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Senior System Administrator at Debre Markos University
Real User
Great tech support and good performance
Pros and Cons
  • "The performance is very good."
  • "The security could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We use the 2016 version. 

We use the solution for our applications. 

What is most valuable?

The performance is very good.

What needs improvement?

The security could be improved. 

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Windows Server for three-and-a-half to four years. 

Buyer's Guide
Windows Server
July 2025
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How are customer service and support?

The tech support is great.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Prior to using Windows Server we used DBN. 

What about the implementation team?

I handled the installation on my own. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There is a licensing fee. It is possible that the Windows Server OS was built with this server. 

What other advice do I have?

I recommend the solution to others.

I rate Windows Server as a ten 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.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1641087 - PeerSpot reviewer
Manager Operations at a non-profit with 1-10 employees
Real User
Easy to configure, stable, and easy to setup
Pros and Cons
  • "It is easy to use."
  • "The security policies need improvement."

What is our primary use case?

We are in service and sales. We are serving and selling products to our customers.

What is most valuable?

It is easy to use.

It is also very easy to configure.

What needs improvement?

The security policies need improvement. The port mapping and the backdoor entries need to be improved.

I would like to see improvements with the security policies and there should be some other policies inbuilt with the server addition.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Windows Server is a stable product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's a scalable solution. I would rate the scalability an eight out of ten.

80% is scalable and 20% has limitations.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have not had contact with technical support.

How was the initial setup?

It is easy to set up.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Windows Server an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Windows Server
July 2025
Learn what your peers think about Windows Server. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: July 2025.
865,295 professionals have used our research since 2012.
reviewer1362099 - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Engineer at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
Real User
Top 5
Easy to deploy, simple to set up and stable
Pros and Cons
  • "The scalability is okay."
  • "The solution should be less expensive."

What is our primary use case?

We are using this solution for some database applications.

What is most valuable?

The solution is mostly stable. 

The scalability is okay. We just need to get the correct edition of the Server.

The initial setup is easy and the deployment is fast.

What needs improvement?

There are some limitations around scalability.

The solution should be less expensive. Linux options are far less costly.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for five years, at least, in this company.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The product, for the most part, is stable. I would say the hardware will cause some issues before the operating system.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

In terms of hardware, it is scalable, if we can increase the hardware resources. We are not using the data center version of the OS. We're just using the standard version.

We have around 30 people using the solution.

How are customer service and technical support?

I haven't dealt with technical support. So far we haven't escalated anything as our installation is very simple.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is not overly complex. It is basically like any other Windows operating system. It's fairly straightforward.

The implementation only takes about 30 minutes. 

We have a team of three in the IT department that can handle deployment and maintenance. 

What about the implementation team?

We did not need any integrator or consultant. it's very easy for a company to handle by itself. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing could be more competitive.

We only pay a one-time fee and do not have to continuously pay monthly or yearly.

What other advice do I have?

I'm a customer and an end-user.

We are still using 2012, and we're planning to upgrade to 2019.

I'd rate the solution a nine out of ten.

I would recommend the solution to other organizations. 

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.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1595007 - PeerSpot reviewer
IT manager at a non-profit with 1-10 employees
Real User
An easily deployable solution
Pros and Cons
  • "The deployment can be done with rapidity and much ease."
  • "While the solution is stable, it could be more so."

What is our primary use case?

I use Windows Server 2015.

We have data center and now we use the software to do the virtualization. We develop certain functions. 

What needs improvement?

While the solution is stable, it could be more so. There are times when there is a need to make corrections. 

It would also be nice to see more integration. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Windows Server for awhile, at least for a couple of years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Although the solution is stable, this could stand some improvement. 

How are customer service and technical support?

Owing to the distance which is sometimes involved, the technical support can stand improvement. 

How was the initial setup?

Windows Server is very easy to install. There is no issue in this regard. It can be done on one's disc, if he has one. 

The deployment can be done with rapidity and much ease. 

What about the implementation team?

While I have five people in my organization, the deployment can be handled by a single engineer in my company. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There are no fees involved in the solution. 

The government directly pays the licensing fees for all public organizations, of which we are included. The organization's name is IDU, which does license development for the country in the computer science department. They give us the SQL Server and Microsoft Office to install in our public hospital.

What other advice do I have?

I work in MS Office, Oracle and SQL Server. Our company primarily uses MS Office. 

We have, perhaps, 200 users. 

I would recommend the solution to others, as I have done so in the past. 

I rate Windows Server a ten out of ten. 

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1536276 - PeerSpot reviewer
Sr Reporter at a media company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Good support, stable, easy to use, and easy to install
Pros and Cons
  • "Windows server is easy to use."
  • "Windows Server needs to introduce more dashboards."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution as our server application. Several applications are based on this operating system.

What is most valuable?

Windows server is easy to use.

What needs improvement?

Windows Server needs to introduce more dashboards.

A common user is not able to implement this solution. It could be simplified.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Windows Server for a couple of years.

We are using version 2019.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Windows Server is stable. I have no issues with the stability of the Windows Server.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have 45 servers in our organization.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is good. We have no issues with the support of Microsoft.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We did not use any other solution.

How was the initial setup?

It is quick and easy to install. 

The installation can take up to 45 minutes.

All technical people in our organization need to install Windows Server. Any IT engineer can deploy this solution. However, it cannot be set up by a regular user.

What about the implementation team?

I completed the installation myself.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There is a licensing fee that is paid yearly. 

It is an expensive solution. 

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others who are interested in using it.

It is very popular, I would rate Windows Server a ten 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.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1489908 - PeerSpot reviewer
Systems Engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Real User
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
PeerSpot user
reviewer1401510 - PeerSpot reviewer
Team leader technical support at a manufacturing company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Reliable, scalable, and compatible with most applications
Pros and Cons
  • "Most applications are compatible with this operating system."
  • "The security suffers the same issues as our Windows 10 for endpoint deployments. It could be more secure."

What is our primary use case?

We use Windows Server as the endpoint solution and for hosting our enterprise applications.

What is most valuable?

It makes an ideal tool for certain solutions. Most applications are compatible with this operating system.

What needs improvement?

The security suffers the same issues as our Windows 10 for endpoint deployments. It could be more secure.

The support could be more straightforward.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Windows Server since its existence. It's been more than twenty years.

We use versions 2012Rs and up.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Windows Server is a stable solution. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is a scalable product. We have approximately 300 users in our organization who are using Windows Server.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is a bit varied. Depending on the type of technical support that you need, most are very responsive and usually, they are quite knowledgeable.

There is definitely room for improvement, especially with more complex and less straightforward questions. It tends to stay in the area of data gathering.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We have just a few applications running on the SUSE Linux platform. These applications are few and far between and we are moving away from that platform.

How was the initial setup?

We use Marketplace VMs from Azure or templated solutions from our on-premise Hypervisor. Deployment takes less than 10 minutes.

What about the implementation team?

Setting up the environment where this service solution can be deployed takes a little bit longer. But we can do that ourselves with no problem.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

They are the same type of licensing for the Windows 10 endpoint solutions. 

We pay these on an annual basis. 

It is also dependant on your relationship with Microsoft as a company.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others who are interested in using it.

I would rate Windows Server an eight 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.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1524594 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Solutions Architect at a manufacturing company with 51-200 employees
Real User
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.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Windows Server Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: July 2025
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Windows Server Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.