What is our primary use case?
Our primary use is to provide application load balancing for inbound SMTP mail and webmail for Microsoft Exchange.
We have also used the product to load balance Citrix applications and delivery controllers. In our Citrix environment, it is much easier to implement, manage, and use versus Citrix's own Netscaler that we have used in the past.
How has it helped my organization?
It fixed our issue with internal webmail and SMTP overload. The product works exactly as advertised and we are thrilled with it. We now have webpage acceleration and can even load balance geographically with virtual boxes in our Microsoft Azure space.
Kemp basically has taken the overloading of one of our servers and now spreads it across three servers without any hiccups. We have excellent performance, see real data for our connections, and have no complaints from our end users. That is a very big help for us!
What is most valuable?
The user interface is very easy to work with. We did not have to hire outside services to implement what we figured out ourselves and saved plenty of money.
What needs improvement?
Perhaps Kemp could offer some training videos.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Kemp LoadMaster for 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We have had zero stability problems, ever!
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It works well. You can make them an HA pair or put in larger units if required with an easy upgrade path moving the configuration from one bx to another.
How are customer service and technical support?
We made one phone call and the problem was resolved, immediately. We had a resolution in 12 minutes!
My understanding is the company is built from engineers who left a competitor and took what people complained about at the original company and made it into a better product. Their support always picks up within minutes. In this day and age, sitting around waiting for techs to pick up the phone is a draining task! I do not like companies that have poorly trained engineers who don't pick up the phone!
Their support team is based in the US and that helps us as well. They seem to understand that we only call if there is a problem we cannot solve. Their engineers are really well trained and understand the root of the problem immediately, almost every time. Again, it's hard to complain about this product as we love it!
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We tried a few products and they were expensive and overly complicated.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was very easy. The configuration took about 20 minutes through a web browser.
What about the implementation team?
We implemented and deployed in-house.
What was our ROI?
For about $2,500, we have already made our money back!
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
At $2,500 USD, this is absolutely a fantastic buy for the money!
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We went with Kemp after trying other products like the Netscaler, the F5 solutions, and a few other lesser-known vendors. The Kemp solution gave us everything in the box without having to pay for any additional licenses.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, the product has covered what we needed and even offered some additional features.
It's really hard to say what can be improved when we do not have any complaints, to begin with. I just have to say that even Microsoft named Kemp their preferred load balancer for Microsoft Exchange in the past.
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.