What is our primary use case?
My use case for Lansweeper primarily revolves around inventory purposes, as we wanted to build out our CMDB, and Lansweeper was hands down the best tool; it collects every last piece of information we wanted to know about our equipment and has strong reporting capabilities.
For instance, my boss would call me during a meeting and ask, 'Hey, Marcos, how many computers do we have running Windows 7?' I would type 'Windows 7' in the query and get a response within seconds, showing 350 computers. This capability was extremely helpful for inventory, as I could quickly check specifics such as how many computers were running 8 gigs of RAM versus 16.
I would create my reports regularly, such as one that tracked computers that had not rebooted, which helped identify issues with patching or other problems. I would run reports for security purposes, detailing when computers had been last updated, and assistance for HR queries about user logins. Thus, while the main reason for using Lansweeper was inventory, it proved helpful for numerous other use cases as well.
What is most valuable?
The best features I appreciate about Lansweeper, aside from inventory and reporting, include its querying capability, as it allows me to get information at my fingertips extremely quickly. We didn't spend much on hardware, just needing a server to run it, and it was a very nimble piece of software.
Unlike the previous Microsoft tools we used which required scripts for information extraction and took around 10 minutes to deliver a report, Lansweeper drastically improves that time to 10 seconds, making a significant difference during decision-making sessions.
Lansweeper's querying capability allowed me to get information extremely quickly, which was crucial during decision-making sessions. This combined with its inventory and reporting features enabled us to address numerous use cases beyond our primary inventory goals.
What needs improvement?
One thing I wish Lansweeper could improve is to include software distribution features, which would allow me to push particular software components to specific computers. For example, if someone reported a missing EMR client, I could simply push it to their computer right away.
Over the years, while we expanded from tracking around 5,000 to 6,000 computers, the licensing cost increased significantly, going from roughly $300 to about $2,500, which strained our budget as a non-profit healthcare organization. I also noted that while there were potentially useful additional features, I frequently found myself having to decline them due to tight budget constraints.
Furthermore, improved integrated Windows patching that avoids switching systems would be beneficial, as I relied on Lansweeper for reports on unpatched computers but needed to use a different Microsoft tool to correct the issues.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Lansweeper since 2012 and used it through 2023. The only reason I stopped using it is because I left that job for another position where they didn't have Lansweeper, but I used it throughout those years.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
The initial setup of Lansweeper was very straightforward, and although we had issues later when trying to view other network segments due to our distributed network across multiple healthcare sites with different geographical locations, the setup in the office itself went smoothly.
The complications arose with firewalls and routing, requiring a few support calls. These discussions highlighted that we weren't getting past the firewall due to the permissions granted to our Lansweeper admin account, which required adjustments and discussions with our internal network and security teams, reaching up to the CIO for approval on opening the necessary access.
How are customer service and support?
I find Lansweeper's support team to be great. When I called them, someone would typically answer fairly quickly.
If they weren't available, I would leave a message, and they would usually return my call within an hour, addressing any issues I had.
On a scale of one to ten, I would rate their support at about a nine and a half. The only aspect that would enhance my rating would be an immediate response to my call, but considering they manage multiple clients, I find their service to be very close to a perfect ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I have looked at other inventory systems, and while they are decent, they are not as flexible or nimble as Lansweeper.
What other advice do I have?
I was just a customer of Lansweeper, and I encountered a minor, albeit annoying, issue each year regarding the annual support invoice. As part of our accounts payable process, I would approve it when notified, but I would often later receive calls about additional charges that appeared on our account, likely due to foreign transaction fees from payments to Germany.
This would cause confusion and frustration among our accounts payable staff, especially since the extra fees were often small and insignificant, but the communication process around them could be irritating.
The setup and operation of Lansweeper are easy, so I don't remember needing any formal training. I think there was a brief introduction offered, but we intuitively figured it out quickly without needing specialized instruction, which is another reason I've never looked back.
I would definitely recommend Lansweeper and give it a rating of ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other