularly in integrations and managed services. Local language options are appreciated. Several users rate support highly, but emphasize the need for quicker feedback and issue resolution improvements. Ratings vary, with praise for helpfulness balanced by requests for faster service.

Deployment

Initial setup of BMC Helix Discovery is often straightforward and quick, with installation completed in hours due to its virtual deployment. Complexity arises with configurations requiring SME involvement, particularly with large networks. While deployment can be swift, coordination, permissions, and connectivity may slow the process. Deployment difficulty varies with user familiarity. Users note the installation speed and minimal personnel requirement, yet challenges can exist with transitioning from legacy systems or coordinating with external teams.

Scalability

BMC Helix Discovery offers flexibility for on-premises and cloud deployments, allowing organizations to scale according to their needs. Users find it highly adaptable due to its seamless integration capabilities with APIs and tools. It supports small to enterprise-level entities and is praised for its robust scalability, although some mention occasional integration challenges and the need for significant storage when conducting frequent scans. Ratings vary, but many recognize its strong scalability potential.

Stability

BMC Helix Discovery is consistently praised for its stability, being described as robust, reliable, and highly rated by users. It requires fewer servers compared to alternatives, providing efficient enterprise management. Although some early versions had issues, support was responsive and improvements were made. Users rate stability between seven and ten out of ten, noting few outages and minimal bugs over years of usage, especially with major companies. It uses a pre-hardened Linux-based configuration enhancing its robustness.
These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.
Download our BMC Helix Discovery Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business9
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise11
By reviewers
By visitors reading reviews
Company SizeCount
Small Business77
Midsize Enterprise64
Large Enterprise352
By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
18%
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
7%
Energy/Utilities Company
7%
University
6%
Retailer
3%
Insurance Company
3%
Comms Service Provider
3%
Media Company
3%
Performing Arts
2%
Non Profit
2%
Healthcare Company
2%
Construction Company
2%
Transportation Company
2%
Hospitality Company
2%
Educational Organization
2%
Consumer Goods Company
1%
Real Estate/Law Firm
1%
Wholesaler/Distributor
1%
Legal Firm
1%
Marketing Services Firm
1%
Outsourcing Company
1%
Pharma/Biotech Company
1%
Logistics Company
1%

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Learn more about BMC Helix Discovery

BMC Helix Discovery was previously known as Discovery, ADDM, Atrium Discovery & Dependency Mapping.

BMC Helix Discovery customers

Windstream Communications, News UK, Mercator Group, Wageningen University and Research Centre (WUR)

Related questions

  • 87
Which product do you prefer: BMC Helix Discovery or ServiceNow Discovery?
  • 28
What are the pros and cons of BMC Helix Discovery?
  • 250
Do we need to use both EDR and Antivirus (AV) solutions for better protection of IT assets?
  • 26
What are the main benefits of modern IT Asset Discovery tools?
  • 3
Which is the best asset manager?
  • 7
When evaluating IT Asset Management, what aspect do you think is the most important to look for?
  • 40
Flexera IT Asset Management vs. ServiceNow?
  • 9
Why is IT Asset Management important for companies?

Product Categories

Product Categories
IT Asset Management

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BMC Helix Discovery Reviews Summary
Author infoRatingReview Summary
Systems Integration Specialist Advisor at a insurance company with 1,001-5,000 employees4.0I used BMC Helix Discovery to manage data center migrations by identifying assets and their connections. Its flexibility in data extraction, despite a challenging query language, makes it powerful, though the query language requires improvement.
System Administrator at Porto Editora4.0I use BMC Helix Discovery for mapping data center assets and their relationships, which integrates with our CMDB in BMC Helix ITSM. Its asset visibility aids compliance, though I wish it were cheaper and had better support. It delivers good ROI.
Technical and Business Consultant at a comms service provider with 11-50 employees4.0I’ve used BMC Helix Discovery for years in telecom projects, valuing its CMDB integration and fault identification, though support response times need improvement. It's scalable, offers hybrid deployment, and we look forward to AI-driven autonomous operations.
Project Manager at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees4.0I use BMC Helix Discovery to identify network components like servers and routers and integrate this data into our CMDB. While the tool excels at component recognition, it needs improvement in reducing duplicate records compared to SCCM.
Design Management Engineer - E&M at a hospitality company with 10,001+ employees3.0I use BMC Helix Discovery for data center server and system discovery. Its information capability is valuable, but I find it complicated and less user-friendly. More dashboards would be beneficial to enhance usability and overall experience.
IT Director at a tech services company with 1-10 employees4.5I find BMC Helix Discovery invaluable for its AI-driven prediction capabilities, integrating IT and business operations, and improving operational efficiency. However, its IoT capabilities need enhancement, and a 314% ROI is achievable with expert guidance.
Soo at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees4.5BMC Helix Discovery provides over 95% accuracy in results and is user-friendly with valuable features like a comprehensive view and security; however, it needs improvement in database configuration and storage virtualization, but still justifies its investment with customization options.
Solutions Architect at Kinsfolk Technology Private Limited5.0I use BMC Helix Discovery as an inventory tool to identify infrastructure details and dependencies. It's stable, fast, and efficient, completing discovery in about 15-20 days. However, separate customer portals would enhance asset management for multiple clients.