ManageEngine OS Deployer vs. Symantec Ghost Solution Suite

Easy to setup and train a colleague for use. PXE boot is great as well within the application.

Incentivized

Symantec Ghost Solution Suite is well suited to standard images of company approved software and standard configurations for all users. When every user has the same computer configuration, it is easily managed with a standard image across the board. It is less effective if you need to have multiple configurations for different groups. It becomes cumbersome to manage all the various images. When you add to the complexity by having to address the different drivers for the different hardware model computers, this only adds to the overall number of images you will have to manage, create and keep updated. I find Ghost most helpful with standard hardware model computers and one or two images company wide.

Incentivized

• Driver installs for models as long as the packages for devices are uploaded
• Agent installations for ManageEngine Endpont cental
• Displaying status in the UI for ongoing deployments

Incentivized

• Pushing out scripts and jobs to computers
• Remote imaging and pushing out Windows OS Images
• Helping to track who pushed out what jobs

Incentivized

• An OS deployment needs to be able to handle Pre, While and Post actions. For example when using PXE to boot to WinPE I would like to be able to manage pre settings such as specific BIOS settings or make firmware upgrade and such.
• In addition to above it would be great to trigger actions based on wmi queries such as Make and Model.
• Scripting I was told is ongoing function to be released but I would like to instead of having the need to creat a script file such as a PS1 file and upload I would like the option to write the code directly in the UI for the specific template. This will make it easier to update.

• Initial install could be easier. Had to call support to assist.
• Joining domains had a few kinks that had to be figured out.

Incentivized

Very good usage for my IT team when needed.

Incentivized

ManageEngine is eeasier to use and it not linux based.

Incentivized

The Symantec Ghost Solutions Suite learning curve isn't that steep.

• As ManageEngine OS Deployer is currently just in testing mode it yet haven't had a impact on our business but the possibility to manage different Remote Offices is a great deal and will make deployment easier.

• A positive impact of Ghost would be time. To deploy computers form scratch is very time consuming and labor intensive for the IT Department. Ghost clearly saves the time of the IT departments staff to quickly get a new computer out to user so they can spend their time on addressing other issues and being more productive.
• Time is money. If the IT department is spending hours preparing computers and employees are out of a computer for an extended period of time waiting for one to be loaded, this is money lost to the company in paying employees to sit around and wait for a computer to be configured.

Incentivized