Automox makes managing and administrating all of my devices so much easier. I'm a one-man I.T. department, so anything that is easy to use, takes load off of my lap, and Bonus: is affordable, is something I definitely need. I could deploy WSUS to do this, at least for Windows updates, but so many of my users are remote, and not always VPN connected, so being able to see their update status, and push updates simply from a cloud portal is awesome. With over 100 individual users, plus servers, the Automox platform is a lifesaver. I have yet to look into the 3rd party update integrations, but that too should be helpful. Not having the human bandwidth to babysit all of these systems, a solution like this came along at the right time and has really made my admin life so much less stressful.
Pros
Simple to deploy
Dashboard is easy to read and get critical information
Policy creation is simple and easily administered
Cons
I was not aware that the starting default policies are inactive until I activate them. That would have been a nice pop up to see on first login.
I think the pricing for integrating 3rd party apps could be more competitive. The base tier is so affordable, the jump up is a bit high.
I'd like the option to remember my device and not have to use 2FA on every single login to the dashboard from the same device.
I looked, and cannot find, but would appreciate an iOS mobile app of the dashboard to monitor and adminstrate from my mobile device.
Likelihood to Recommend
If you do not have a lot of IT staff to help manage updates on all of your systems, Automox is perfect for you. On the other hand, if your infrastructure is more Enterprise level, and you have a large staff and systems already in place, Automox may be too simplistic.
We have primarily been using it to keep all 100+ computers in our network up-to-date without needing to constantly hound users about updating manually. We've also been using their remote desktop and custom worklet features to streamline the processes we've already been using with other products, like adding a temporary admin account so we don't need to give users a master key to their computer.
Pros
Their remote desktop is easy to use.
The premade worklets are helpful both to perform tasks that we need to automate and as reference points for our own.
Worklets are very easy to make yourself, provided you have some beginner knowledge of PowerShell scripting.
Their staff is very friendly and constantly holding digital events to meet with them and discuss issues you may have, or just to learn more about the product.
Cons
Almost impossible to spot from the user's side. While this is often great, it can lead to issues if the computer is online but can't automatically connect.
Glitches aren't well described, simply responding with some form of "Operation failed. Please try again."
Setup has to be done on a computer-by-computer basis, which makes it tricky to roll out if a large number of your computers are remote.
Likelihood to Recommend
It's great if you have a large number of computers in your environment that you need to update at once. It's also great for automating or streamlining helpdesk operations. It's less appropriate for smaller numbers of computers where you can manually make changes to them individually. I'd suggest being well versed in PowerShell and automation beforehand, but you can definitely use it out of the box without that knowledge.
We use Automox to patch our end user machines as well as our servers. Automox helps keep our infrastructure up to date with minimal effort after initial setup. It makes it almost effortless to patch in bulk, especially if an emergency patch is needed from Microsoft or a third party.
Pros
Patching
Bulk patching
Managing patch policies
Cons
UI improvements
Activity log easier to view installed patches
Likelihood to Recommend
I definitely think it's good for an organization of any size. After you get policies and groups configured in the initial setup, it is very much hands off. The reporting is very helpful so you can see what machines/servers have patched and what didn't. The main dashboard is also helpful so you can see what the metrics are across your organization.
VU
Verified User
Administrator in Information Technology (Environmental Services company, 501-1000 employees)
