Big Switch Networks vs Cisco SD-WAN comparison

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Big Switch Networks and Cisco SD-WAN based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Juniper, Big Switch Networks and others in Software Defined Networking (SDN).
To learn more, read our detailed Software Defined Networking (SDN) Report (Updated: March 2024).
765,386 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"What I liked about the solution is the quick and easy way you can build a network data center fabric."

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"I like the feature that lets you transfer from old devices to new devices without changing the hardware and subscription.""I have found the performance and the Zero-Touch provisioning helpful which makes it easier for us to develop.""If I have to give a neutral view of all the SD-WAN platforms that I have known so far, Cisco is good in routing.""It is very stable.""Cisco SD-WAN's best features are the development of network links, application control, and bandwidth monitoring.""Any technical support we needed was great.""The solution is good to use and easy to handle and manage from the centralized location or from the cloud.""The tool is stable, and its troubleshooting capabilities are good. It helps us identify and fix any issues. It simplifies VPN setup for both side-to-side and multisite connections. This allows for easier data sharing between main and branch offices, creating a local network feel even for distant sites."

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Cons
"I think if I was to say something that could be improved, it would be a multi-data center nature of the implementation."

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"I would like to see features related to security compliance, including a view of compliance with standards. With this, I should be able to do an audit of my network with SDWAN.""The client portal needs to be improved in order to make the solution much better.""The solution is expensive and could be cheaper.""The Cisco way of thinking is to create umbrella-like solutions. I would prefer it if this solution was separate from the entire monstrous Cisco portfolio.""The initial setup is really complex.""Simplifying the definition and implementation could add significant value, as it can be complex due to multiple product integrations and customization requirements.""The product should improve its prices.""The solution is very costly."

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Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "The licensing cost depends on the number of switches that are going to be licensed to run the software."
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  • "We pay for the Cisco Customer Care support, which is a couple of hundred dollars."
  • "80 percent reduction in WAN costs. There are no MPLS or P2P circuits left in the organization."
  • "Cisco is more expensive than some competing products."
  • "SD-WAN as a service is probably something in the neighborhood of $100 to $200 a month per location."
  • "The costs are a bit on the high side."
  • "It is much cheaper than other solutions. Most of our clients are the top 500 companies, and they all have a corporate contract."
  • "The license model is too complex with too many flavors and options. You might not be able to see it from an end user's point of view, but from a telco point of view, their license model is too complex. They should have a flexible license model. If you want to have good pricing, you need to buy it for a two-year, four-year, or five-year license immediately. Some other vendors have much more flexible license models."
  • "It is going to be on a yearly basis. There are no additional costs."
  • More Cisco SD-WAN Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:What I liked about the solution is the quick and easy way you can build a network data center fabric.
    Top Answer:The licensing cost depends on the number of switches that are going to be licensed to run the software. I wasn't on the commercial side of this project, so I don't really have a lot of details, but it… more »
    Top Answer:I think if I was to say something that could be improved, it would be a multi-data center nature of the implementation. Meaning, having an active-active data center with multiple entrance-exit points… more »
    Top Answer:The most valuable features, application awareness, and failover resilience, stand out as key considerations for users.
    Top Answer:The initial cost is quite significant, but the investment is worthwhile.
    Top Answer:As the majority of our applications now reside in the cloud, there's a growing need for solutions that revolve around cloud-centric policies. Currently, the convergence between on-premise and cloud… more »
    Ranking
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    418
    Comparisons
    349
    Reviews
    1
    Average Words per Review
    845
    Rating
    9.0
    Views
    19,678
    Comparisons
    13,510
    Reviews
    27
    Average Words per Review
    510
    Rating
    7.9
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    Viptela, Cisco vEdge Cloud Router
    Learn More
    Overview

    Big Switch Networks is at the forefront of the next-generation of networking technologies. By combining industry standard switch hardware (“white box / branded white box “brite box”) with intelligent SDN control software, the company is delivering next-generation data center networking fabrics for the world’s most advanced data centers looking to achieve unmatched degrees of network automation at cloud-competitive price points.

    Big Switch Networks has two data center networking solutions: Big Cloud Fabric, a data center switching fabric for OpenStack clouds or VMware virtualization environments, and Big Monitoring Fabric, a network packet broker that enables pervasive security and security, monitoring data center traffic for inline or out-of-band deployments. Big Switch is taking three key technologies: vendor agnostic switch hardware, SDN control software, and core-and-pod data center designs –and leveraging them for use in next-generation data center switching and monitoring solutions designed for use in enterprises, cloud providers, and service providers.

    All Big Switch solutions run on high-performance open networking switches from Accton or Dell Technologies and leverage centralized SDN controller software for fabric-wide control and management. Big Switch Networks has two solutions:

    Cisco SD-WAN is a software-defined WAN (wide area network) solution that provides for secure stable connections to applications for enterprises and organizations. Cisco SD-WAN works to speed up the seamless movement to the cloud. A very robust and reliable solution, Cisco SD-WAN is cutting-edge in threat security and stability of the complete network and has very low latency. Cisco SD-WAN uses Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS), data centers, and even the internet to smoothly advance the move to a SASE (Service Access Service Edge)-based architecture. The Cisco SD-WAN dashboard gives you a complete visual of your entire infrastructure; you can see everything in real time. You will also have simplified IT operations and gain advanced network capabilities, dependability, and security. One valued feature is the overlay management protocol (OMP), which applies to your entire network to speedily connect all your company data centers. Cisco SD-WAN has a very flexible architecture and can be deployed on premises, in the cloud, hybrid, and even has multi-cloud options. Cisco SD-WAN instantly discovers, authenticates, and provisions all devices, both existing and new.

    Cisco SD-WAN simplifies the management of multiple connections across the WAN, improves the end-user experience, improves overall application functionality and performance, and is a very cost-effective solution. Cisco SD-WAN integrates well with Microsoft 365, Salesforce, and many other cloud-based business solutions. Additionally, Cisco SD-WAN optimizes connectivity and streamlines workflows for Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Azure.

    Benefits of Cisco SD-WAN

    • Increased profitability - Cisco SD-WAN will improve performance and decrease overall connectivity costs.
    • Improved productivity - Cisco SD-WAN requires less staff to manage and secure the WANs so valuable resources can be allocated elsewhere in your organization, increasing total productivity.
    • Flexible scalability- Cisco SD-WAN’s flexible and easily scalable architecture will allow your organization to address significantly greater business opportunities, helping to consistently increase revenue.
    • Enhanced security - Cisco SD-WAN offers real-time policy enforcement, ensuring that downtime and unplanned outages are kept to a minimum.

    What real users have to say:

    Cisco SD-WAN is fast with lower costs: “Using SD-WAN to combine services can result in better up time, higher speeds, and much lower costs.”

    Cisco is a brand you can trust: “Cisco is an industry leader, so customers have a high level of trust with the brand - more so than with some newcomers that might have some more revolutionary solutions, but no name recognition.”

    Cisco SD-WAN offers load-balancing and real-time traffic monitoring: “Load balancing is a feature that allows us to take the best of our links and distribute the load intelligently, always with an eye on the end-customer experience.”

    Sample Customers
    A10 Networks, Edge-Core Networks, Blue Coat Systems, BlueData, Broadcom Corporation, Canonical, Check Point Software Technologies, Citrix, Dell, FireEye, Garland, Hortonworks, Mirantis, Nexenta, Riverbed
    Doyle Research, Ashton Metzler & Associates
    Top Industries
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Financial Services Firm17%
    Computer Software Company16%
    University8%
    Government8%
    REVIEWERS
    Comms Service Provider44%
    Computer Software Company18%
    Financial Services Firm12%
    Manufacturing Company6%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Educational Organization34%
    Computer Software Company14%
    Financial Services Firm6%
    Comms Service Provider5%
    Company Size
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business19%
    Midsize Enterprise10%
    Large Enterprise71%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business42%
    Midsize Enterprise15%
    Large Enterprise43%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business15%
    Midsize Enterprise41%
    Large Enterprise43%
    Buyer's Guide
    Software Defined Networking (SDN)
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Juniper, Big Switch Networks and others in Software Defined Networking (SDN). Updated: March 2024.
    765,386 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Big Switch Networks is ranked 4th in Software Defined Networking (SDN) with 1 review while Cisco SD-WAN is ranked 2nd in Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions with 86 reviews. Big Switch Networks is rated 9.0, while Cisco SD-WAN is rated 8.0. The top reviewer of Big Switch Networks writes "A flexible solution that can be integrated with third-party solutions whilst maintaining its automated nature". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Cisco SD-WAN writes "A solution for integrating services to enhance up-time, performance and lower costs". Big Switch Networks is most compared with Gigamon Deep Observability Pipeline, Ixia Network Packet Brokers, APCON, Pica8 and Cumulus Networks, whereas Cisco SD-WAN is most compared with Fortinet FortiGate, Meraki SD-WAN, VMware SD-WAN, Versa Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platform and Juniper Session Smart Router.

    We monitor all Software Defined Networking (SDN) reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.