Likelihood to Recommend It just works. I have seen multiple viruses and malware get past other antivirus software like TrendMicro, Webroot, and Kaspersky. Bitdefender GravityZone always catches what others miss. It has a very light footprint when it comes to system resources. The centralized management console is nice, but I prefer the console before they redesigned the UI.
Read full review I think Symantec Endpoint Protection provides very good protection from all kind of threats. Due to the lean interface, it is sure easy to use. However, set up and start up is time-consuming. It can cause old computers to slow down during start up. Overall, it does perform at the top level as a business-level endpoint protection solution. I feel very safe while working at the office as I've never encountered any issues with this software before. Any kind of spyware or malware is defeated instantly by the help of this up-to-date database.
Read full review Pros Once installed, Bitdefender [GravityZone] runs silently in the background with little to no need for user interaction. The cloud-based console provides for easy computer management and deployment. Bitdefender [GravityZone] is extremely flexible, with a policy-based system wherein different profiles can be created (i.e. a policy to deactivate the firewall, a policy to allow for admin control on a machine, etc.) and pushed out to individual computers. Computers can be grouped into different categories, with different policies automatically deployed to each category. Bitdefender [GravityZone] is relatively resource-light and runs well even on lower-end computers. Read full review Ease of use for end users. The outlook add in helps with encryption. The auto encrypt rules are very intuitive and work every time. Encryption strength. Read full review Cons Who do I ask? This is my chief complaint is once the initial licenses were purchased through Bit Defender, there was no one to contact that could help navigate some of the initial questions I had with regard to specific policies to implement for our file server. The parent web site is, well, hard to navigate when one is trying to "learn" the system. The second issue is in increasing the licenses. It took several days for the parent company (by contact and phone) to inform me that they could not increase the licenses and I would have to go through a private vendor. There was no intent to connect me to a vendor or provide a vendor list until I asked specifically. YET I continue to get email from the parent company reminding me to pay an annual fee for the licenses purchase through the private vendor. The parent company can see the number of licenses yet did not sell them to me. Gravity Zone Dashboard, while excellent for those who have experience, is not particularly intuitive for those who have never used it. There does not seem to be a lot of documentation for those responsible for implementation. Read full review The process to set up a user account is a real pain. Symantec requires the user answer a bunch of security questions if they need to reset their password, but no one ever remembers the answers to the questions that they selected. Since we use this for remote users who don't always connect to our VPN, when they change their network password it isn't always reflected in Windows and the Symantec Endpoint Encryption (SEE) passwords frequently get out of sync. When the user eventually does connect to the VPN, they do sync and really throw the user for a loop in which passwords to use. We found a huge problem with SSDs where an encrypted drive operated twice as slow as a mechanical drive. I believe this was addressed in a later release. Read full review Likelihood to Renew It works. I rely heavily on my vendors to provide a product that works, is easy to implement, and that they support. As well as be a decent value for the money
Read full review Usability The console is easy to use, but has grown to have a lot of functionality. The only challenge is that all functions (even disabled and not installed ones) are shown. It would be great if only the functions that are active would be visible.
Read full review Support Rating Support is an area Bitdefender has always struggled with. While their products work great, the GravityZone dashboard is very technical in nature. If you aren't IT inclined, it could be difficult to setup. While most times support is helpful, we tend to work with them over email because of their very thick accent, they are hard to understand over the phone.
Read full review Alternatives Considered We were a Kaspersky shop for years. Kaspersky was a resource hog and it didn't even block half of what was thrown at it. We had more outbreaks and more end-user complaints in a year of Kaspersky then we have had in almost three years of Bitdefender.
Read full review We needed a tool to manage BitLocker and FileVault and this product does both. Also, we needed a product to manage our self-encrypting drives (OPAL drives) and things work great
Read full review Return on Investment The ROI for Bitdefender is hard to quantify except that it requires very little maintenance time from our staff. We've spent no time troubleshooting user complaints or issues from users, so it has been a big time-saver over our previously used anti-malware software. Bitdefender's customer service is usually pretty good and also very responsive, so I don't have to wait by the phone or to keep checking email to resolve a problem--although our issues have been mostly informational and not a problem with functionality. Read full review Keeps our company compliant with HIPPA and other requirements that our customers have. Does not affect user's day to day work. Increased security for mobile employees. Read full review ScreenShots