Disaster Recovery Manager at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
A stable server solution
Pros and Cons
  • "I like that it's a stable product. For me, it's working fine."
  • "It would help if there was a possibility to postpone some updates. If some are not required, it could speed up the process of starting up the operating system. Sometimes big workloads related to services are running directly on the system itself and not the application. This is what I have noticed"

What is most valuable?

I like that it's a stable product. For me, it's working fine.

What needs improvement?

It would help if there was a possibility to postpone some updates. If some are not required, it could speed up the process of starting up the operating system. Sometimes big workloads related to services are running directly on the system itself and not the application. This is what I have noticed.

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?

Windows Server is a stable solution.

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Windows Server
March 2024
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What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to new users.

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

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
Systems Engineer at a educational organization with 11-50 employees
Real User
Quick and easy to deploy and offers very good integration of Microsoft products
Pros and Cons
  • "Within 10 or 15 minutes, you can build a single Windows Server and put it on production."
  • "The solution needs to be more stable and secure."

What is our primary use case?

The solution is mainly used if you have a lot of solutions that integrate with Microsoft products. The usage varies. It depends on what you want to do with it. If you want to use it for integrating for web services or integrating for OS with some of your net applications, or your C-Sharp type of environments, then Windows is your go-to.

What is most valuable?

The product is very good for those that are integrating a lot of Microsoft products. It's great at integrating them.

The initial setup is pretty easy. The deployment is very fast.

What needs improvement?

The solution needs to be more stable and secure. Linux servers are much better in terms of stability and security and are better at thwarting any form of cyber attack. You stand a better chance if you're on a Linux box if you get hit. Not that they don't get attacked. However, Windows is a high-maintenance operating system. You have to keep it up to date almost all the time, and you also need to have a lab to test your updates as some of the updates could actually break the environment. There is a fine line between keeping it updated and breaking it.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for what feels like forever. It's easily been seven or eight years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability needs to be improved. You really need to have some sort of sandbox in order to test the updates. While it needs to be kept updated, you also run the risk of breaking your environment. It's a tricky balance. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

There are not so many users on the solution. Users are only using the applications, not so much the servers themselves, however, I would say, from our systems, we've got about five people that have to look after these servers.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup process has improved over the years. Now it's actually better than it was. I would say that at this point it's straightforward. Within 10 or 15 minutes, you can build a single Windows Server and put it on production.

What about the implementation team?

You can likely handle the implementation yourself. It's easy. I did it myself. I didn't need the assistance of any outside integrator or consultant. 

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

You do need to pay for a license. It's reasonably priced. Of course, if you are strapped for cash, you can set up a Linux type of server basically for free. It depends on what you need.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I am aware of Linux servers. You can set up an Unbuntu server for free if you want. With Microsoft, you do have to pay. I also find Linux to be more secure. You are less likely to suffer attacks.

What other advice do I have?

We use various versions of the product. Right now, for example, it's a mix between the 2015 and 2019 versions.

Users need to be aware that they need to manage the solution properly. It could be pretty unsafe if you don't manage it properly.

I wouldn't outright recommend the solution per se. It depends on what you want to achieve or if you have the knowledge of what you want to do. I would only recommend it if you have to integrate it with other Microsoft products. There are other server platform products that are much more secure and better than Windows. That said, if you are integrating into a Microsoft environment, yes, Windows is your best option.

In general, I would rate the solution at a seven out of ten. It's great for Microsoft-heavy environments, however, it could be more secure. 

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
Buyer's Guide
Windows Server
March 2024
Learn what your peers think about Windows Server. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2024.
767,847 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Senior Security Operation Engineer at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Simple administration, easy to use, but could be more stable
Pros and Cons
  • "The main features are ease of use and simple administration."
  • "I have found the stability to be good but it could improve."

What is our primary use case?

This solution can be used for a lot of things, such as email, file servers, authentication, network access protocol, DNS, active directory, and accessing the main controllers.

What is most valuable?

The main features are ease of use and simple administration. 

For how long have I used the solution?

 I have been using this solution for a couple of years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I have found the stability to be good but it could improve.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable and we plan to increase usage.

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

I have used Linux Red Hat previously.

How was the initial setup?

The installation is straightforward and takes approximately 10 minutes.

What about the implementation team?

I have done the implementation myself but sometimes I require assistance because some environments have a lot of servers. The more servers you have the more administrators you will need for the maintenance.

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

There is a license required and it is on an annual basis.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others.

I rate Windows Server a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
IT Support Executive at a healthcare company with 51-200 employees
Real User
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: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Chief Technology Officer at a financial services firm with 11-50 employees
Real User
Easy to install, scalable, and stable
Pros and Cons
  • "The product is scalable."
  • "The solution needs container compatibility."

What is our primary use case?

It's there just hosting the SQL Servers and they're not using IIS or some Microsoft-specific technology. We're just hosting some MSSQL.

What is most valuable?

The solution is very stable.

The product is scalable. 

The solution is pretty easy to install.

What needs improvement?

I can't speak to any missing features. I don't have any opinion on how to improve the product.

The solution needs container compatibility. Windows Server is not able via Docker, for example.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for half a year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable. 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 scales well. A company shouldn't have any issues if they want to scale. 

That said, I didn't choose Windows Server for that kind of purpose. It's just there for hosting the SQL Server.

There is one user for the Windows Server itself. Everyone else is using just the database and not the Windows Server.

How are customer service and technical support?

We haven't dealt with technical support yet. I haven't been in contact with them.

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

We're also using Linux Servers.

How was the initial setup?

The solution is pretty straightforward. It's not overly complex. 

While I didn't handle the installation myself, I would estimate deployment takes about 20 to 30 minutes. 

We have four team members that are able to handle deployment and maintenance. 

What about the implementation team?

We had a team member who handled the implementation in-house. We did not need a consultant or integrator. 

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

I don't have any insights into the licensing. 

What other advice do I have?

We use the solution both on-premises and on the cloud. 

I'd rate the solution at a five out of ten. I'm neutral on it. It doesn't impress me. It just does what it does. 

I'd advise those considering the solution that if they want to run some Microsoft-specific applications, then there's a lot of choices.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Project Manager at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
Reseller
Good technical support, stable, and easy to set up
Pros and Cons
  • "The initial setup is quite straightforward."
  • "The price could be a little less. It's a bit expensive."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution as a base layer for our software. Our developers decided they should create our products based on the Microsoft platform. We have to use the Windows Server as the applied model.

We have some solutions based on Linux, however, Microsoft Windows Server is the primary operating system.

How has it helped my organization?

The solution has improved our organization as we are able to sell our products with Microsoft. Without it, we can't make our business work. 

What is most valuable?

The solution is absolutely integral to our business processes. 

It's a widely used system.

The product is very stable.

The initial setup is quite straightforward. 

Technical support is very helpful.

What needs improvement?

I haven't had any experience with active data storage or high-level configuration. From my perspective, Windows Server can stay on this level without any development as it works for me how it is.

The price could be a little less. It's a bit expensive.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Maybe 10 or 15 years ago, there were some problems with stability, however, right now, we haven't needed to install any patches and we have not faced any problems. I'd describe it as quite stable at this point.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is used widely across the company. However, I cannot speak to how many servers we have at this time. 

We do plan to increase usage as we continue to grow.

How are customer service and technical support?

Microsoft technical support has been great. They are helpful and responsive. We are very happy with the level of support on offer. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very straightforward and not overly difficult.

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

The pricing isn't the cheapest. For example, Linux would be a free option. People don't have to pay for it. With Microsoft, you need to pay to license it. 

What other advice do I have?

We are a customer and end-user. We are also a Microsoft reseller. 

SQL Server 10 can't work without an operating system. It needs to be installed on the machine with an operating system, so it is dependent on it. A Windows Server needs to be installed as a first step before SQL will be installed.

We primarily use on-premies or private cloud deployment models.

I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten.

I'd recommend the solution. It's a very good platform. 

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: reseller
PeerSpot user
Regional Head Customer Experience at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
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."
  • "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: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
David Berger - PeerSpot reviewer
System Administrator & IT Specialist at Informat Systems
Real User
Top 10
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: 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: March 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Windows Server Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.