We work mostly on the banking organization segment. In banking organizations, they are using around 40% of Windows Servers. If there is any database they will be using MySQL. Including enterprise segments. 80% of people are using Windows Server and SQL or Exchange though, actually, now people are migrating to the cloud. Groups of companies, including enterprise pharmaceuticals, are mostly using Microsoft.
AGM, Enterprise Solutions at Omgea Exim Ltd
Easy to use and install but the performance needs to be improved
Pros and Cons
- "The installation process is great."
- "Microsoft is a popular and necessary addition to any company."
- "There's a short availability that could be much better."
- "We've had a lot of problems from day one."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The ease of use is great.
The installation process is great.
What needs improvement?
We've had a lot of problems from day one.
The security could be better. One of the banks suffered ransomware attacks and they were able to penetrate the servers.
There's a short availability that could be much better.
The performance is not up to snuff. They need to work on increasing resources.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used the solution since the inception of our company, which has been about seven years.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The performance is not ideal. It could be a lot better.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have around 200 clients and most of them are using Microsoft in one way or another.
How are customer service and support?
Most of the time, we've noticed that customers can go and troubleshoot issues on their own. It seems rare to raise a ticket on Microsoft support. Due to the fact that it's so rare to need to raise issues, I can't really speak to having any direct experience dealing with them. That said, sometimes, if a patch is needed, they do need to go to Microsoft and get it.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is very straightforward and it is not overly difficult or complex. With a certain level of experience, anyone can install and configure it. It's not a problem.
You likely just need one person to handle deployment and maintenance. You can handle this solution with a minimal number of technical staff.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The license is perpetual. Once you buy the server, you don't have to continue to renew the license itself.
What other advice do I have?
Microsoft is a popular and necessary addition to any company. Most companies can't run at all without Microsoft being used at some level.
If a customer has more than 100 workstations installed in Microsoft then I recommend them to use this sort of solution. If a customer is using .NET applications then by default the choice is Windows, however, if they are using Java or Oracle I recommend that they use Linux due in large part to the security.
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.
Systems Engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Flexible with easy deployment and good technical support
Pros and Cons
- "We find the solution to be easy to use and simple to navigate."
- "The solution could be more reasonably priced."
What is our primary use case?
The solution is very useful if the company doesn't want open storage, OS. In those cases, we usually recommend customers to use Microsoft services. Most of the time it's actually the client who gives us advice on what kind of OS they want to use and they will just ask for the quotation.
What is most valuable?
The solution is very flexible.
We find the solution to be easy to use and simple to navigate.
The stability is very good.
The security on the server has been great. It's much more secure than, for example, other open-source operating systems.
We find the solution very easy to install.
Technical support is very helpful.
What needs improvement?
The solution could be more reasonably priced.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been dealing with the solution for a couple of years at this point. It's been a while now. We've had some time with it.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of the product is good. The product doesn't crash or freeze and there are no bugs or glitches. It's reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There is no need to scale the solution. It's not the type of solution that really needs to scale.
I'm not sure the exact number of people using the solution. It's my understanding that it's over ten at this time.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support is very fast when it comes to replying. They were able to solve any issues we raised with them. We're satisfied with their level of service.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is not complicated to set up. It's pretty simple and straightforward. A company shouldn't have any issues with the process.
The deployment process may take about 30 minutes or so, as long as you don't run into any errors.
You only need two technical people to manage the deployment process. You don't need a very big team.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing could be a bit more competitive.
The solution offers a permanent license. You don't have to pay a monthly or yearly subscription.
What other advice do I have?
We are Windows Server consultants.
I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten. We've been quite satisfied with its capabilities.
I would recommend the product to other users and companies, especially those that don't want to use an open-source option.
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. Partner
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Sales Manager at INFOSEC
Stable, integrates well with different solutions, and offers a very good operating system to customers
Pros and Cons
- "The product integrates well with Sophos."
- "The product is a good operating system and the features fit our needs very well, allowing us to use one Windows Server for printing, accessing the internet, and running various applications instead of needing several servers."
- "A typical user will find implementing it on their own difficult."
- "It's incompatible sometimes and doesn't communicate with all applications."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution in order to manage clients, the CRM, or ERP (such as SAP), or such applications as Microsoft Dynamics. We use it for a variety of things.
What is most valuable?
The product is a good operating system. The features fit our needs very well. For example, with Windows Server, you can use a machine for printing, accessing the internet, or using some applications. You can do it all with one server. You don't need several servers. One is enough.
For those with a bit of technical know-how and have a level of comfort with Microsoft, it's not too difficult to implement.
The solution can scale if you need it to.
I've found the product to be stable.
The product integrates well with Sophos.
What needs improvement?
It's incompatible sometimes and doesn't communicate with all applications. When you need to share some data, communication is difficult between the server and the app.
A typical user will find implementing it on their own difficult.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've used the solution for about ten years or so. It's likely been a decade. We've used it for a long time at this point.
I personally have 20 years of experience working with a variety of Microsoft products.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is very good. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution can scale if you need it to.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I also use Windows 10.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is neither overly difficult nor very simple. It's somewhere in the middle. There's a moderate level of difficulty, however, it's not too hard. For a common user, it may come across as complex, however, with my level of knowledge, I don't find it too bad.
What about the implementation team?
I have enough experience with the solution that I can handle it myself.
What other advice do I have?
We are just a customer and an end-user. We don't have a business relationship with Microsoft.
We tend to use Windows Server 2012 or 2016, depending on the enterprise applications.
I'd rate the product at a nine out of ten. I've been please with its capabilities so far.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Regional Head Customer Experience at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
User-friendly, highly secure, and good performance
Pros and Cons
- "We have many applications which require Windows Server, such as SQL Server and an application server that acts as a middle layer."
- "The solution is highly secure and stable with many policies."
- "Windows Server could improve by having a faster browser, IE is too slow. There are better alternatives, such as Chrome."
What is our primary use case?
We have many applications which require Windows Server, such as SQL Server and an application server that acts as a middle layer.
What is most valuable?
The solution is user-friendly, you do not need a command line technical team to operate it.
What needs improvement?
Windows Server could improve by having a faster browser, IE is too slow. There are better alternatives, such as Chrome.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for approximately four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is highly secure and stable with many policies. We did not have any issues with the performance.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have approximately 2,000 users using the solutions.
How was the initial setup?
The installation was straightforward.
What about the implementation team?
We have a team that does the maintenance and policies for the solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There is not a license required for this solution.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Windows Server an eight 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.
Founder at Inspira Enterprise
High performance, scalable, and straightforward installation
Pros and Cons
- "If everything is configured correctly this solution provides high performance. Building a Failover Cluster is comparatively much easier in Windows Server than any of the Linux-based solutions."
- "They should release a command-line version of the solution."
What is our primary use case?
Windows Server can be used for various mission-critical applications, such as SAP, web servers, SQL databases, and hosting. Various security applications, for example, Symantec or McAfee, all need Windows Servers as the back end to operate. Additionally, this solution can be used to build up a Failover Cluster.
What is most valuable?
If everything is configured correctly this solution provides high performance. Building a Failover Cluster is comparatively much easier in Windows Server than any of the Linux-based solutions.
What needs improvement?
They should release a command-line version of the solution.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for approximately 15 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Windows Server is stable. However, there is some maintenance required for smooth operations.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution can easily scale.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is straightforward and takes approximately one hour.
What about the implementation team?
If the server environment is large I would advise using an integrator. We have a team that does the maintenance of the solution which is important because it is used for mission-critical applications.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution could improve by changing the licensing model. In Windows Server 2008 they provided two versions, one regular and the other was free with no graphics. In Windows 2012 they stopped providing the free version. They should go back to the previous model and let customers have the choice whether they want to opt for a free version or have the Microsoft supported version or the OEM version.
If you choose Windows Server on-premises, you will receive a perpetual license and there is also a subscription license option. For the cloud version, there are several options available, such as a monthly subscription.
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?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
System Administrator & IT Specialist at Informat Systems
Scalable and has a lot of features, but needs more stability, fewer automatic updates, and a CLI approach
Pros and Cons
- "There are a lot of features. Active Directory is most valuable."
- "It should have more stability and fewer automatic updates. A CLI approach, similar to Linux, is missing right now."
What is our primary use case?
We are using it mainly for Active Directory, Exchange Servers, and file services.
What is most valuable?
There are a lot of features. Active Directory is most valuable.
What needs improvement?
It should have more stability and fewer automatic updates. A CLI approach, similar to Linux, is missing right now.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for 12 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It should have more stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I am quite satisfied with its scalability. We are an IT company, and we provide professional services to other companies, so we deploy a lot of services. Combined, we have a lot of users, but if you look at a specific company, we have between 200 to 500 employees.
How are customer service and technical support?
I am satisfied with their technical support most of the time.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have multiple types of licenses. Some of them are on a yearly basis, and some of them are prepaid.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Windows Server a seven out of 10.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
System Administrator at a consumer goods company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Reliable, commonly known and used, and scalable
Pros and Cons
- "Windows Server is most commonly used and practiced."
- "With a proper deployment, Windows Server is good."
- "Often, we get updates that affect productivity."
What is our primary use case?
We upgraded to 2019 and use this as our operating system for our domain controller, for our file server, and for running our ERP. We're also run our ERP on Microsoft Dynamics.
What is most valuable?
Windows Server is most commonly used and practiced. It is compatible with what we are running. You can run Dynamics on Linux or other operating systems, but our clients commonly use Windows Server, Microsoft products, and Office 365.
What needs improvement?
Often, we get updates that affect productivity. It's the way they do the updates.
After an update has been done, Microsoft notifies us that there is a problem.
It is not practical to have a test environment. There should be an easier process, as currently, it's a bit tedious. They should find a way of proving or revamping this procedure. It should be very fast.
When you are running Windows and Microsoft, you will see an error message regarding ransomware and suggest the security is up-to-date, but the update always affects the operating system. Most of the issues we have are when we apply security updates or critical updates, which will affect the operating system, the production environment, and your business.
It is recommended to have a test environment, run it on the test environment to make sure that it is working well then put it in the production environment. This is a tedious process. Most of the time, people just take a risk and just apply it without doing the test.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Windows Server for more than 10 years.
We are using Windows 2019, 2016, and 2012.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Windows Server is scalable.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We are also using Exchange version 2016, and Windows 10.
What other advice do I have?
With a proper deployment, Windows Server is good.
I would rate Windows Server an eight 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.
IT at a financial services firm with 201-500 employees
Easy to use, stable and with good performance for the running of OS applications
Pros and Cons
- "We like the ease of use, stability and performance of Windows Server."
- "As I have already paid for a license, I should have the option of requesting the containerized functionality from the OS to reduce the Windows Server OS footprint."
What is our primary use case?
A couple of years ago we migrated from the 2008 to the 2012 version and we are currently in the process of trying to migrate our applications to that of 2019. We use Windows 10 for OS. We're researching z/OS, which is actually Linux based, to see how well it works with Windows applications.
When it comes to the SQL server, we have separate application and database servers, the latter which is also on Windows Server 2012. This means that we have a couple of applications in which we hosted in IIS and Windows Server 2012. Consequently, we have quite a collection of Windows 2012 that are currently running in our data center.
For the moment, we are not making use of the solution in our environment but looking into how we can have a license free OS that can both work with lower machines and function very well.
What is most valuable?
We like the ease of use, stability and performance of Windows Server. The reason I was skeptical when it comes to moving to Windows Server 2019, which is currently the latest version that the market has to offer, is because the solution is easy to use and stable, something typical of any OS. While we are currently inspecting the compatibility of applications that are running on Windows version 2019, we're still using the 2012 version and everything is working fine. We have encountered no problems with the OS being used to run the applications.
What needs improvement?
What could help in improving the footprint is if Microsoft could come up with several flavors or start providing containerized solutions for server systems.
Say, for example, that I wish to host a web server online. I would pose the question whether I would really need to have a Windows Server OS for me to be able to do that on IIS. At the moment, the use of Kubernetes or Docker present the only solution. As there is a steep learning curve for one's team to acquire the skill-set and obtain the capabilities associated with these solutions, a relevant Microsoft version would make life much easier.
As I have already paid for a license, I should have the option of requesting the containerized functionality from the OS to reduce the Windows Server OS footprint. This will save me from having to make constant installations as a condition of running my servers on it.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using Windows Server for a couple of years, straight from the beginning.
How are customer service and technical support?
We have had no issues with Windows Server that required technical support, although we did have to call the Microsoft team concerning something on which we were working and had issues around the MS Teams and certain things relating to Azure. I can connect you to my system's administrator if you wish, who may have more information.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is pretty straightforward.
What about the implementation team?
I can easily replicate what I want. My environment allows me to clone servers in a matter of mere minutes, as I already have a startup which contains all of my standards.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
One must pay for a license for the solution.
What other advice do I have?
The number of users utilizing the solution averages slightly north of 500, since this is the application we use in running all our key activities. Each member of our organization's staff requires access to the solution for carrying out several functions, be it in respect of the application or of the need to log into the system as a consequence of this being where the employee management system is located.
I would definitely recommend the solution to others.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
GM: Information Systems at a logistics company with 501-1,000 employees
User friendly and compatible with other solutions
Pros and Cons
- "The features that I have found most valuable are its ease of use and the compatibility with most other products."
- "I would definitely like to see bolting monitoring tools. To monitor the server you usually have to install third party tools. I would like to be less reliant on third-party tools. They always create some sort of security issue regarding ports that need to be opened, that type of thing. Windows Server has internally monitorable software but remote monitoring software would be a great add-on."
- "I would definitely like to see bolting monitoring tools. To monitor the server you usually have to install third party tools."
What is our primary use case?
We are using Windows Server on virtual machines running off-premise.
This operating system for business can be useful for personal documents or any daily or routine stuff.
What is most valuable?
The features that I have found most valuable are its ease of use and the compatibility with most other products.
What needs improvement?
I would definitely like to see bolting monitoring tools. To monitor the server you usually have to install third party tools. I would like to be less reliant on third-party tools. They always create some sort of security issue regarding ports that need to be opened, that type of thing. Windows Server has internally monitorable software but remote monitoring software would be a great add-on.
In the next version I would like to see monitoring tools or maybe an easier way to figure out who were the last people that were working on the server, something that gives me better insights into the actions taken by different users who need to access the server. Our server is definitely not for everybody to access, but even if it had logging installed or activated, it's quite difficult to figure out who did what.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Windows Server for a couple of years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Windows Server is definitely scalable.
We have 200 users using it in the network.
How was the initial setup?
I was not part of the initial setup, I'm not part of the technical team. But I know from the people who did install it that it was quite easy.
What other advice do I have?
On a scale of one to ten I would give Windows Server a nine.
I would recommend Windows Server for users who want to start using it.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Lead Solutions Architect - International Projects at a media company with 501-1,000 employees
Scalable, easy to install and best used for Microsoft applications
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is scalable."
- "The installation process is very straightforward, very easy, and not too complex, so a company shouldn't have any problems handling the process."
- "The solution is less stable than Linux."
- "I don't like it. However, I'm forced to use it, due to the applications, or the vendor supply, that need to run on it."
What is our primary use case?
We have an asset management system from a vendor that requires Windows Server. That's where the old content of customers is being stored.
What is most valuable?
The solution is perfect for Microsoft applications.
The stability is okay.
The solution is scalable.
The installation process is easy.
What needs improvement?
I don't like it. However, I'm forced to use it, due to the applications, or the vendor supply, that need to run on it. Many of the applications only support Windows Server.
The solution is less stable than Linux.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've used the solution for a while. We use it constantly.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is pretty stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's pretty reliable. That said, Linux is even more reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution can scale. If a company needs to expand it, it can do so easily.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We also use Linux. We're 50% Linux, 50% Windows.
How was the initial setup?
The installation process is very straightforward. It's very easy. It's not too complex. A company shouldn't have any problems handling the process.
What other advice do I have?
We use various versions of the solution, including 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2019.
We're a service provider. I have colleagues who are MSP-certified. They are the consultants to our customers.
I'd rate the solution at a seven out of ten. it's okay. However, it's not my first choice. I find Linux, for example, more stable.
I would only recommend the solution to a user if they really needed to use it for specific applications. I would not advise it if you needed to install it. I'd only advise it if your application requires Windows. If that's the case, then, of course, you should use it.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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