ManageEngine AssetExplorer vs. Microsoft System Center

The purchase order module can be very useful if you put a process in place. It is miles ahead of using a spreadsheet or something simple to do purchase orders and track spending. It can be good to keep track of equipment and software you have in house. However it is imperative you have dedicated staff and processes in place to maximize the utility of the software else it can become a white elephant if not implemented properly as it is a complex piece of software that does many things.

Incentivized

For companies with more than 10 Windows devices and needing to standardize the OS, AV, access, share resources, and install software. SCCM is the way to go. This software is unnecessary if the business is all remote users and not in an office-type setting. There are cloud offerings or none to accomplish what a business needs.

Incentivized

• The asset discovery across the network is great.
• The periodic scanning and updating of asset status is super valuable.
• The software discovery is outstanding. Receiving list of installed software helps greatly with license compliance.

Incentivized

• Allows the grouping of devices by user.
• Allows controlling updates being deployed to user devices.
• Allows for the repurposing of machines by being able to load new or updated software on machines that already are in the system.
• Allows us the ability to wipe a machine clean and restore it back to the configuration that was assigned the machine.

Incentivized

• You can fill the database and link it.
• You can also add assets that aren't connected with the offline script, I would prefer to get a .exe but this import XML works well.
• All is handled via the web, I would prefer a GUI standalone client.

Incentivized

• Needs web based storefront for requesting new software
• Needs ability to manage the packaging work flow better
• Sometimes is slow to download and there is no indication the entire catalog is being loaded, resulting in confused users not being able to find common software in the available list.

Incentivized

It is not user-friendly for the most part. With IT infrastructure, sometimes it cannot handle excess requests. Every few months, you will need an upgrade in terms of server resources to keep up with incoming alerts and requests. This does not happen all of the time, but it does happen when there are too many requests.

Incentivized

It is not a perfect solution. I don't believe it is the best software for some of the components it offers but I do like and appreciate what it does offer. It offers complexity and a range of features for a company to take advantage of if planned and implemented properly.

Incentivized

If I had to dislike something about the system it would be how much it changes once you upgrade. This could be more of a problem of mine since I get used to one way and don't like it when it changes so much. I am enjoying the newest update, but it is a mess when you are actually going through the upgrades.

Incentivized

Altiris is very daunting for users that have never worked with it. AssetExplorer was much easier to use for our team that had no experience with asset management.

Incentivized

We previously used a mix of FOG and Clonezilla to image machines. The biggest issues with these products is that changing one piece of the image required you to rebuild the entire image itself. These pieces of software also did not allow you to manage applications and Windows Updates, causing IT to have to constantly touch machines after they were imaged and update or manage them with a much more hands on approach.

Incentivized

• Allow us to stay in compliance with licensing requirements. We usually have just the right amount of licenses +2 or 3. We don't have to guess on where we are.
• Allows us identify older assets and proactively replace them. Reduces downtime.
• No negative impacts I can think of.

Incentivized

• We have been able to automate our patch management, firmware and other security concerns.
• We have a standardized "image" ensuring our setup is consistent across the enterprise. This alone has saved us in time to support and time to understand how to use our desktops.

Incentivized