PeerSpot user
ICT Technician at The Godolphin School
Vendor
It has made the process of getting support to end users quicker, but I'd like to be able to remove some of the default actions that are in the drop down menu of the tickets.

What is most valuable?

  • Integration with Active Directory
  • The ticketing system for the end users
  • The ease of making it work the way the IT Support Team want it to

How has it helped my organization?

Once the end users got used to the idea of creating an IT ticket, it has made the process of getting the support to them quicker, plus if they come up with the same problem themselves they can look at fixing it themselves as I leave notes in the ticket for them to follow in the future or they can use the Knowledge Base.

What needs improvement?

Scanning of the network, being able to remove some of the default actions that are in the drop down menu of the tickets. I think they should create a light version just for tickets as this can be used by many different trades not just IT.

For how long have I used the solution?

I implemented the use of Spiceworks in 2012 when I was employed by my current employer, and we are still using it.

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Spiceworks
April 2024
Learn what your peers think about Spiceworks. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2024.
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What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

No issues encountered.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We have not encountered any problems.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

No problems with scalability.

How are customer service and support?

Customer Service:

I have not had to use their customer service. I know people that have, and they have said it is faultless.

Technical Support:

I haven’t had the need to request tech support from Spiceworks, however asking a question in the Spiceworks Community is very good, you are guaranteed to get a solution.

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

My employer used an IT Company for the solution, with me introducing them to Spiceworks we saved over £700 per month meaning we could start to develop the IT infrastructure.

How was the initial setup?

Setting up Spiceworks is simple as long as you follow the instructions. I have even deployed it for the maintenance guys, so they can have tickets for the work to be carried out around the site. (They only get the ticket side of Spiceworks, no network stuff.)

What about the implementation team?

I implemented the use of Spiceworks.

What was our ROI?

Spiceworks is free so the ROI is unbelievable.

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

If you are a small – medium sized business you cannot go wrong with using Spiceworks to help you provide an A+ IT support as it is free.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We looked at Solarwinds and a couple of others provided by local IT companies.

What other advice do I have?

As mentioned above if you are a small – medium sized company then I would use Spiceworks.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user273753 - PeerSpot reviewer
it_user273753ICT Technician at The Godolphin School
Vendor

Hi Andrew,
On the Help Desk drop down you have vendor tickets, purchase need etc, we don't require them so it would be nice to have the ability to remove them.
Steve

See all 2 comments
it_user273747 - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Director at a legal firm with 501-1,000 employees
Vendor
This also works as a KB and an alarm system, but I couldn't monitor our Exchange or SQL servers.

What is most valuable?

Tracking the work that has been completed.

How has it helped my organization?

Our organization improved by using Spiceworks to monitor our network. It sends alerts as necessary, and allows the tracking of both open and closed tickets.

What needs improvement?

I was never able to properly get the product to monitor our Exchange server or SQL server.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used it for seven years.

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

Initially, the loading of a large network can be a little tedious, but later versions of Spiceworks have done an improved job of the installation.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I almost never experienced problems.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We haven't had problems with 70+ users.

How are customer service and technical support?

Customer Service:

7/10, which is good considering support is only via a forum.

Technical Support:

7/10, and it's also via a forum.

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

We tried a few help desk solutions, but really appreciated the amount of effort put into Spiceworks for a free solution with occasional ads. If anything, I would say they attempt to do too much with their product.

How was the initial setup?

Easy installation. The more difficult aspects are setting up all the devices and alarms, and maintaining the inventory.

What about the implementation team?

In-house. It was a relatively simple installation considering it was done with only two techs over a few days.

What was our ROI?

Our time was really the only expense and the return isn't easily quantifiable. Suffice it to say it is very, very high.

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

Other non-descript products. Nothing that matched the ease of use of Spiceworks for free or otherwise.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

If you need a help desk, just do it. This also works as a KB and an alarm system. Highly recommended.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Spiceworks
April 2024
Learn what your peers think about Spiceworks. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2024.
770,141 professionals have used our research since 2012.
PeerSpot user
IT Support and Development at a local government with 51-200 employees
Vendor
It provides a centralized system through which all IT requests are funnelled, with requests being auto-assigned a ticket number.

What is most valuable?

  • Network discovery
  • Ticketing system

How has it helped my organization?

Spiceworks provides a centralized system through which all IT requests are funnelled, with requests being auto-assigned a ticket number, thus streamlining organization and prioritization of requests. Users can track the status of their requests, leading to greater company-wide satisfaction with our IT team. Prior to roll out, IT received requests in person, via email, via phone, sticky note, etc. Now things are in one tidy place, and that has made everyone happy.

What needs improvement?

The only issue encountered was setting up the email server information. It took a little testing, but got it working in a couple of days.

For how long have I used the solution?

We've used it for less than six months.

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

There was an issue with the email server set-up.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

There was no issue with the stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

There was no issue with the scalability.

How are customer service and technical support?

Customer Service:

I haven't contacted the customer service.

Technical Support:

I haven't needed to use the tech support.

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

We did not previously use a ticketing or network monitoring system. I opted for Spiceworks since the non-pro version is free, I briefly used it at a past job, and the network discovery tool is provided.

How was the initial setup?

Everything was pretty straightforward aside from getting the email server settings done, since we are Google apps-centric. There are several Gmail server options to try for incoming/outgoing ports/settings/etc. and it took testing many combinations of settings before finding the best suited.

What about the implementation team?

I implemented it solely, in-house. I had little issue. Best advice I can give is- test, test, test!

What was our ROI?

Since the version I use is free, the ROI is excellent and I, as well as my company, are very satisfied with the results.

What other advice do I have?

There are other free ticketing platforms available out there. Keep in mind, however, if the network discovery, inventory, of your endpoint and software is critical, then Spiceworks may be best suited for your needs.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
IT freelancer/consultant at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Consultant
It provides the ability to generate custom, very detailed and on-demand or scheduled asset inventory reports.

What is most valuable?

Automatic inventory of network connected assets and ability to add assets that are not connected to network - such as monitors and docking stations.

How has it helped my organization?

Spiceworks replaced our previous attempts to track inventory and Help Desk related issues via spreadsheets. It provides the ability to generate custom, very detailed and on-demand or scheduled asset inventory reports. Help Desk feature was helpful as well, and replaced many walk-ups and tracking of issues via email.

What needs improvement?

The main issue we had with the Spiceworks was always performance related. A dedicated server would sometimes become unresponsive, and would need to be restarted.

For how long have I used the solution?

We've used this solution since Spiceworks version 2.0.

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

We had no issues with deployment.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The server would become sluggish as more assets were populated in the system.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability was an issue. The server would become sluggish as more assets were populated in the system.

How are customer service and technical support?

Customer Service:

Customer support was great, I was always able to find solutions in the forums.

Technical Support:

Spiceworks was very active on forums and was always aware of performance issues and included improvements with every version release.

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

Spiceworks was the best product per our testing, and was recommended by other IT professionals at the time. We evaluated many low cost or free solutions, and none came close to Spiceworks abilities and ease of use. Price was also a big factor during times when management was not looking to spend capital, but still demanded consistent process, asset tracking, and reporting improvements.

How was the initial setup?

Initial set-up is the simplest I've ever seen in such a product. I was able to initiate a discovery network scan in less than a few minutes after initial installation.

What about the implementation team?

In-house team. Just make sure you dedicate appropriately sized server to accommodate the size of your environment.

What was our ROI?

Other than dedicating an ageing server and some initial set-up and configuration time, ROI for a free product is great.

What other advice do I have?

Be aware that Spiceworks free tier is an ad driven product, but you can remove ads for a reasonable monthly fee if needed.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
System Administrator/Technology Coordinator at a non-tech company with 501-1,000 employees
Vendor
I've found inventory management to be valuable in tracking serial numbers of machines on our network, but everything on a Mac network must be manually entered.

What is most valuable?

The inventory management is, and also the alerts that let me know when printers are running low on ink.

How has it helped my organization?

Instead of keeping track in a spreadsheet of serial numbers, what software is on what machine, and what machines we have, I let Spiceworks scan our network and figure it out for me.

What needs improvement?

Mac networking needs improving, as everything has to be manually entered in a Mac environment.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used for five years at three different companies.

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

No issues encountered.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

No issues encountered.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

No issues encountered.

How are customer service and technical support?

Customer Service:

It's excellent.

Technical Support:

It's excellent.

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

No other options were evaluated as it is one of the only 100% free solutions.

How was the initial setup?

It's very easy and has a great community.

What was our ROI?

Since it's free, and only takes about two hours to setup, it's got a 100% ROI.

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

It's completely free.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I've not used any other solutions. I used it at the first tech company I worked for, and brought it with me to the new company I work for.

What other advice do I have?

It's the only way to go as far as inventory systems go.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Senior Manager, Enterprise Infrastructure at a manufacturing company with 1-10 employees
Real User
It's free and generic but not very customizable
Pros and Cons
  • "Spiceworks is generic and free."
  • "Since Spiceworks is a free tool, it's not very scriptable or customizable."

What is our primary use case?

We're using Spiceworks mainly for infrastructure monitoring.

What is most valuable?

Spiceworks is generic and free.

What needs improvement?

Since Spiceworks is a free tool, it's not very scriptable or customizable. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used Spiceworks for two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Spiceworks is stable for our purposes.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Spiceworks' scalability is fine. Our usage has been moderate and we have five admins managing the solution.

How are customer service and support?

I haven't contacted Spiceworks tech support. But support isn't readily available. They probably send you to a third party, so we really haven't pursued support for it. Spiceworks could add paid support as a service.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Spiceworks four out of 10. Just because it's free and out of the box, and you get what you pay for, and you didn't pay for it. So, not getting much. All right. Know what you're getting because it's free.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user381549 - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Manager at a non-profit with 51-200 employees
Vendor
We use a Dymo labeller to print both a bar-code and a QR code that links back to the Spiceworks URL for that device.

What is most valuable?

  • Inventory
  • Ticketing

How has it helped my organization?

We use Spiceworks to inventory all of our workstations. We use a Dymo labeller to print both a bar-code and a QR code that links back to the Spiceworks URL for that device. Our techs can use the Spiceworks mobile app and their phones’ built-in camera to bring up all the details of a machine in under a minute.

What needs improvement?

The folks at Spiceworks are constantly expanding the capabilities of their product by partnering and integrating with other vendors. I would love for this trend to continue until Spiceworks has ability to act as an IDS/IPS system all in one. Alienvault alerts have recently been added that bring this vision closer to reality. I would also love to see performance monitoring (think Zabbix) capabilities as well.

For how long have I used the solution?

We've used it for over four years.

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

We have no issues with the deployment.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We have no issues with the stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We had no issues with the scalability. As we’ve expanded, we’ve had to add additional resources to the Spiceworks VM. However, the latter is a very typical scenario when business growth causes the demands on a software application to increase.

How are customer service and technical support?

10/10 - I haven’t had many issues over the years, but I do remember posting about having connectivity trouble with a Spiceworks remote agent. I received a timely response and the issue was ultimately resolved.

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

I evaluated Microsoft Service Manager and ZenDesk, but I settled on Spiceworks. The capabilities, ease of use and price point (free) made Spiceworks the obvious choice for us.

How was the initial setup?

The installation was relatively straightforward. I do remember the process for adding an SSL certificate to be a little convoluted.

What about the implementation team?

In house. I recommend dedicating a VM. Use standard ports, 80 and 443 for the webserver and leverage DNS to configure access to Spiceworks via a “user friendly” hostname.

What was our ROI?

ROI is almost immediate because Spiceworks is free and the only investment is time.

What other advice do I have?

The Spiceworks community is a great value add. It certainly helps our team to keep tabs on the industry as a whole. I encourage IT veterans and newbies alike to join and participate.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
System and Network Administrator at a manufacturing company with 51-200 employees
Vendor
It has improved response times to staff as well as providing an audit trail. I would like to see an easier means to customize the user interface.

What is most valuable?

In addition to being free, it has a simple modular design with a lot of extensibility – although the plug-in format has recently changed and it has been difficult getting information on the new process.

How has it helped my organization?

When I began my current professional role, there was no formal method for tracking user requests. Exchange Public Folders were used and the promise of SCCM integration was being made. We very quickly needed a low-to-no cost way to improve accountability and tracking of open incidents/requests. Spiceworks offered everything we needed and more, and has improved response times to staff as well as providing an audit trail and growing database of information that can be referenced when similar problems arise.

What needs improvement?

I would like to see an easier means to customize the user interface, and would gladly pay a reasonable licensing fee if this were available as an additional feature. Attachment handling within a ticket could be improved; only one item can be attached at a time unless email is used. Finally, a way to strip selected blocks of text/images from emails would be huge; graphic attachments in email signatures create a mess in the UI.

For how long have I used the solution?

We've used it for three and a half years.

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

The deployment is excellent.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is excellent, but it can be affected by poorly written 3rd party add-ins, so beware.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

There have been no issues with the scalability.

How are customer service and technical support?

Tech support - for a free product - is amazing and responsive. They treat me better than some vendors who have expensive maintenance agreements in place.

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

I have used several ticketing systems in my career, including CA.

How was the initial setup?

Set-up is pretty simple – configuring email is probably the most complex piece.

What about the implementation team?

I personally handled the implementation. Create a special mailbox/mail account specifically for your help desk and let Spiceworks handle the rest. It’s good!

What was our ROI?

There was no investment, and we did not attempt to measure the cost savings resulting from the implementation.

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

It's free.

What other advice do I have?

Spiceworks does wonders for a free product. It’s ad supported, so watch for that. It is also flexible and customizable and probably does everything you need. Support is great, and that frankly was a surprise.

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 Spiceworks Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: April 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Spiceworks Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.