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Solution Architect at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Real User
May 4, 2021
User-friendly and stable with a straightforward setup
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is stable. The performance has been great over the years."
  • "We haven't had any issues so far, the solution is easy to use and very user-friendly, simple to navigate and work with, stable, with great performance over the years and the capability to scale."
  • "It would be nice if the solution was a bit cheaper. The product is a little pricey."

What is our primary use case?

We are primarily using the solution as a domain controller for user authentication and a DNS server.

What is most valuable?

We haven't had any issues so far. It works basically without any issues.

The solution is easy to use and very user-friendly. It's simple to navigate and to work with.

The solution is stable. The performance has been great over the years.

The product has the capability to scale. 

The installation was very straightforward.

What needs improvement?

It would be nice if the solution was a bit cheaper. The product is a little pricey.

For how long have I used the solution?

I use the solution daily. I've used it over the last ten years or so. It's been a decade. I've been using it for a long time.

Buyer's Guide
Windows Server
May 2026
Learn what your peers think about Windows Server. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2026.
900,747 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is very stable. We upgraded from 2016 to 2019 versions and we didn't have any issues. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's very reliable and the performance is good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I have read about its scalability, however, our environment is not too big. Therefore, I don't have any experience with scaling the product directly. That said, I read that it's scalable. It's just that I haven't attempted to expand it myself.

We have about 50 users on the solution currently.

We do intend to increase usage in the future.

How are customer service and support?

I can't speak to how technical support is. I'm not responsible for that server. I've not experienced any issues myself that would require me to call into support.

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

Before using the Windows Server, I did not use other operating systems for business products. We've always just used Windows and Microsoft Office-based systems.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was not overly complex or difficult. It was quite straightforward and fairly simple. 

The deployment is fast. It takes less than 20 minutes.

We also moved from 2016 to 2019 versions without any issues.

Maintenance does not require a large amount of staff. One person is responsible for the environment for the Window Servers. We have an IT administrator handling the duties.

What about the implementation team?

I handled the implementation myself. I did not need the assistance of any consultants or integrators.

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

The solution does require a company to obtain a license.

We would like the licenses to be less expensive. Generally, the price is too high.

What other advice do I have?

We are just a customer and an end-user. We don't have a business relationship with Microsoft.

I would recommend this solution to other organizations.

I'd rate the solution at a ten out of ten. We've been very pleased with its overall capabilities.

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
reviewer1192233 - PeerSpot reviewer
Information Systems Infrastructure Manager at a comms service provider with 1,001-5,000 employees
Reseller
May 3, 2021
User-friendly, easy to install, priced well, but the security should be improved
Pros and Cons
  • "It's user-friendly."
  • "We plan to continue to use this solution and would recommend it to others who are interested in using it."
  • "The security is not good. Windows Server has never been secure."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution for business applications.

What is most valuable?

It's user-friendly.

What needs improvement?

The security is not good. Windows Server has never been secure. You have put firewalls in place and do other things such as installing anti-virus software to secure Windows, otherwise, it won't work well.

Windows will never be secure, but it should be.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using this solution for several years from 2008 to version 2015. We use it extensively.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is fair. It's okay.

How was the initial setup?

It is very easy to install.

It doesn't take very much time at all, it's very easy, just click until it's finished.

What about the implementation team?

I completed the installation myself.

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

It is priced very well and we pay an annual license fee.

It's not very expensive when compared to Linux.

What other advice do I have?

We plan to continue to use this solution and would recommend it to others who are interested in using it.

I would rate Windows Server a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Windows Server
May 2026
Learn what your peers think about Windows Server. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2026.
900,747 professionals have used our research since 2012.
reviewer1564803 - PeerSpot reviewer
System Administrator at a insurance company with 201-500 employees
Real User
May 2, 2021
Server operating systems that boast simplicity, but require more security features
Pros and Cons
  • "I like its simplicity."
  • "Windows Server is a stable solution."
  • "It would be better if they had more security features and fewer bugs. They can also improve their technical support."

What is our primary use case?

We use it for the operating system.

What is most valuable?

I like its simplicity. 

What needs improvement?

It would be better if they had more security features and fewer bugs. They can also improve their technical support.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Windows Server for about ten years.

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?

Windows Server is scalable.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support isn't very good. I would rate it somewhere in the middle.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward.

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

It could be cheaper. 

What other advice do I have?

I would tell potential users that it depends on the solution and the setup. If it's related to security, maybe it's better to go for Linux. If they're looking for usage and administration, they can go for Windows.

On a scale from one to ten, I would give Windows Server a seven.

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
reviewer1444248 - PeerSpot reviewer
Insolvency Practitioner and Director at a financial services firm with 11-50 employees
Real User
Apr 30, 2021
Implementation and customer services needs improvement, but overall works well
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of the solution is it works well overall."
  • "I would like to see easier implementation and better customer service in the future."

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of the solution is it works well overall.

What needs improvement?

I would like to see easier implementation and better customer service in the future.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have beends using the solution for 20 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I have found the solution to be very reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have 18 people in our organization using the solution.

How are customer service and technical support?

The customer service should be easier to access.

How was the initial setup?

I was involved in the installation of the solution and it did go well. We have an HP Server and we are using Microsoft software, they clashed. It took months to get it to work well.

What about the implementation team?

We used a consultant for the implementation and it took approximately six months to get everything working correctly.

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

We had to purchase the solution and also the licenses to go on each computer system.

What other advice do I have?

We are going to continue using the solution until everything is on the cloud. I would not recommend it.

I rate Windows Server a five 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
reviewer1136874 - PeerSpot reviewer
System Integration Engineer at a computer software company with 1-10 employees
Real User
Apr 30, 2021
Good performance, easy to set up, and good support
Pros and Cons
  • "We like the performance."
  • "We like the performance, and we use this solution because we need Microsoft."
  • "The price could be better and the licensing model could be easier to understand."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution for virtualization and the remote desktop.

What is most valuable?

We like the performance. 

We use this solution because we need Microsoft. It's not a choice about the other operating systems.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Windows Servers for approximately five years.

We are not yet using the latest version. We are using version 2016.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have approximately 80 users in our company and we have a range of a couple of customers to 1,000 customers who are using this solution.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is okay.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is pretty straightforward.

Depending on the size of the infrastructure, you need one single person single-handedly to four or five people to maintain this solution.

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

The price could be better and the licensing model could be easier to understand.

Our customers prefer lifetime licenses.

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?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1556808 - PeerSpot reviewer
ASM at a healthcare company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Apr 29, 2021
A server operating system that's easy to use, but security could be better
Pros and Cons
  • "I like that it's simple and the users are happy."
  • "It could be more secure. We can't compare it to other products because they have their own security and all those things. When it comes to email security, there are issues. Microsoft products used to get hacked all the time, but we're still comfortable with that."
  • "It could be more secure. When it comes to email security, there are issues."

What is our primary use case?

We're using it primarily for domain control, additional domains, and servers. Everything is used under the Windows platform.

What is most valuable?

I like that it's simple and the users are happy. 

What needs improvement?

It could be more secure. We can't compare it to other products because they have their own security and all those things. When it comes to email security, there are issues. Microsoft products used to get hacked all the time, but we're still comfortable with that.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Windows Server for almost ten years, and we're still using it.

How was the initial setup?

It was a straightforward installation.

What about the implementation team?

My four-member team of engineers can install and manage it themselves.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to potential users.

On a scale from one to ten, I would give Windows Server a seven.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
IT Support Executive at a healthcare company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Apr 28, 2021
Flexible, easy to use, and reliable
Pros and Cons
  • "I have found the solution to be flexible and easy to use."
  • "I believe the solution needs to be more secure in the future."

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution as a typical server for our organization.

What is most valuable?

I have found the solution to be flexible and easy to use.

What needs improvement?

I believe the solution needs to be more secure in the future.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for 10 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution has been stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable but not as much as some of their competitors. We have approximately 400 users using the solution in my organization.

How are customer service and technical support?

The support is okay but it takes some time before you have someone on the telephone that is an expert that is needed for the issue.

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

I have previously used Linux and this solution is not as scalable.

How was the initial setup?

The installation was straightforward.

What about the implementation team?

The deployment is not a single-person job and we have used vendors in the past. For the deployment and maintenance of the solution, we have three technicians.

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

There is a license needed for this solution.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend using this solution to others.

I 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
reviewer1510542 - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Test Engineer at a manufacturing company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Mar 24, 2021
Overall great performance, flexible, and straightforward installation
Pros and Cons
  • "I find the solution to be easy to use, flexible with overall great performance."
  • "The solution would be better by implementing more security and integration."

What is our primary use case?

The solution is primarily used to deploy applications into the cloud and as remote information storage. Additionally, it is useful for test purposes. 

What is most valuable?

I find the solution to be easy to use, flexible with overall great performance.

What needs improvement?

The solution would be better by implementing more security and integration. 

Among some of the additional features, I would like to see in the next release are more integration and security.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used the solution for a few years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable. We have approximately 20 people using the solution. 

How was the initial setup?

The installation was straightforward and took approximately one hour. 

What about the implementation team?

I have deployed the solution by myself. 

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

The solution requires licencing. 

What other advice do I have?

I will continue using and recommend the solution. 

I 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
reviewer1189236 - PeerSpot reviewer
Manager at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Feb 4, 2021
A simple solution that's easy to use and has okay stability
Pros and Cons
  • "The product, overall, is very simple; it's easy to use and navigate, has a good design, and the implementation is very easy without giving you any trouble."
  • "The stability is okay, however, it could be better. It's an area that they could improve on if they wanted to."
  • "The stability is somewhere in between good and bad. It's so-so. It could be better."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution as a database.

What is most valuable?

The product, overall, is very simple. It's easy to use and navigate. It's got a good design.

The implementation is very easy. It doesn't give you any trouble.

What needs improvement?

The stability is okay, however, it could be better. It's an area that they could improve on if they wanted to.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for two years at this point.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is somewhere in between good and bad. It's so-so. It could be better. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have 15 people that use the solution, and five engineers that manage everything as necessary.

We do plan to continue to use the product going forward.

How are customer service and technical support?

I don't really need the assistance of technical support. I'm an engineer. Typically, I can fix any issues that may arise. Therefore, I don't contact Microsoft. I can't speak to their support service and how helpful they are.

How was the initial setup?

We found the initial setup to be very simple and straightforward. It's not complex. We didn't have any issues.

I can't recall how long the actual deployment took. It was a while ago now.

I handled the installation by myself. You only really need one person to deploy the product.

We have engineers that can handle maintenance on the solution in our company.

What about the implementation team?

I handled the implementation myself. I didn't need to have the installation done by a consultant or integrator.

What other advice do I have?

We only really use Windows Server for one thing. We don't have too complicated of a setup.

I would recommend the solution to other organizations. I've mostly been happy with the product overall.

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

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1491849 - PeerSpot reviewer
Vice President at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
MSP
Feb 2, 2021
Robust features, maintenance free, easy install, and excellent support
Pros and Cons
  • "Nothing is required for the maintenance of the solution, Microsoft does everything. It is very good and robust."
  • "The solution could be cheaper."

What is our primary use case?

The solution is a general server, It can be used for any of the products that you want to create or use. For example, it can be used for application server deployment and web applications. It can be used for everything.

What is most valuable?

Nothing is required for the maintenance of the solution, Microsoft does everything. It is very good and robust.

What needs improvement?

The solution could be cheaper.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used the solution for 20 years

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

In my experience the solution is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is extremely scalable.

How are customer service and technical support?

The support for this solution is excellent.

How was the initial setup?

When comparing the installation to Linux and others, it is probably the best one.

What about the implementation team?

The whole deployment with everything installed takes approximately one week. I have done the implementation of the solution for 10 years but now I use my team to do it. It normally only takes one person to do the deployment.

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

We pay yearly for a license. If you ask any vendor they will tell you that it could be cheaper.

What other advice do I have?

I am going to continue to use this solution in the future.

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.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Windows Server Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: May 2026
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Windows Server Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.