We compared Cisco DNA Center and Cisco Prime based on our user's reviews in several parameters.
Users have mentioned the need for improved integration capabilities with third-party tools and additional customization options to better suit their specific requirements. Additionally, users have highlighted the importance of enhanced documentation and training resources to facilitate platform adoption and understanding. Some users have also suggested improvements to the user interface for a more intuitive and streamlined experience.
Features: Cisco DNA Center stands out with its unity of configuration, versatile analytics, enhanced security, AI and machine learning capabilities, VXLAN and SD-Access features, and wireless assurance. On the other hand, Cisco Prime shines with its comprehensive network management, efficient automation and fault detection tools, intuitive interface, robust security features, and effective performance monitoring.
Pricing and ROI: The setup costs for Cisco DNA Center are mentioned as straightforward and hassle-free, ensuring a smooth implementation process. Users appreciate the flexibility in licensing options. Cisco Prime also has a straightforward setup cost that does not require excessive time or resources. The licensing process for Cisco Prime is also commended as seamless and hassle-free., Cisco DNA Center provided a significant ROI by streamlining network management, improving operational efficiency, and optimizing network performance. Users praised its comprehensive monitoring and automation features. On the other hand, Cisco Prime demonstrated its value by improving network management capabilities, enhancing network visibility, and reducing downtime. Users appreciated its user-friendly interface and effective troubleshooting capabilities.
Room for Improvement: Cisco DNA Center users have requested a more intuitive and streamlined user interface, improved documentation and training resources, better integration capabilities with third-party tools, and customization options. Cisco Prime could also benefit from enhancements according to user feedback.
Deployment and customer support: The reviews for Cisco DNA Center suggests varying timeframes for deployment, setup, or implementation phases, with some users mentioning spending a week for both, while others spent three months on deployment and an additional week on setup. In contrast, the reviews for Cisco Prime show that some users spent three months on deployment, while others only required a week. The term "setup" is used alongside deployment, indicating they refer to the same period for some users. Understanding the context is important when evaluating the time required for each phase., Cisco DNA Center product has been highly praised for its customer service and support. Users appreciate the knowledgeable and responsive staff who quickly address queries. On the other hand, Cisco Prime's customer service has also received positive feedback, with users highlighting the promptness and helpfulness of the support team.
The summary above is based on 58 interviews we conducted recently with Cisco DNA Center and Cisco Prime users. To access the review's full transcripts, download our report.
"It does a lot of things automatically, and that's the big thing with it. They're making the software so that you don't need to be as knowledgeable as me on the switching and routing side to get your work done. If you want, you can have DNA troubleshoot your problem for you and give you solutions or fix it itself, if it was something that's just a configuration issue."
"The solution helps in user microsegmentation."
"It is a stable solution."
"It gives us automation capabilities for pushing out the configuration to branch networks. It also provides visibility into the health of user network devices."
"It is very versatile in terms of analytics."
"The automation features are significant, reducing configuration time. This means outstanding functionality. By deploying the controller automatically, the rest becomes automated"
"I think that their LAN automation is a very good feature."
"The most valuable features of the solution are all of its security features...It is a highly scalable solution."
"The technical support team is very good."
"The most valuable feature of Cisco Prime is the heat map."
"Cisco Prime, from a management perspective, has good reporting."
"If an AP or any wireless device goes into critical mode, Cisco Prime sends an alert. That is the most helpful feature."
"The most valuable feature of Cisco Prime is its excellent audio and video conferencing with clear quality and no interruptions."
"The most valuable feature of Cisco Prime is the heat maps."
"As a large organization, it is difficult to individually monitor every device. Instead, we use Cisco Prime to keep an eye on the network and services. We do not use it as a node tool, as we have other tools for network operation centers. When services go down, it can cause issues, we rely on Cisco Prime to monitor and notify us of any service disruptions. We mainly use Cisco Prime Infrastructure for configuration-level tasks."
"The hardware Cisco provides is excellent. It's a well-made product."
"The solution's technical support is an area with which my company's clients have a problem. Cisco doesn't provide good technical support unless a user has a big account that Cisco wants to retain."
"From the recent DNA point of view, there are some stability challenges with Cisco, but very minor."
"Cisco DNA Center should improve its configuration management. It is better to have a dev version before pushing it."
"The product doesn’t have good monitoring capabilities."
"The network, data center, and SD-WAN are all being treated as different services, but I would like to have only one solution to manage all of them."
"The tool's deployment is complex. It also needs to improve its GUI."
"There are some software problems from version to version. It takes a long time for DNA Center to recognize the video and control access devices."
"What I want to see in Cisco DNA Center in the future is more support for other platforms so that you can manage third-party products, such as Fortinet."
"Lacking in integration with a SIEM tool."
"I rate Cisco Prime seven out of 10 for affordability. All Cisco solutions are expensive."
"Cisco needs to improve Prime's monitoring tab. If any device goes down, there is a 15-second lapse before we know. It would be much better if we were alerted two or three minutes before a device is about to fail, so we can dispatch a field engineer and avoid network downtime. I would like to see a feature that allows you to access the devices directly from Prime's monitoring tab. That would make work easier for us."
"The product's performance monitoring feature could be more intuitive."
"The solution has issues with real time monitoring of devices and NetFlow such as inadequate visualization for reports, sources, and destinations."
"The user interface of Cisco Prime could be more user-friendly and increase its performance."
"Cisco Prime's initial setup is complex."
"Maybe it could be a little cheaper."
Cisco DNA Center is ranked 1st in Network Management Applications with 37 reviews while Cisco Prime is ranked 2nd in Network Management Applications with 35 reviews. Cisco DNA Center is rated 7.8, while Cisco Prime is rated 7.8. The top reviewer of Cisco DNA Center writes "Practical implementation of VXLAN is good and provides centralized control". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Cisco Prime writes "Robust, cost-effective, and provides good visibility, but the scalability could improve". Cisco DNA Center is most compared with Aruba Airwave, SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager, Huawei eSight, Juniper Mist Wired Assurance and Fortinet FortiManager, whereas Cisco Prime is most compared with SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager, Aruba Airwave, Huawei eSight, Fortinet FortiManager and HPE Intelligent Management Center. See our Cisco DNA Center vs. Cisco Prime report.
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