TrustRadius Insights for Microsoft System Center are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, third party data sources.
Pros
Ease of Use: Users have praised the suite of applications for its user-friendly interface and comprehensive solution for infrastructure needs.
Efficient Task Management: Reviewers highlighted the system's ability to streamline tasks for the internal automation team, making processes more efficient.
Versatile Compatibility: Customers appreciate the system's compatibility with various devices and systems, allowing end-users to choose apps and devices tailored to their specific requirements.
Straightforward Onboarding/Offboarding Process: The onboarding and offboarding process of users and devices was found to be straightforward and simple by users.
Customizable Security Groups: Users appreciated the ability to use security groups for installing policies and other functions within the system.
In the past, we did update our servers and clients manually (by WSUS). We had different tools for different workloads. With SCCM, we now have a single tool for managing and maintaining all our servers and clients without issues.
Pros
Operating system deployment.
Application/software deployment.
Software updates.
Cons
I think there will be no further big improvements, since Microsoft's focus is on Intune only.
Likelihood to Recommend
In conjunction with Intune, SCCM always works. It’s fast, offers many rich features such as CMpivot (a paid add-on in Intune), provides very detailed log files, and supports both online and offline devices.
We use Microsoft System Center to streamline our endpoint deployments and configuration. We utilize software deployment capabilities to manage upgrades and patching to 500 endpoints. Microsoft System center also helps us to deliver consistent device naming conventions/schemas and tie these in to our asset register. We also take advantage of device imaging and building automations.
Pros
Imaging/deployment
Automation of administrative tasks
Software delivery and version tracking
Cons
installation of SCCM - could be simpler
Endpoint protection setup - complex
Licensing costs
Likelihood to Recommend
Any organization that has medium to large networks will have a strong business case to deploy and utilize Microsoft System Center. Once setup it is incredibly powerful and really adds an important layer of administrative capabilities, building from the Microsoft deployment toolkit (MDT) options many organizations already use. For us, immediately, we found being able to automate office areas and classroom IT suite OS deployments overnight extremely valuable, giving us back significant technician time and avoiding disruption to the working day.
VU
Verified User
Manager in Information Technology (201-500 employees)
We use System Center to manage patching all desktops, packaging software and deploying to all systems, centralized antivirus management and policy control, and remote system administration. We also use it for image building and deployment across our enterprise network with local endpoints for build and patch management speed.
Pros
Patch Management.
Image creation and deployment.
Software packaging and deployment.
Antivirus dat file management and deployment.
Cons
Modernize the interface.
Simplify everything it does and cross-connect all bits of the software so you can do tasks linearly.
Make the UI web based and get away from a client gui.
Likelihood to Recommend
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.
VU
Verified User
Administrator in Information Technology (201-500 employees)
We are using Microsoft system centre in our organisation in multiple devops team and operation team to simplify operations and deployments . It has been renamed to Microsoft Endpoint configuration manager recently . It provides a suite of applications which is critical to the operation . This includes comprehensive accessing , deploying and managing the servers .
Pros
Ease of use
Suite of application makes it a one stop shop for all the infrastructure needs
Onboarding and offboarding of users and devices are very easy
Cons
Need more comprehensive documentation and Wiki pages
The learning path can be a little difficult for beginners
Pricing can be a little more competitive
Likelihood to Recommend
The suite of SCCM tools provided by the Microsoft system center is quite comprehensive and it helped out newly created infrastructure team manage the infrastructure smoothly without any major hiccup . The team was quickly able to adapt to new features and this helped our business to grow further and client really appreciated the smooth transition.
VU
Verified User
Consultant in Information Technology (5001-10,000 employees)
We use Configuration Manager instead of Group Policy features. And, we use Data Protection Manager instad of other backup solution. both systems are in production. Those systems are useful to install and to update agent. When we face trouble, we just ask Microsoft and they always find out the cause.
Pros
it is easy to use security groups in the install polices and other polices.
Cons
Install method is often complex.
If you make a mistake in the settings, it will break. You will have to re-build.
Likelihood to Recommend
Do you want to know how to build System Centers? You will get some failers, deeply knowledges and rebuild System Centers. After that, you can use it with confidence. These experiences will teach you new ways to deal with windows machines. It is also a great option for those who want to reduce the number of maintenance vendors.
VU
Verified User
General Manager in Information Technology (5001-10,000 employees)
In our internal automation helpdesk, to ensure the availability in our company. With this product, we can manage this. The platform is compatible with open systems like VMware. This makes it easy to use for different types of use.
Pros
Compatible with a variety of devices and systems.
End-users can use different apps and devices that fit their requirements.
Internal automation team can perform their tasks efficiently.
Cons
The scale of different devices.
High learning curve.
Need training to use the product.
Likelihood to Recommend
Best Scenario: fewer clicks and automated workflows help the Internal automation team reduce repetitive daily tasks so that the team can focus on more important aspects of their job. Less: setting it up requires significant expertise.
VU
Verified User
Engineer in Information Technology (11-50 employees)
We have a large group of users over several buildings that require management. We use SCCM to control the device drivers and software that are deployed to different groups. This allows us to have unique offerings to the different groups of users, ex: Teaching staff, maintenance staff, different grade levels for students, etc. This also allows us to do a clean wipe of the machines if they become corrupt or abused by the user. The product also makes it easier to repurpose desktops and notebooks, allowing for us to clear a machine and install new programs as needed. Another nice feature is the ability to update operating systems and software versions via SCCM.
Pros
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.
Cons
The end-user should be able to update the base system (SCCM) much easier than is currently allowed.
Searching across the different levels of device groups would make locating a single computer much easier.
Because our version is an older release this concern may have already been resolved. Often after we've done considerable re-imaging our unit requires a reboot to bring all of the services back online.
Likelihood to Recommend
We used a product before that was designed to prevent users making changes and saving files to the desktop computer. This required a renewal of the license. By using SCCM in our environment we were able to discontinue using that product because SCCM allows us to completely restore a machine back to the original configuration. We have taught our users to save their individual work on either a network drive or a cloud drive. By doing this, if we do a re-image of their machine they have lost no data, and it makes for a faster resolution. In some instances having a computer in our SCCM environment it can become cumbersome when creating new users for very specific purposes. It can be done by creating new organizational units and applying new policies but when in a pinch it can be frustrating. For the most part we have tried to make "new" purpose images and groups to at least accommodate a quick install.
VU
Verified User
Manager in Information Technology (501-1000 employees)
We currently use Microsoft System Center to manage and image all staff and student machines in the organization. We utilize Microsoft System Center to push applications and programs to machines and keep them up to date. We also use the Windows Update Server side of System Center to keep machines up to date and compliant. We use System Center's monitoring and query ability to track machines and assets in the district as well. This allows us to identify machines as they fall out of compliance. We utilize the Remote Control aspect of Microsoft System Center to remotely assist staff and work on issues. We also use Right Click Tools to expand the functionality of Microsoft System Center to give us greater control over machines.
Pros
Imaging
Remote Control Assistance
Deploying Software and Programs
Driver Management
Inventory Management
Windows Updates
Cons
User Interface
Windows Update Configuration and Setup
Distribution Point Setup
Likelihood to Recommend
Microsoft System Center excels when it comes to mass imaging of machines in an organization. We recently had to replace a large quantity of machines in our organization, roughly 1000, and utilized Microsoft System Center to provide a consistent image to each machine. It made the process extremely simple. We setup our task sequences to drop machines into their respective OU's, so once the imaging process is done, the machine has all the software it needs, is completely up to date, is in the correct OU, and has the group policies that it should. This requires little interaction on IT's side to get a machine ready to go. We used to use FOG to image machines, which required a lot more work and interaction than what System Center does.
VU
Verified User
Engineer in Information Technology (501-1000 employees)
We use Microsoft System Center for remote support to users in the company and for the assets management. This software has been help us to be more productive and to have access the endpoint very easy. With System Center we too deploy software and can get information about the computers.
Pros
The remote access is very useful
The software deployment is very useful
The dashboard is very friendly
Cons
The patches software need to be improved
The reports need to be improved
This need a mobile device management
Likelihood to Recommend
This software is very useful in the software deployment, but this is not very well with the reports. When you are an expert using this, you can do a lot of things, but it is necessary to know the sofware administration for to have good results using the deployment or patches features.
We are using System Center products including System Center Configuration Manager, System Center Operations Manager & System Center Endpoint Security Manager. The role of Systems Center Configurations Manager is to deploy windows updates, operating system images & custom software packages for clients and servers, we have deployed automatic deployment rules to deploy windows updates to windows clients, for servers we deploy manually only security patches, Windows 10 and other operating systems have answer files attached to the deployment which reduce interaction with support staff. End point security manager is deployed on servers to ensure proper antivirus update and security for servers, through operations manger we have automated a lot of tasks that were previously done through group policies and task scheduling.
Pros
Deployment of Windows Updates through SCCM
Deployment of Operating System through SCCM
Deployment of Application Packages through SCCM
Automation of task through SCOM
Deployment & Management of Antivirus through SCEPM
Cons
Reporting in SCCM
Automatic Deployment Rules in SCCM
Likelihood to Recommend
System Center is a Suite of products with a very vast amount of depth to it, it covers almost all aspects of server infrastructure and is well suited for large enterprises and medium sized organizations, it is not suited for small organizations. The tool that we used the most is System Center Configurations Manager which is very well made and it simplifies a lot of tasks like operating system deployment, updates and patches deployment and applications deployment. For automation System Center Operations Manger is well suited and for security System Center End Point Protections Manager.
VU
Verified User
Professional in Information Technology (1001-5000 employees)
