BigFix and ThreatLocker compete in the endpoint management category. ThreatLocker appears to have the upper hand due to its Zero Trust approach, allowlisting, and ring-fencing features that provide robust security against unauthorized access.
Features:BigFix offers strong patch management, compliance features, and comprehensive inventory with powerful reporting capabilities. It is favored for its scalability across multiple platforms and API extensibility, which makes it suitable for large environments. ThreatLocker distinguishes itself with a Zero Trust approach, featuring allowlisting and application ring-fencing for enhanced security. Its selective elevation feature provides additional control over application privileges without compromising user productivity.
Room for Improvement:BigFix could enhance its web interface and streamline reporting. User reviews highlight difficulties with third-party application integrations and deployment flexibility, as well as a need for better scalability support. ThreatLocker’s areas for improvement include its user interface for easier navigation. Users express the need for better visibility into built-in features and improved transparency in the support ticketing process.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service:BigFix is typically deployed on-premises, which may be a limitation for cloud-focused businesses. In contrast, ThreatLocker supports a variety of deployment options, including public, private, and hybrid cloud environments. Both vendors have strong technical support, but ThreatLocker is noted for its consistently responsive and knowledgeable support team, while BigFix experiences vary across different support tiers.
Pricing and ROI:BigFix offers pricing that scales with deployment size but is generally seen as costly compared to competitors. Nevertheless, it provides good ROI due to its efficiency in patch management. ThreatLocker is recognized for its competitive pricing, which is particularly attractive for managed service providers. Its agile pricing models favor smaller enterprises by facilitating quick deployment and value realization. While both products have the potential for significant ROI, ThreatLocker stands out for its cost-effectiveness and pricing agility.
If something were to happen without ThreatLocker, the cost would be huge, and thus, having it is definitely worth it.
The main return on investment is peace of mind, knowing that with ThreatLocker on any endpoint, it will almost always block all malicious code or exploits, even zero-day exploits.
It keeps malware, Trojans, and ransomware at bay.
On a scale from one to ten, with ten being the highest quality, enterprise support provides timely responses, typically within four to eight hours.
Technical support from HCL is satisfactory unless there are customization requirements.
They have been very responsive, helpful, and knowledgeable.
I would rate their customer support a ten out of ten.
Their support is world-class.
BigFix requires some minimum configuration requirements.
I started off with just the servers, and within a month and a half, I set up the entire company with ThreatLocker.
It seems to primarily operate on the endpoints rather than at a central location pushing out policies.
I would rate it a ten out of ten for scalability.
For five years, we have not had a problem.
Once deployed, it downloads the policies locally, so even if the computer doesn't have internet, it doesn't matter.
It has been very stable, reliable, and accessible.
Building a management console is quick and simple, taking only one to two hours for setup.
The problem was related to the hardware configuration and hardware specifications.
In addition to reporting improvements, there should be a feature for application control to allow or disallow certain applications from being executed on endpoints.
Controlling the cloud environment, not just endpoints, is crucial.
This is problematic when immediate attention is needed.
Comprehensive 24-hour log monitoring is a valuable enhancement for both business and enterprise-level users.
The pricing is pretty good and now follows a subscription model similar to SolarWinds, making it easier for customers to subscribe and unsubscribe.
After conversations with other partners, it became clear we underpriced it initially, which caused most of our issues.
We are moving towards the Unified solution, where they basically bundle everything together, providing us better stability with the ability to bring in new product offerings without having to go back to the customer and say, 'This is going to cost you.'
I had a really good deal at the time, and it continues to be cost-effective.
The BigFix features that have proven most effective include inventory, software delivery, software distribution, software catalog, and both software and hardware management.
I use this mainly to capture inventory for IBM products, and as BigFix was part of IBM, it gets easily integrated with IBM solutions.
BigFix supports something known as Patch Policies, which allows users to define that whenever critical patches are released, they should get evaluated against machines and automatically deploy them.
ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform's ability to block access to unauthorized applications has been excellent.
It protects our customers.
The major benefit is fewer breaches overall, as nothing can be run without prior approval. This helps my company protect its data and secure itself effectively.
| Product | Market Share (%) |
|---|---|
| ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform | 1.1% |
| BigFix | 1.1% |
| Other | 97.8% |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 30 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 12 |
| Large Enterprise | 66 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 32 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 4 |
| Large Enterprise | 3 |
HCL BigFix is a powerful patch management tool that enables organizations to simply control their patch management operations. It is designed so that IT security and operations teams can collaborate in the most effective way possible. Users that employ BigFix can find and fix issues with their endpoints faster than those that employ its competitors. It comes with thousands of security checks that can be deployed quickly and easily. These enable users to safeguard themselves from a wide variety of digital threats.
HCL BigFix Benefits
Some of the ways that organizations can benefit by choosing to deploy HCL BigFix include:
BigFix Features
Reviews from Real Users
HCL BigFix is a highly effective solution that stands out when compared to most of its competitors. Two major advantages it offers are its auto-patching capability and its user-friendly tools.
Santhosh K., the chief executive officer of Catnip Infotech Private Limited, writes, “The second valuable feature is, BigFix also has an auto patch updating feature, where the latest patches, and what is required for my system are automatically downloaded and kept ready for me. The solution applies the patch and notifies me after applying the patch. BigFix also gives me a ping saying that I should reset my system within a certain period of time, while the patch is being applied. Let's say, the patch is being applied and if there's an issue, the solution can revoke the applied patch, and revert back to the old state.”
Benedikt S., an application administrator, says, “It's very straightforward. The usability is very close to everyday technical tools that you use as a systems administrator. So it's quite user-friendly.”
ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform empowers organizations with application control, selective elevation, and ring-fencing to enhance security and prevent unauthorized access.
ThreatLocker provides comprehensive security management using application allowlisting to ensure only approved software operates across servers and workstations. The platform's centralized management simplifies security processes by consolidating multiple tools, and its robust capabilities align with zero-trust strategies by actively blocking unauthorized applications and ensuring compliance. Users note intuitive features such as mobile access, helpful training resources, and responsive support, which effectively reduce operational costs and help desk inquiries. The managed service providers prefer ThreatLocker to maintain network integrity by preventing malicious scripts and unauthorized access attempts. However, users identify room for growth in training and support flexibility, the interface, and certain technical challenges like network saturation from policy updates.
What are the most important features?Organizations utilize ThreatLocker for application allowlisting, ensuring only authorized software operates to prevent unauthorized access efficiently. Deployed across servers and workstations, its features support zero-trust principles and are favored by managed service providers for application management and network integrity.
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