Virtual environment is helpful and scalable--but don't expect a ton of support
Updated March 14, 2023
Virtual environment is helpful and scalable--but don't expect a ton of support
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with IBM Cloud Virtual Servers for VPC
We mainly rely on IBM Cloud Virtual Services as a webs server and DNS for our client's websites, as well as our own, main company website. We also rely heavily on the Virtual Server for testing new features and finding bugs before deployment.
Pros
- Manageable control of individual servers and DNS settings
- Creating different profiles or identities so users can work on separate projects
- The IBM Cost Calculator is a nice feature that shows the people at IBM have tried hard to think of extra features that B2B customers could benefit from
- Developer-friendly infrastructure
Cons
- We have not had a great experience with support. Other devs will know that it can be very nerve-racking to have clients bombarding you because of an issue that you need support's help to fix.
- Documentation could definitely be helped. Maybe a better onboarding guide?
- Dashboard is a bit slow and clunky
- As far as ROI goes, I think it's been a great investment. Our deployments are smoother and our clients are happy with their websites' functionality.
- As I mentioned before, getting in touch with Support can be a headache and so if you have angry clientele like we do, waiting on Support to get back to you (while you wait as the unfortunate middle man) can be frustrating.
- Pay-as-you-use by the hour is useful for keeping costs low.
The transient pricing model is amazingly helpful. It is very helpful to be able to set up simulations for testing and get them running, and then step away for a break or lunch and it was at a very competitive price. As a smaller business, I appreciate when we can spend less if we use less and that's exactly how this pricing model is set up. Win-win! The "pay-as-you-use by the hour" model is appreciated.
We have not had to use this capability yet.
We have not yet used the more advanced settings for provisioning control, security, isolation on IBM Cloud Dedicated Virtual Servers.
This is our first foray into the Virtual Servers world, so I cannot give an accurate comparison to any other services yet.
We do not currently use multiple IBM portfolio products together.
IBM Cloud Virtual Servers for VPC Feature Ratings
IBM Cloud Support and Implementation
Implementation went relatively smoothly. The implementation is slightly different and placement is either to a dedicated host or dedicated host group. If the placement for the classic virtual server instance is manual, then the VPC+ tools honors the placement and provisions the virtual server in IBM Cloud VPC as such.
Advanced - We wanted to try out the system before fully committing to a Premium subscription. We're at the Advanced level currently, and may upgrade in the future if the system continues to help aid us in our business goals.
We have not had to use a one-on-one support ticket, per say, but we have used public forums to help troubleshoot common issues. In that sense, other users have been more helpful than customer service technicians or representatives.
- Chat with Watson
The IBM Watson Assistant uses natural language understanding (NLU) to better understand our customers in context so that we can deliver fast, consistent, and accurate solutions without dedicating human capital (and money) to this section of our virtual servers. We are able to seamlessly integrate with CRM and back-end systems that our business needs to deliver true customer self-service and full functionality. We are also able to track progress across the entire buyer’s journey to drive real outcomes and ensure our customers’ needs are met.
IBM Cloud Virtual Servers Pricing, Time savings and Efficiency
Lowering costs of course is always a plus for any business, so the pay-by-the-hour model that IBM Cloud Virtual Servers for VPC operates on is very helpful for keeping costs to a minimum and allowing us to divert those funds elsewhere.
9-12 hours time saved per person per week
We only pay for the time that we're actually utilizing IBM Cloud Virtual Servers for VPC, meaning that we're not draining money or essentially throwing it out the window when we're paying for time that we're not using the product. The pay-by-the-hour model is very helpful for keeping costs to a minimum.
IBM Cloud Virtual Servers for VPC Support
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Quick Resolution Good followup Knowledgeable team Problems get solved No escalation required Support understands my problem Support cares about my success | Not kept informed Slow Initial Response |
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