Solution Director at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
Real User
Reliable, easy to use and maintain, but the licensing could be better
Pros and Cons
  • "We chose Windows Server because it is easy to use, and easy to maintain."
  • "It would be better if the license had a longer lifetime."

What is our primary use case?

We are using Windows Server locally for our DNS.

We are implementers, and we perform this service for our clients.

How has it helped my organization?

Our company is an ISP (Internet Service Provider). Windows Server is not directly used for internal purposes, but as our product for our external customers.

What is most valuable?

We chose Windows Server because it is easy to use, and easy to maintain.

What needs improvement?

The license model needs improvement. It would be better if the license had a longer lifetime.

This may be a feature that is already in place, but I like to see a monitoring feature for the desktop.

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Windows Server
March 2024
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For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Windows Server for approximately three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's a stable solution. Its stability is one of the reasons we decided to adopt Windows Server.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I have not yet experienced the scalability.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support is pretty good.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is pretty straightforward.

What other advice do I have?

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

I would 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
Technical Director at a security firm with 51-200 employees
Real User
Stable and easy to set up, but it could be more secure
Pros and Cons
  • "This is quite a stable product."
  • "Windows Server could be more secure."

What is our primary use case?

We are in the waste logistics industry and we are using this product as the central server for our file systems. The SQL server is running on top of this.

What needs improvement?

Windows Server could be more secure.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Windows Server for six or seven years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is quite a stable product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Windows Server is scalable and we have six users in the company. We plan to increase our usage in the future.

How are customer service and technical support?

I don't have any experience with technical support.

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

I did not use another similar product before this one.

How was the initial setup?

The installation is quite straightforward.

What about the implementation team?

We completed the deployment ourselves.

I was responsible for the deployment and also handle maintenance.

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

This is not an expensive product.

What other advice do I have?

I can recommend Windows Server.

I would rate this solution a seven 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
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.
768,857 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Technical Solutions Architect at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Works well for Citrix desktops and for domain controllers
Pros and Cons
  • "The domain controller features are useful."
  • "The price should be reduced."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use Windows Server for Citrix desktops and domain controllers.

What is most valuable?

The domain controller features are useful.

What needs improvement?

The price should be reduced.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Windows Server for 10 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Windows server is a stable product and we will continue to use it.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability has not been a problem. In one of the jobs I was doing, there were 700 users.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have never had to log a case with Microsoft so I don't have any experience with technical support.

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

I have always used just only Windows.

How was the initial setup?

The installation is straightforward and it takes about 20 minutes to deploy.

What about the implementation team?

It is a manual installation and I handle the deployment myself.

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

The licensing fees are expensive.

What other advice do I have?

This is a product that I can recommend.

I would rate this solution 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
System Architect at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Reseller
Good active directory, offers consistently evolving features, and very stable
Pros and Cons
  • "The active directory that the server provides is the solution's most valuable aspect."
  • "The solution could offer higher availability."

What is our primary use case?

Most of the time we use it for user account access. We also deploy Microsoft on machines that must run on Windows. Beyond that, we use it for the remote desktop, and obviously for its mobile Microsoft features.

What is most valuable?

The active directory that the server provides is the solution's most valuable aspect.

The solution continues to improve and develop and we appreciate that it's always evolving. We've been working with the solution so long, we've seen a lot of changes for the better happen over time.

What needs improvement?

The pricing aspect of the solution needs improvement. It could be lowered. Over time, the pricing itself has fluctuated, and now, especially pricing around mobile aspects of the solution really seems to be driving everything up.

They also need to work on the license model for virtualization.

The solution could offer higher availability.

Users would benefit if the solution offered better management features.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for 15 years. I've used it from version NT 4.4 to version Studio 1.6.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is quite stable and continues to grow its stability reputation year over year. The latest version was much more stable than the previous versions.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is easy to scale. If a company needs to expand this solution, they can do so easily. We have a variety of customers that may have as many as 1,000 users at any given time. We typically sell to medium-sized enterprises across three different localities.

Our company uses the solution quite extensively on a regular basis.

How are customer service and technical support?

We have reached out to Microsoft's support for critical issues in the past to get their assistance.

When we get the support from Microsoft's Shanghai division, the support is very good. I would say, in the case is Iraq to the other regions, such as India, the support is not as good there.

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

We've used different solutions in the past, however, they don't really fit with most our use cases, and we feel much more comfortable with Microsoft.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is easy. It offers a quick download time and easy deployment. I would describe the process as straightforward. It's not complex.

IN a physical environment, deployment wouldn't take more than an hour. On average it might take 30 to 45 minutes. The virtual deployment is much, much quicker.

You only need one person to deploy the solution.

What about the implementation team?

We're resellers, and we sell IT products, so we're able to deploy the solution ourselves. If our clients need help, we can certainly help them deploy the service as well.

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

If you buy a standard license, you can only buy two towards your machine. If you need more than that, you need to buy another type of licensing. It changes the cost and makes it much more expensive.

What other advice do I have?

We handle both on-prem and cloud deployments. We're in IT services, so we often sell these solutions to our clients. We use the Windows Server ourselves as well.

I'd recommend the solution. It works well, however, users still have to understand Windows and the Windows interface in order to use it correctly.

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
PeerSpot user
Consulting and Pre-Sales Manage at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Reseller
Highly scalable, reliable, and simple setup
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is invaluable, we need it for file and emails servers."
  • "The technical support could improve."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case for Windows Server is to support applications and distribute them to all the company users.

What is most valuable?

The solution is invaluable, we need it for file and emails servers.

The solution has plenty of features.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Windows Server 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is highly stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Windows Server is highly scalable.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support could improve.

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

I have used Windows 10. If you compare Windows 10 to Windows Server they are very different. The Windows Server is supporting all the company users. While Windows 10 is a personal operating system.

How was the initial setup?

The setup is very easy.

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

The price of the solution could improve.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others, it can implement easily, it is very stable and reliable.

I rate Windows Server a ten out of ten.

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
Co-Founder at a computer software company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Easy to setup and use but performance and integration could be better
Pros and Cons
  • "What I like most about Windows Server is that it's easy to use."
  • "I would like to see better performance and more integration options in the next release of Windows Server."

What is most valuable?

What I like most about Windows Server is that it's easy to use.

What needs improvement?

I would like to see better performance and more integration options in the next release of Windows Server. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using Windows Server for quite a while now. I'm not sure how long.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Windows Server is stable.

How are customer service and support?

I would rate Windows support five out of 10. 

How was the initial setup?

Installing Windows Server is pretty straightforward. You don't really need much IT knowledge to deploy it.

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

We pay for a yearly license

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Windows Server five out of 10. I would recommend it to others. 

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
Partner at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Real User
Easy to use, straightforward installation, and good technical support
Pros and Cons
  • "Windows Server is easy to use."
  • "The solution could improve by being more user-friendly."

What is our primary use case?

We use Windows Server for applications, data storage, and communication.

What is most valuable?

Windows Server is easy to use.

What needs improvement?

The solution could improve by being more user-friendly.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Windows Server for approximately three 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?

We have not had any scalability issues.

We had approximately three customers last year.

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support has been good.

How was the initial setup?

The installation is straightforward.

What about the implementation team?

We have a team that does the implementation and maintenance of the solution. We have recently done smaller implementations only requiring one manager and a few technicians as support.

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

Our customers had a bundle package with Microsoft that included Windows Server.

What other advice do I have?

I 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
Manager Tech. & Support (Information Technology) at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Good performance, stable, and easy to install
Pros and Cons
  • "Its performance is very good, and it is stable. All applications are working perfectly, and there is no issue."
  • "It can have more integration, which will be useful for the data integration process. More integration with different applications and different OS would be quite good."

What is our primary use case?

We are using it for Windows Active Directory, DHCP Server, and application servers.

What is most valuable?

Its performance is very good, and it is stable. All applications are working perfectly, and there is no issue.

What needs improvement?

It can have more integration, which will be useful for the data integration process. More integration with different applications and different OS would be quite good.

For how long have I used the solution?

We are using Windows Server for the last eight years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have three to four Windows Servers, and all users are connected to these servers.

How are customer service and technical support?

They are customer-friendly.

How was the initial setup?

Its initial setup is very simple and easy. It normally takes 20 to 30 minutes. After the installation is done, the configuration takes some time, but it depends on what type of configuration is required.

What about the implementation team?

I did it myself. We have four technical guys who are connected to the deployment and maintenance of these servers.

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

We have perpetual licenses.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others. I would rate Windows Server an eight out of 10.

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
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.