Information Security Specialist at UAEU
Real User
Easy to use, has a tunneling feature and shows you traffic logs
Pros and Cons
  • "VPN tunneling is a very valuable feature of Pulse Connect Secure. I also like that it is straightforward to use, and you can see traffic logs on it."
  • "An area for improvement in Pulse Connect Secure is the concurrent connections, particularly needing a license if you want to use Pulse Connect Secure with your Microsoft or Windows machine."

What is our primary use case?

Our university's central staff, faculty, and students use Pulse Connect Secure as a VPN to connect remotely to their machines. For example, they can access servers when they want to do research. We're also using Pulse Connect Secure for remote configurations.

Since the pandemic, we've been using the solution at full capacity to provide VPNs because many people work remotely from home. We use Pulse Connect Secure primarily for remote access, VPNs, tunneling, etc.

What is most valuable?

VPN tunneling is a very valuable feature of Pulse Connect Secure which I like because it connects users, gets the IP from the subnet or part of the network, and the network can be routed between different VLANs, letting users work from home.

I also like that Pulse Connect Secure is very easy to use, and you can see traffic logs on the solution.

What needs improvement?

An area for improvement in Pulse Connect Secure is the concurrent connections, particularly needing a license if you want to use Pulse Connect Secure with your Microsoft or Windows machine. My organization experiences issues with multiple users or even one user with concurrent or multiple connections.

In the next release of Pulse Connect Secure, I want it to become a converged infrastructure where you can get more features in one box. For example, you now see firewall products in the market that provide VPN, IPS, and firewall clearing or flushing features. At the moment, Pulse Connect Secure can only serve as your VPN.

As a user, I prefer a readily available virtual environment or a virtualization functionality, though I wonder if that feature's already provided.

I also want to see a PRA feature added to Pulse Connect Secure in the future, particularly a password management feature that would be useful whenever third-party users or vendors try to access Pulse Connect Secure.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using Pulse Connect Secure for five years now.

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Ivanti Connect Secure
May 2024
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Pulse Connect Secure is a very stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

There's room for improvement in the scalability of Pulse Connect Secure. It's a six out of ten for me. You can scale the solution, but not always up to the level you want or need.

How are customer service and support?

Pulse Connect Secure technical support is good. It's a seven out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I used Norton before using Pulse Connect Secure, and I found that Pulse Connect Secure is better in terms of multiple integrations, which isn't available in Norton.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup for Pulse Connect Secure is straightforward. I'd rate the setup as seven out of ten.

Pulse Connect Secure is very easy to configure, and you can configure it in less time than other solutions. The total time it took to deploy the solution was two months.

What about the implementation team?

Initially, we contacted the vendor, and they provided Pulse Connect Secure professional deployment service. Two people from the vendor side and four from our side were involved in deploying the solution. Then for the rest of the project, in terms of deployment, we were able to do it ourselves. Still, we used the initial vendor support as a reference when deploying Pulse Connect Secure by ourselves.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing for Pulse Connect Secure is not low and not high, so it's good. It's a six out of ten for me, price-wise, and because it's a product with a specific purpose.

What other advice do I have?

Currently, my organization uses PRA (Privileged Remote Access), Pulse Connect Secure for the VPN, and Palo Alto GlobalProtect.

My organization is a user, not a reseller.

Ivanti acquired Pulse Connect Secure, so I don't remember the exact version I'm on because my organization upgraded to Ivanti. Though the infrastructure works similarly, the graphics, banners, and logos changed.

I'm responsible for Pulse Connect Secure maintenance, but I have a backup person who takes charge when I'm unavailable, for example, when I'm on leave. That backup person also has his box, which I handle when he's on leave. So I'd say two people take care of the maintenance of Pulse Connect Secure.

One thousand five hundred people use Pulse Connect Secure within the university; the staff comprises eighty percent, and students comprise the remaining twenty percent. Everyone in the university has used Pulse Connect Secure since the pandemic started.

The university now has another solution that provides the same service for free, so there is no plan to increase the usage of Pulse Connect Secure.

My advice to others planning to use Pulse Connect Secure is that it's very stable and easy to manage, so you should go with this product. I also used to work with Norton, and I still like Norton as a product because it's very stable, unlike Cisco, and Norton is very easy to upgrade. It's a good system if you're looking for a VPN, but if you need multiple integrations from a VPN, then Pulse Connect Secure is a good solution versus Norton.

As I've been using the solution for over five years, from that perspective and my understanding of how to configure and support it, based on my knowledge of Pulse Connect Secure, I can rate it as eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Infrastructure Project manager at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Customer-friendly, flexible, and easy to deploy, but needs central management and better support and documentation
Pros and Cons
  • "It is customer-friendly. It is quite easy for our users to connect. There is also the flexibility of the features."
  • "We want to switch to another solution because there are some challenges with the support from Pulse. The quality of documentation is also not good. It is sometimes very hard to find documentation that provides a solution and describes how all this works."

What is our primary use case?

We are using it as a remote access solution for our users and partners.

What is most valuable?

It is customer-friendly. It is quite easy for our users to connect. There is also the flexibility of the features.

What needs improvement?

We want to switch to another solution because there are some challenges with the support from Pulse. The quality of documentation is also not good. It is sometimes very hard to find documentation that provides a solution and describes how all this works.

I definitely miss a single pane of glass where we can have several clusters deployed across the globe. We should have the capability to manage all clusters centrally. Currently, we have to log in locally on each cluster to see what is going on there. A single pane of glass for monitoring and viewing the overall health of our solutions, services, and licenses is currently missing.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Pulse for at least four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Recently, there were some issues, and we had to upgrade it quickly.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

When it is on-prem, it is not so scalable. To scale the solution, you also need to deploy new machines and configure them from scratch. It is not as easy as a cloud solution where you scale automatically according to your needs. The problem for us is that it is on-prem.

How are customer service and technical support?

We are not satisfied with their support. They usually cannot find the solution to our problems. If they manage to find a solution, it is not mature. It is mostly a workaround with some hidden scripts.

How was the initial setup?

I did not participate too much in the installation, but it was quite straightforward to deploy and configure. There were no big challenges.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend it depending on the size of the organization. I would recommend it for small to medium size organizations but not for big global companies.

I would rate Pulse Connect Secure a six out of 10.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Ivanti Connect Secure
May 2024
Learn what your peers think about Ivanti Connect Secure. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2024.
770,458 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Consultant at Saudi Telecom Company
Consultant
Top 20
Securely access internal networks, and easy to setup
Pros and Cons
  • "The initial setup is straightforward."
  • "The user experience has room for improvement."

What is our primary use case?

We use Pulse to access our internal network, as it is the only solution that has been approved by our cyber security team. We also have to use both VPN and Secure VPN for added security.

What is most valuable?

In order to access an internal server from another country, we must use Pulse Secure.

What needs improvement?

The user experience has room for improvement. Sometimes when we have two profiles it is not easy to use.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for five years.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We previously used the open-source version which did not have the same scope so we switched to the licensed version to meet our organization's requirements.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward.

What other advice do I have?

I give the solution a nine out of ten.

I would recommend the solution.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Ashish Kumar Rai - PeerSpot reviewer
Associate Network Engineer at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Top 5
User-friendly with a nice UI and an easy installation process
Pros and Cons
  • "The new UI that they are providing right now is very good."
  • "We need to know how many live active users there are and we can't. We even updated the server, however, we still can't see the proper level of live connections. Right now, it's showing as 300 users and my customer does not have that many users in his organization."

What is our primary use case?

The solution is primarily used as a VPN. There's an agent that can work with Linux, Mac, or Windows and it will provide a VPN tunnel to connect to the server. That way, it's easy to access the server. Based on the rules that have been configured, users would get specific levels of access. 

What is most valuable?

The interface is so simple for the user to access. Its layout is very user-friendly. 

The new UI that they are providing right now is very good.

They have a lot of good features, and everything we need is basically covered.

It is very easy to install the solution. 

What needs improvement?

I've had a customer face some issues with connection logs and live status. They had trouble with how many users were connected. There seems to be some sort of bug related to this that I would like to be fixed. We need to know how many live active users there are and we can't. We even updated the server, however, we still can't see the proper level of live connections. Right now, it's showing as 300 users and my customer does not have that many users in his organization. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for 1.5 years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Overall, it is a stable product. We've had very few issues using it. I'd rate the stability eight out of ten overall. So far, this version has been quite reliable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Pulse, like every box, has their dependency. If you are using a 5,000 or a 3,000, you can only connect X number of users according to the size of the box. Therefore, if you buy a bigger size, you can scale easily. You do, however, need to plan accordingly.

In terms of the ability to scale, I would rate the solution seven out of ten. 

How are customer service and support?

Technical support is responsible and they offer good support. Overall, they give you support in a reasonable amount of time and get you whatever you require. When you raise a case, they tackle that case. The escalation is also good. The team has knowledgeable engineers which understand the product and have experience with that product.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The installation process is very simple and straightforward. I'd rate the ease of setup 8.5 out of ten. 

If you have a basic knowledge of networking and servers, you can easily deploy a server in a virtual platform or in your on-premises device. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I don't have any knowledge in relation to pricing. 

What other advice do I have?

The product can be installed on-premises, on the cloud, or on VMware. 

If potential new users are going to use this solution, then they are using a great product. It will give you the support you need and fulfill your requirements. 

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten. 

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Bhaskar Rao - PeerSpot reviewer
Sr. Network Engineer at Yamaha
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Provides connection with roaming users with easy deployment

What is our primary use case?

The solution is useful for connecting with roaming users outside the office locations.

How has it helped my organization?

We use Ivanti Connect Secure to enable roaming access to our office resources. It offers robust features such as two-factor authentication and host checking, making it a wonderful product. 

What needs improvement?

Some vulnerability issues have led to a high alert in the US and other countries. We've had to initiate a reset of all systems, including Factory and DC, and refresh the configurations.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Ivanti Connect Secure for ten years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate the solution’s stability an eight out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

3,000 users are using this solution.

I rate the solution’s scalability an eight out of ten.

How are customer service and support?

Most of the time, we resolve issues ourselves. Our Internet team is also quite competent and well-versed. There are usually no issues. I do encounter some technical delays

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is simple.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The product costs around 2000 rupees per year.

What other advice do I have?

It is easy to integrate other solutions with Connect Secure.

We are currently using Ivanti Connect Secure with client-based connectivity. Implementing clientless connectivity enable us to connect without the need for any client software. This allow us to access office resources such as URL-based or SAP SaaS-based systems. Additionally, Ivanti is working on enhancing this feature, which is a positive development. In terms of competition, backups from other providers like Cisco AnyConnect and Fortinet are also considered. 

I've worked with Cisco Connect and FortiGate, which are relatively easy to work with. FortiGate does have quite a few bugs, making some applications not visible, which can cause discomfort during implementation. The only concern arises from the vulnerabilities that are found.

Ivanti Connect Secure's security is a priority, since they're operating on a legacy OS platform.  Approximately 22,000 Ivanti users have transitioned from Juniper to Pulse Secure and then to Ivanti. I strongly recommend avoiding the use of any legacy platforms for security reasons. It's advisable to utilize the latest platforms equipped with comprehensive security management features.

Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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PeerSpot user
Freelancer at 0
Real User
Top 10
A reliable and stable product that increases an organization’s productivity and is easy to use
Pros and Cons
  • "The product is easy to use."
  • "The solution must be more user-friendly."

What is our primary use case?

We normally use the product for VPN connectivity to access applications and servers remotely. We also use it for applications like Teams and Outlook.

What is most valuable?

The product is easy to use. It is reliable. It is always available. It's quite transparent. The product is quite exhaustive for the end user. It serves the purpose. The traffic that is involved as part of the VPN is secure. The solution has increased our productivity. The updates are optimal.

What needs improvement?

The solution must be more user-friendly. It must show more connection details and statistics to the end user.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate the tool’s stability a ten out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have a few thousand users in our organization. It is used daily.

How was the initial setup?

The solution is easy to deploy. The deployment doesn’t take more than 15 minutes.

What about the implementation team?

The product can be deployed in-house.

What other advice do I have?

I will recommend the tool to others. Overall, I rate the product a ten out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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PeerSpot user
Infrastructure and Cyber Security Senior Manager at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
An easy-to-maintain and stable VPN solution that needs improved customer support
Pros and Cons
  • "The stability of the product is its most valuable feature."
  • "The support team of the product needs improvement. Sometimes we have issues with multiple authentications, but there is no help from the support team."

What is our primary use case?

The solution is being used for VPN.

What is most valuable?

The stability of the product is its most valuable feature.

What needs improvement?

The support team of the product needs improvement. Sometimes we have issues with multiple authentications, but there is no help from the support team. It is very dissatisfying.

Some emerging technologies like Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) have the VPN included even if you don't need to use it. The present process for Pulse Connect Secure is becoming old-fashioned; they need to change the product.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used the solution for two and a half years for my company. I have been using this solution since 2004 when it was called Juniper.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable. You need to add a few more licenses, and it works fine. Currently, seven thousand or eight thousand people have current concurrent licenses.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support is not satisfactory. I rate it four or five out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I used a Cisco solution and another solution.

Pulse used to be much more flexible than Cisco. You could do more with Pulse, like different realms and authentication policies for different types of users. But the latest still needs to be improved, and users see much more user-friendly solutions. As I mentioned, other solutions exist, like Zero Trust Networks Access.

So these are getting much easier for users. But for installing a solution for the first time, ThoughtSpot was much easier than Cisco.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward.

What other advice do I have?

This product is good and easy to maintain if one can manage without the products' support team and have their administrative team. If you want to implement a new feature or interaction with the product, it gets complicated, or help is needed.

I rate the overall product a six out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Engineer at SegurCaixa Adeslas
Real User
Top 20
The best solution that can help you to make principal decisions
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution helps with principal decisions. It also helps with the security and configuration of many technologies."
  • "I would like the solution to be more secure and compatible. It also needs to improve integration with other systems."

What is our primary use case?

The solution helps with principal decisions. It also helps with the security and configuration of many technologies.

What needs improvement?

I would like the solution to be more secure and compatible. It also needs to improve integration with other systems.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with the solution for six months.

How are customer service and support?

The tool’s tech support is very good.

How was the initial setup?

The solution’s implementation took four months to complete.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate the solution a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Ivanti Connect Secure Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: May 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Ivanti Connect Secure Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.