PDQ Deploy & Inventory Reviews

Really easy to used

Pros:

Really easy to used platform to deploy softwares and patch

Cons:

Sometimes need some search to have good silent deploy

PDQ deployment and Inventory

Comments: Can't tell something bad about it, easy to use, affordable price, nice support.

Pros:

Most of all, we use PDQ deployment, easy way to deploy software and patches. PDQ deployment is good for script automation, easy to set up any scheduled task to meet your requirements.

Cons:

Devices outside the local network are not manageable.

PDQ Deploy anomalies

Pros:

Simplify server management Saves on me sign in multiple times Repeat task on remote machines

Cons:

These features seem inconsistent: - Say you want to run a number on commands on a number of servers you cannot get a combined report of the output of all the commands. Often this is needed as the report may be input into further tools - You should be able to set default credentials for each computer you add manually which can be overridden from 'deploy one' - You should be able to group a group of computers like a tree structure eg. directory structure in Windows or UNIX - Computers should be able to be a member of more than one group. When you add a known computer to another group it should copy all these properties as default starting point - In new package, you should have the ability to not have to choose a step type but the commands the user types in most cases tell you what type of step it is

Cheap solution for cheap LAN only use-cases

Comments: I am overall happy regarding the needs that we currently have. Absolutely not good enough for modern and especially mobile cloud-based infrastructures though.

Pros:

Block programming approach to defining the deployments and inventory. Really in-depth access to the OS that can read whatever you can think of with an ease. Visualisation of the results is not possible though.

Cons:

No mobility support, no cloud, no dashboards, nothing. Users cannot interact with any deployment in any other way than by pressing OK. UX level cca when Greenday lead the hitparades.

Inexpensive, Hierarchecal, and Scalable

Comments: My overall experience with inventory has been very positive. Whenever I change jobs I encourage them to switch to PDQ. After its adoption, my team shares my enthusiasm.

Pros:

I like the ability to create nested groups, that can be dynamic or static. I will also enjoy the ability to use multiple compound statements, without limitation in order to drill down and find devices that meet whatever criteria I can dream up or that I've been given.

Cons:

The only problems I've really run into is the speed that you're able to scan large scale organizations with a lot of VPN users. Occasionally DNS does not update quickly enough so you wind up with an IP pointing to a different workstation. This doesn't really cause a great deal of problems, it just causes the scan to fail. It's not a huge deal because it will correct itself during the next scan typically

The one thing you got to have

Comments: Used it at previous job, and when I came discovered they had a competitor. Tried to learn the competitor's patch management and device management. It was a headache and time consuming. Got the boss to purchase PDQ and right of the bat, everyone could use it quickly and efficiently without reading a 100 page pdf on how to use it. So intuitive and easy to use. I use it daily to manage my computers and make sure everything is up to date. Boss has come to me a couple times asking for a list of XYZ, and expecting that it is a project for the rest of the day, I'm able to get that to him within the hour, sometimes in ten minutes.

Pros:

the dynamic collections you can make has been life changing. Able to create one on the fly and it continue to update and tell me if new computers have something unwanted on it, or computers that are missing important programs. I use it daily to check things. I also use it to quickly remote into computers. I have computers on the road and I have to jump in there sometimes remotely and need to be able to look at software lists quickly and a couple clicks my remote software is already connected. Or I can use pdq deploy to shoot out a program update or install something new. PDQ Deploy has all the right switches and knows exactly what to do with files to silently deploy practically anything. Testing is simple and easy and usually I have it tested and deployed within an hour. Saves me time everyday to quickly do what I need to do and have time to work on other projects. Support is also a godsend. Quick, easy, and friendly to the max!

Cons:

Not much that I do not like. The new icons are weird and there are some bugs in pdq deploy that get updates stuck and they just sit in the list forever. Usually when I have a con come up in my mind, I find out that the feature request I thought of, is already in the system some where.

Great Inventory and Patching System for Network Administrators

Comments: It is a critical component in our Inventory and Security Patching process. Helps us keep systems patched so that we are less vulnerable to security threats.

Pros:

You can setup automated scheduled tasks to patch systems at any time during the week or weekends. Allows patches to automatically be pushed out afterhours to avoid any system downtime.

Cons:

It is mainly intended to only inventory and patch Windows products. It would be great to have more integration where it could go out and inventory printers and linux type devices.

PDQ has become the most used toolset in my career.

Comments: This is the 2nd job I have had with PDQ. Part of the reason I was hired for this position was my knowledge of PDQ. The previous admins had purchased but no one knew how to use it. The overall system was in a neglected state. In the 9 months I have been here I have rebuilt and moved PDQ to new servers and changed the way Patch management was done. I retired WSUS because I can do all that it does and more with PDQ. So much more. And the customer support is amazing. I use it when I am stuck with what seems to be unique to our company issues and your staff makes it simple to resolve. I do believe I have become a much more efficient engineer because of PDQ. Keep up the awesome work!!

Pros:

Automation is a must when you have over 400 devices. It makes complex problems much easier to accomplish.

Cons:

I really have not had time to learn all of the features of your products. But that is not on PDQ. Your YouTube videos are amazing and fun to watch. Keep up the humor. That goes a long way in IT.

Want to look like a Admin Superstar? PDQ is the only way.

Comments: A big piece from the management side is being able to quickly true-up or massive Microsoft E5 licensing and pricing. The hardest port of using PDQ is teaching HD staff all of the powerful things that can be accomplished with the combination of Inventory and Deploy.

Pros:

Ease of use, integration with other tools, price, functionality, the overall stability of both Inventory and Deploy and the integration of the two products.

Cons:

They ONLY thing that I have found no way to do that would make things perfect, is to be able to pass a computer name or IP address variable to a custom PowerShell script or custom scanner.

Automating made Easy

Pros:

Automating Software and Patches for Desktops.

Cons:

Wake on LAN does not work. Also, the package library is limited. I do not have the option to add different software to the package library so It can auto-download/ approve the latest version,

Excellent Deployment and Installation Tool

Comments: Was able to install products that GPOs couldn't. Was able to discretely target systems, or initiate a sitewide roll-out.

Pros:

Many options for setting up install and deploy routines. Automatically refreshed network inventory. Active Directory Integration. Ability to target by queries, OUs or just about anything.Good integration between the prodcts (Deploy and Inventory). Good reporting.

Cons:

Can be kind of daunting for new users. A bit slow sometimes.

Good

Comments: Good

Pros:

PDQ Deploy & Inventory service and support

Cons:

PDQ Deploy & Inventory service and support Software and report type

Does what you ask it to do

Comments: It alerts us to problems before being reported by the end user

Pros:

I’ve use it for all sorts, managing 500 machines. I use collections to alert me to machines missing keyboard/mice, hard drive space, machines offline for over 3 days. Battery life in laptops. Software inventory….. the list goes on

Cons:

It’s dependancy on DNS. I’m not sure if our dns is configured correctly

Just Get It !! You will never regret it !!

Comments: It is an amazing piece of software what takes a huge amount of headache away. It is quick, easy. If you want want to do software install and update deployment quick and easy you need PDQ Deploy !!

Pros:

This product is super easy to use. Most standard packages are already build for you (and every new update there is more) what can be super easy rolled out to a test machine and then production. If you want custom installation it is so easy to install/copy - install/ create little batch files or full on powershell scripts. This is super easy comparing to SCCM or even WSUS.

Cons:

I had to think long and hard about what could be improved and even asked my co-workers.... and really there is nothing at this moment what needs to be improved. It does what needs to be done and is super easy. (edit: Perhaps the only thing is that the log files with errors could be more detailed to directly been viewed)

PDQ Deploy for Education

Comments: I literally cannot do my job without this software. I daresay that once you try it, you will find that you will agree with me.

Pros:

The software itself works really well. The hard part consists of getting all the machines to talk to each other and then figuring out the silent command -line statements that are needed to install the software. For most of the well-known software, the silent switches are well known and for the most popular tools PDQ will even supply their own scripts.

Cons:

I'd love PDQ Deploy to re-imagine their local Agent idea. The last time they tried it supposedly didnt meet their standards. I'd say look at other software like Goverlan and even AWS Thinkbox Deadline (a renderfarm manager) to see how they do a local Agent to see if those would meet the criteria. PDQ has no ability to install software that doesn't offer a command-line silent switch. You'd think that this would never come up in Education but... you'd be surprised. We run a lot of 3D and VFX apps that are made by one developer and when you ask them for the silent switches they reply "what are you talking about" . Now, to be sure, this isn't really a "con" of PDQ, but it is fair to mention. If you have any software that just doesn't have any command-line automation which can run silently via a Windows Service User, you'll have to get something alongside PDQ Deploy to make that happen.

Amazing Software for Managing and Updating Windows Computers

Comments: Before using PDQ Deploy, we were periodically re-imaging our public computers which was a time consuming process as we have multiple areas in the library each with different software programs installed. In between re-imaging, key utility programs would regularly become out of date, negatively impacting patrons usage of the computers. Now with PDQ Deploy, we are able to easily update only specific software programs across all areas, irregardless of the overall software image in use. Simpler and faster process allows for the computers to be updated on a quicker schedule resulting in a better overall experience for our patrons, and significantly less time expended by IT staff.

Pros:

The included Package Library is a fantastic added value to the program providing prepared and tested packages for installing/updating most of the popular/requested software programs. Very easy to use without having to study a lengthy manual. Seemless integration with existing systems and AD. Regular updates to the software, weekly webcasts, extensive video tutorials on usage.

Cons:

None that I can really think of. Not a fan of the new program icons which make it more difficult to identify which program is which, but that's really a minor nitpick.

Review from IT with too much to do.

Comments: Awesome overall tool.

Pros:

centralized source of truth for some of the biggest headaches to track.

Cons:

Sometimes the service account to run the hosted services gets swapped to a user and can cause other users loss in access until resolved.

Fits perfect in our Organisation

Comments: Fast Software-Deployment with a few clicks. Easy to handle. No need to visit the Users Desktop. Auto Download helps us to keep all Devices up to date.

Pros:

In connection with Inventory it is very easy to deploy Updates and Tools with a few Clicks. With Automatic Deployment we get rid of annoying tasks like check and update Clients. It's nearly fire and forget :-)To create Deployment Packages is very easy. I'm able to deploy nearly any Tool within seconds without the need to visit the Desktop onsite.

Cons:

Most of the Tools/Programs we're deploy with PDQ automaticaly detect and uses the OS-Language. But there are some Tools (e.g. Firefox) which does not. It was helpful to extend the Auto Download Package so that we can deploy the appropriate Language Pack. Actually we can convert the Auto Download Package to a Standard Package and modify this Standard Package. Unfortunately we lose the advantage of the auto download feature.

Keeping tabs with PDQ Inventory

Comments: I started using the free version at a former job and introduced it to my team at my current job. I asked a few times for the licensed version and eventually after i produced a potential ROI document i managed to get 2 licenses for both deploy and inventory. My colleague and i get so much more accomplished leaving time for the more physical side of our jobs.

Pros:

I love everything about this software. The tools are all there, command line, MMC Management, Reboot, remote assist and desktop wake... Dunamic grouping so i can keep abreast of what needs this or that software. What operating System, whether it is laptop, desktop or server. Registry printers etc etc, is there anything it cant do.

Cons:

None absolutely none. With this in my tool box i save myself weeks worth of work within a year. The ROI impresses the fiscal department, our turnaround of work requests jumped staggeringly according to our quality and rounding departments.

PDQ is a lifesaver for small teams with lots of on-prem endpoints to manage

Pros:

Its easy to use, easy to teach, and highly customizable.

Cons:

No support for Azure devices. I wish there was an agent that I could install on all my devices to have PDQ talk to all of them and have 1 place to push all of my software out from.

Still learning

Comments: I've only been with the company for a year and I've been tasked to manage this software, therefore, I'm still learning how to use it and learning all its functionality. The end goal is to use PDQ to automate as much as I can, including patch updating and maintenance. I have not gotten this advanced in the software just yet. When I get stuck on creating a new package, and i just feel like the software cannot possibly accommodate what I'm trying to do, but so far i've been proven wrong thanks to the support backing it. This program is pretty capable.

Pros:

The quality of the product can really be hampered by it's development backers. If the support is not readily available, it can affect the quality of the product, even if the product itself is really good. I have not used much deployment software, but I do know that PDQ deploy is a much cheaper option than other provider's out there. So far the customer support has been outstanding which puts it ahead of anything else i've used.

Cons:

The con is the survey requiring me to to fill out more than just saying "na"

PDQ Deploy & Inventory are awesome products, healthy DNS required

Comments: Overall a solid product. Some quirks but definitely helps a lot with patching, organizing assets, and then some.

Pros:

PDQ makes it VERY easy to set up custom deployment packages with and without scripting. They also allowed management of common third-party apps with auto-updating, scheduling of deployments, and many other awesome tools. It is very cost efficient and I have used it across several companies.

Cons:

A very heavy reliance on DNS. Support takes a long time to reply. No option for escalated service or support.

PDQ the best app for IT Management

Pros:

Easy to use and doesn't require hours of setup. Only instal app on server and you can deploy new software and updates to users (only need add some port's on the firewall and connect to AD :) )

Cons:

The software is amazing and I don't have any least on it.

The best tool to manage installation/uninstallation/patching in any size environment.

Comments: We are using PDQ deploy to manage the installation, patching and uninstallation of software on around 100 systems (including Servers, Laptops and Desktops). Previously we were manually connecting to each system to perform these tasks and since using PDQ Deploy we have benefited for much quicker roll outs of new software or updates to existing versions, less downtime and the ability to perform the tasks inside work hours.

Pros:

The software is really easy to use but complex in the feature set that it offers, this ensures that all team members in the IT department can easily use it to perform installs that would otherwise have required deep understanding of Powershell.

Cons:

There is nothing to not like about PDQ Deploy, it should be the industry standard for deployments.

Brings everything you want

Comments: I already used PDQ Deploy and Inventory at my previous employment and so it was a big wish to use it at my new company

Pros:

So easy to implement and almost much more easy to use. Without prior knowledge it is possible to understand what PDQ can do to make Adminlife much more comfortable.

Cons:

The only thing i d like to change would be a possibility to have a function so i can decide which downloads i d like to. As we are german users sometimes its annoying to manually add german software downloads for deployment.