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.

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Windows Server
May 2024
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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: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Principle consultant at Active Data Consulting Services Pty Ltd
Real User
I'm on a 16GB system with a 500GB SSD and I can run multiple VM's on VirtualBox, client sessions, multiple displays and so forth without any issues at all.

What is most valuable?

Speed and ease with integrating into Microsoft Azure AD environment, security, being able to log in the 'Hello' service.

How has it helped my organization?

In my small development environment, speed and security are important, we actually make use of the Microsoft's Edge browser -- which is getting better with each update. Simplified management of Windows 10 machines is also nice.

What needs improvement?

Intrusive 'You have updates' notification can be annoying -- as it blocks the middle of the screen, but this can be turned off.

When setting a new machine up, users should be given a bit more of information in regards to creating a Microsoft account vs a local account, as being unaware of this can cause a user some confusion down the track if they install an application that needs 'local' user credentials to function.

For how long have I used the solution?

Since it was released.

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

No, Windows 10 has deployed onto legacy systems fine.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Very stable, Haven't had any issues with instability whatsoever.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Being a Desktop operating system, scalability is really a function of the resources of the desktop or VM it's running in.

I'm on a 16GB system with a 500GB SSD and I can run multiple VM's on VirtualBox, client sessions, multiple displays and so forth without any issues at all.

How are customer service and technical support?

Customer Service:

Very good, Microsoft makes it easy to get most things set up fairly easily.

Technical Support:

Very high, I had the need to contact Microsoft customer support on a matter, and their engineer was able to remotely assume control of the screen (with my permission and after following instructions) and in a few minutes had resolved the problem.

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

Windows 7, which had become old, bloated with patches and security updates, and was generally just getting slow.

How was the initial setup?

Very straightforward. So far, the installer has identified all of our hardware and everything is running.

What about the implementation team?

In-house.

What was our ROI?

Difficult to calculate, improved efficiency, less time to get things done, less downtime...can't put an exact dollar amount on it, but our environment is more efficient with Windows 10 installed.

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

I can't see any reason why anyone would want to downgrade a new machine (if that's even possible now) to Windows 7...

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We looked at Remaining on Windows 7, but decided we would make the move to Windows 10.

What other advice do I have?

TEST your applications, especially legacy applications. Most things work just fine on Windows 10, but very old applications that may have just worked under windows 7 may encounter problems.

If that's the case and there's an application you absolutely must have, then consider setting up a dedicated VM with Windows 7 on it just for that application or look at replacing the ancient software.

We only had one old 90's era application that wouldn't run on Windows 10, so we just replaced it and dealt with the change.

The benefits of moving to Windows 10 far outweigh the costs of replacing some old applications (that are probably no longer supported and may have serious security issues).

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Windows Server
May 2024
Learn what your peers think about Windows Server. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2024.
772,649 professionals have used our research since 2012.
WaleedKhan - PeerSpot reviewer
IT manager at ARAR Innovations
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Provides ease of access to databases, but its firewall services need improvement
Pros and Cons
  • "The product offers in-house servers. It helps us update them and check any technical issues easily."
  • "The product's user interface upgrades and firewall services need improvement."

What is our primary use case?

We use the product to manage databases for various projects.

What is most valuable?

The product offers in-house servers. It helps us update them and check any technical issues easily.

What needs improvement?

The product's user interface upgrades and firewall services need improvement.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Windows Server for seven to eight years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The platform provides ease of access to databases in terms of migration.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is a scalable product. We have more than 200 Windows Server users in our organization. We might increase usage in some of our departments, like support administration, in case the business expands.

How are customer service and support?

We have an in-house technical support team.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is easy if you have a basic knowledge of the process. We can deploy it on-premise or on the cloud, depending on the project requirements.

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

There could be a one-time cost for Windows Server and not every month. It is a huge amount for the companies to pay yearly.

What other advice do I have?

I recommend Windows Server to users working on multiple projects and have an in-house team with enough resources. I rate it a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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AVP at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
User-friendly, reliable, and good premium support
Pros and Cons
  • "Windows Server is user-friendly and it is simply to support."

    What is our primary use case?

    We are using Windows Server for running our applications. One of our use cases is in a financial institution.

    What is most valuable?

    Windows Server is user-friendly and it is simply to support.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using Windows Server for approximately two years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    Windows Server has been stable in my usage.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The scalability of Windows Server is good.

    We have approximately 3,000 users using the solution.

    How are customer service and support?

    We have premium support with Microsoft, and it is good.

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

    I have used Windows 10.

    How was the initial setup?

    The installation is simple, and it takes approximately one hour.

    We have a golden copy of Windows Server, and we only need to apply it to the systems. This does not take much time for us, approximately seven minutes and Windows Server will be ready. We do the maintenance, such as patching, antivirus, and all the security that we have been approved in the bank. However, it's virtual now. All our environment is virtual, we only need to apply the golden copy. 

    Depending on the application or use case, we might use Windows 19, 16, or 12.

    What about the implementation team?

    I can do the implementation of the solution.

    We have 10 engineers and managers that support Windows Server.

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

    We have an enterprise agreement with Microsoft and the price for the license is bundled together. The solution is expensive but for the bank that is using it, the price is fine. We pay for a license every three years.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would recommend this solution to others.

    I rate Windows Server a nine out of ten.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    SCADA/EMS System Programmer at GCCIA
    Real User
    User friendly and it's compatible with the scalar product applications
    Pros and Cons
    • "User friendly and compatible with the scalar product applications."
    • "Could use more features and more functionality."

    What is our primary use case?

    Our primary use case is for the SCADA system, for the ITS system, and for the station system. I'm a system programmer and we are customers of Microsoft.

    What is most valuable?

    The advantage of the product is that it's user friendly, it's compatible with the scalar product applications, it's well known to our own users as well as to our end-user clients. 

    What needs improvement?

    I'd like to see more features and more functionality to the Microsoft operating system. The solution should be able to connect remotely and create a safer channel between the user and cloud assets, or through the internet. It's one of the biggest challenges we've had this past year. There are a lot of companies competing with each other to apply these features due to the pandemic. 

    For additional features, I'd like to see something like third-party applications that would create a hub to receive a connection from outside. It would handle all types of servers to enable remote access for the user from home, so they can safely connect to the system and check in if there is an emergency. You know that the SCADA system is a critical system and you can be considered on-call and notified at any time. It would enable a remote connection rather than the need for long procedures to connect to my network. It could have a third-party authentication so we could connect to the server safely.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We've used this product since 2008. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The product is stable with the current application we are using for SCADA but I'm not sure of the impact if you were to use another application or another technology. For the appliances using the firewall, using switches, it's very stable, especially, the critical system which you configure once, and forget about until you need to make another vulnerability scan. For the critical asset, or for the entire system, you'll configure it once, and it's stable. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Sometimes you need a huge number of firewalls to manage all the assets, so scalability depends on the assets you have in your network. In our case we sometimes only connect seven substations, that's three or four firewalls to manage everything. That includes interconnection with the member states, meaning six countries in the Gulf area that will receive information or data from them. The total number of data is very manageable requiring only three or four firewalls. In general, it is scalable and manageable. We have just under 100 users. We have around 10 technical teams in our control center and 10 engineers monitoring the system who deal with admin, modifications and monitoring the system.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    Any patching is tested in Dubai before applying it to the production system. We have minimal contact with the IT technical team. Given that the system is very stable, we rarely talk to the Microsoft technical team. 

    How was the initial setup?

    There is usually a factory acceptance test, but because of the pandemic we have an agreement with our vendor for the latest project that we will carry out the merger in Saudi Arabia.

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

    We're engaged with a reseller who deals with licensing for us. 

    What other advice do I have?

    I rate this solution a nine out of 10. 

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Technical and Project Manager Industrial Directorate EES CLEMESSY at a construction company with 10,001+ employees
    Real User
    User-friendly, stable, good online support, and easy to maintain
    Pros and Cons
    • "It's important to us that it is easy to use and has easy maintenance because we don't have specialists"
    • "The initial setup could be simplified."

    What is our primary use case?

    We have many brands that we use here in our firm. As an example, we use Dell for our Laptops, we use Lenovo, we use IBM for our computers, Cisco for our switches, and Microsoft.

    What is most valuable?

    It's important to us that it is easy to use and has easy maintenance because we don't have specialists. It is necessary for us to have very simple maintenance procedures.

    What needs improvement?

    The initial setup could be simplified.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We have been using Windows Server for more than two years, maybe five or more.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It's a stable solution. We have not had any issues with stability.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    We have 200 users in our organization who are using Windows Server.

    We have plans to keep using this solution.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    We have not contacted technical support. 

    I only use the support online.

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

    We use Windows Server, and Windows 10 for our laptops and PCs.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup depends on the preparation of the units.

    If it is prepared by a specialist then the installation is easy.

    We have to make sure that it has been configured properly.

    We have a team of 20 for the deployment and maintenance of this solution.

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

    It is important to have the cheapest price for all of the material and licenses.

    What other advice do I have?

    We have so many customers with Windows Servers that we are obliged to use the same technical path.

    We don't have any significant issues with Windows. I would rate Windows Server an eight out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Hybrid Cloud
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Control Systems Supervisor with 201-500 employees
    Real User
    Stable, reliable, and is able to run many applications
    Pros and Cons
    • "The only thing that is extremely valuable about the solution is that most applications run on it. That's where it brings the value in as we have the server to run our applications."
    • "There's always room for improvement. However, I'm not in the main IT department, and therefore, I'm not as close to the product as others on my team."

    What is our primary use case?

    We primarily use the solution as our general operating system.

    What is most valuable?

    The only thing that is extremely valuable about the solution is that most applications run on it. That's where it brings the value in as we have the server to run our applications.

    The product is stable.

    What needs improvement?

    I can't think of any improvements off the top of my head. 

    There's always room for improvement. However, I'm not in the main IT department, and therefore, I'm not as close to the product as others on my team.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    The company has used the solution for quite a while. They were using it well before I arrived at the organization.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The solution seems to be quite stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable. 

    How are customer service and support?

    To my knowledge, we have not dealt directly with Microsoft support. We haven't really had a need.

    How was the initial setup?

    For the most part, we didn't do the initial setup on it. We either buy the product with Microsoft already installed or the system integrator will install it.

    We have systems administrators that can maintain the solution. We have a few people on our team that can handle any tasks. 

    What about the implementation team?

    Occasionally, we have a systems integrator that assists in the installation or it comes pre-installed.

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

    I don't deal with pricing or licensing. I can't speak to how much the licensing costs. 

    What other advice do I have?

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

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    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: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Windows Server Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
    Updated: May 2024
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Windows Server Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.