We performed a comparison between Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) and F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) based on real PeerSpot user reviews.
Find out in this report how the two Network Access Control (NAC) solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI."The features that do work, work well, and we use it on a daily basis."
"The posture assessment is a valuable feature because of the ability to do assessments on the clients before they connect to the network."
"Authentication is the most valuable feature because it puts our company at another level of security."
"For guests we give them limited access to the internet when they come in so that access has been useful. Previously, we just used to give them the APN key which they would leave with. Now, we give them credentials to use that are for a limited period of time."
"We found that the most valuable features associated with this tool are posture assessment, policy management, VLAN assignments, guest assignment, and BYOD services. In addition to these services, the Cisco IOS software switch configuration feature is another very valuable aspect of the policy and compliance solution."
"The access policies, and all of the policies in Cisco ISE, are important to us."
"The RADIUS Server holds the most value."
"Not having to trust devices and being able to set those levels of trust and more finely control our network is a benefit."
"The load balancing features are valuable."
"The product allows us to create customized portals for your users."
"We have seen a return on investment from F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager. It provided access at a time when we didn't have it."
"The most valuable feature is the virtual IP creation. It's our most frequently used feature."
"F5 BIG-IP APM is relatively easy to use."
"The performance of the solution is valuable."
"The solution is stable and reliable."
"This is a product that is easy to install and integrate, and it is simple to use."
"ISE is a little clunky. The front-end feels like it is from the 1980s."
"The solution can lag somewhat as we have a large database."
"Cisco ISE's real-time data analytics for database logging could be improved."
"Third-party integration is important, as well as the continuous adaptation feature which is the AIOps. It would be helpful to include the AIOps."
"A lot of people tell you the hardware requirements for ISE are pretty substantial. If you're running a virtual environment, you're going to be dedicating quite a bit of resources to an ISE VM. That is something that could be worked on."
"Cisco ISE can become quite complex, especially with policy sets, the entire authentication process, and everything involved."
"This product doesn't work in isolation."
"The learning curve is steep and the initial setup is complex."
"Integrating identity providers and single sign-on solutions can simplify user authentication and access control."
"The technical support’s response time must be improved."
"We do not have knowledgeable support teams locally."
"The solution’s GUI looks very old."
"In my opinion, the GUI side needs some improvement based on my usage. Sometimes, it doesn't work as efficiently as the CLI side."
"The operational deployment is not great."
"The initial setup was complex."
"F5 BIG-IP APM disconnects when you leave it for long enough, but that is natural for IT solutions to do. That's a little bit frustrating."
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Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) is ranked 1st in Network Access Control (NAC) with 138 reviews while F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is ranked 6th in Network Access Control (NAC) with 13 reviews. Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) is rated 8.2, while F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is rated 8.2. The top reviewer of Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) writes "Gives us that extra ability to assist the end user and make sure that we are making them happy". On the other hand, the top reviewer of F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) writes " Facilitates packet inspection, modification, and offloading and offers visibility and troubleshooting capabilities, allowing for pre-production server testing". Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) is most compared with Aruba ClearPass, Fortinet FortiNAC, Forescout Platform, CyberArk Privileged Access Manager and One Identity Manager, whereas F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is most compared with Citrix Gateway, CyberArk Privileged Access Manager, Ivanti Connect Secure, Microsoft Entra ID and Aruba ClearPass. See our Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) vs. F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) report.
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