Wise / Installshield comparrison

[CChong]

My company is going fully AD soon and the want to push ALL of our applications as MSI files through Group Policies. They went out and purchased Wise For Windows Installer to repackage the apps. I am having a few problems with WISE and was wondering about other products out there to capture installations, thus I found InstallShield Adminstudio. Does anyone have experience with both Wise and installshield and have any critique on either. Also Installshield Admin is the package I would want to be using to create MSI files with correct? I am in the process of downloading the trial now, just wanted to get in a few questions.

Thanks

NP

[jeronimo]

Hi,

I'm not really experienced on both products but I'm currently working on re/packaging tools to help my company choose one (or two). I think you can't compare Wise for Windows Installer and IS AdminStudio.

If you want to repackage setups, you should compare AdminStudio and Wise Package Studio.
At that right moment, I prefer using WPS, which I find easier to use and seems to have the same functions as AdminStudio. However, WPS is more expensive. I don't know yet about the quality of the support.

There are other tools like Lanovation Prism Pack and Chicago Soft Walls 4 Windows, but to me, the best, because they are complete, are IS and Wise products.

One last thing about Wise for Windows Installer. You should compare it to IS Developper. They both aim at helping you create setups, in the MSI format.

That's all for me.

Regards,
Jerome

[CChong]

The product ytou need to evalute from wise is Wise Package Studio. they were the firddt to create a repackaging tool and MSI migration for sys admins. Admin studio is very bad copy of Wise Package Studio.

Our large organzation has standardized on it, plus they have three versions.

[CChong]

A couple of points about the above.

If you think you will have any real business benefit from using GPO's and sending any kind of package to your machines you are going to be sadly disappointed by the final outcome.

If you do not have a system such as SMS, Marimba , Tivoli etc. you will have no way to audit success/failure or inventory for license counts or to target machines for updates.

I would never think of using GPO's for anything but a small company.

As for WISE/InstallShield, it all depends on what you want out of the deal. What I understand about the products technically (and I have not used the Wise Package Studio for several months) WISE have an edge. In dealings with them I have had a more pleasant and successful time engaging InstallShield as well as a cheaper one given the price delta's and for a large team like mine the cost can quickly add up.

[nicholas_ong]

I have had experience using both products for two separate clients. As repackaging tools, both products have it's pros and cons when capturing however they are negligible. However when you factor in the other tools within the products, Wise does include an import tool for importing legacy Wise setup installation packages.

As for comparing Wise Package Studio which includes conflict management, you would have to compare the cost factor which is significantly in Installshield's favor.

And for publishing apps through the AD, there are size limitations (approx. 600mb) and I would seriously consider implementing SMS or other deployment tools as an alternate means to deployment.