Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) vs VMware Identity Manager comparison

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) and VMware Identity Manager based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, HPE Aruba Networking, Forescout and others in Network Access Control (NAC).
To learn more, read our detailed Network Access Control (NAC) Report (Updated: March 2024).
765,234 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
"I like the logging feature.""Assisting a larger number of users in gaining access and guiding them through the process of getting on Cisco ISE has been seamless.""For us and our clients, the most valuable features of Identity Services Engine are really around the rich contact sharing that ISE gives you.""The most valuable thing in ISE is the adoption of EAP deep that came in [version] 2.7, so we can do authentication based on user and machine certificates in one authentication.""So far, we have had no issues with the stability.""The best features are the scalability and the license structure.""The ability to allow or deny hosts onto the network is valuable. It provides great security to the network environment.""Using this solution gives us the ability to allow proper access to the network."

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"Zero Trust implementation is a great feature.""The most valuable feature is that it will use my credentials to access various parts of the infrastructure or other solutions, such as vRealize.""The most valuable feature is the User Experience Designer, which has been very helpful for our project.""The solution is stable.""Personally, VMware Identity Manager is useful for comparison purposes so that I can provide better solutions to my company's customers.""One of the features that I enjoyed most was the integration with Azure AD because I could use VMware Identity Manager to standardize the User Principal Name coming from Active Directory. You have Azure AD Connect to do that. In between, if you have vIDM handling it, you can easily get the synchronization of users into your VM and standardize the User Principal Name. If you require quality assurance for handling it, you can actually count on the vIDM to do so. That was one of the main things I enjoyed about the product.""Its value is when you use it with a Workspace ONE UEM solution as it is part of the ecosystem for VMware Workspace ONE.""The most valuable features in VMware Identity Manager for me are the control groups and rules."

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Cons
"In an upcoming release, the solution needs to be more agentless and more independent. Additionally, there could be improved integration with other next-generation solutions, such as Palo Alto, Fortinet, or Check Point.""Cisco ISE requires a lot of time-consuming administration.""The area where things could be improved is education. It's complicated to deploy initially because you have to know what you're getting into.""It is a good product, but in order to use all of the functions of the product, you must have a good understanding of the product. You must know how to use and manage it. It is a little bit complicated to configure and manage. It must be simplified to make it easy to manage for end users. In the initial stage, we found ISE complicated for end users. It was not easy to manage it or to write authentication and authorization protocol. They must improve its management and make it easy for end users. The monitoring and reporting capabilities can be improved because end users want to quickly see what is happening in their network. There were some restrictions in working with other vendors. It should also have a better and easy integration with other vendors.""The Cisco wireless​ controller needs to add more than one physical port.""I don't like the fact that we can see the logs only for 24 hours. Maybe that happens because of the way we set it up.""I believe that Cisco can improve the way its policies are built because it's a little complex.""Migration could be better. Right now, we back up with the new version, and it requires a lot of licensing and other things. Whenever we choose a product, it's very difficult because we have to meet the requirements of each feature. There is no standard feature, so the best system that we bought may not fit the solution. We have to look at every feature that the customer uses. If you compare it with other products like Aruba, it's not the same. With Cisco, I have to read all about the features on this version and the licensing required for the product. In Aruba, that thing is covered when you get one license because it covers almost everything. It could also be more scalable."

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"I would like to have better support for multi-cloud sessions.""The license could be better.""Many of the features that exist in Active Directory do not exist in Identity Manager, which means that people depend on Active Directory.""I would like better integration for deploying programs with binary files.""it's very dependent on an active directory""The database gets corrupted when used in the cluster. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.""vIDM could be improved with the multi-tenant capabilities that VMware tends to offer—features like customization branding and the integration of the app catalog based on the branding. Since the integration has been at top-level OGs, you were not able to then do rebranding if you were required to use specific user groups to highlight specific applications. At the time, I was personally opening feature requests for these things. I haven't worked with the latest release, so I don't know if these features were already deployed or not.""The mobile SSO doesn't work as well on Android."

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Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "There are three levels of pricing: basic, plus, and apex. Basic satisfied our needs."
  • "If you go directly with Cisco for the implementation it's very, very expensive."
  • "The SMARTnet technical support is available at an additional cost."
  • "For the Avast virus scan, we pay around USD $95 per machine for five years which includes all updates and technical support."
  • "The price for Cisco ISE is high."
  • "The price can be lower, especially for subscriptions. It should be a lot cheaper to have a wide range of customers. The price should be comparable to competitive products like Forescout or Fortinet FortiNAC. Forescout is cheaper for customers looking for a cloud solution."
  • "There are other cheaper options available."
  • "The price is okay."
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  • "We pay approximately $6.50 per user for the standard version. If you are paying for an enterprise license that includes VDI then it will cost approximately $25 per user on a monthly basis."
  • "Licensing fees are paid on a monthly basis."
  • "A person should pay towards the licensing costs of VMware Identity Manager on a yearly or monthly basis, but government and public sector units cannot for a perpetual licensing model."
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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer: Aruba ClearPass is a Network Access Control tool that gives secure network access to multiple device types. You can adapt the policies to VPN access, wired, or wireless access. You can securely… more »
    Top Answer:OK, so Cisco ISE uses 802.1X to secure switchports against unauthorized access. The drawback of this is that ISE cannot secure the port if a device does not support 802.1x. Cameras, badge readers… more »
    Top Answer:Cisco ISE uses AI endpoint analytics to identify new devices based on their behavior. It will also notify you if someone plugs in with a device that is not allowed and will block it. The user… more »
    Top Answer:The most valuable features in VMware Identity Manager for me are the control groups and rules.
    Top Answer:I would rate the costliness of the solution as an eight out of ten. The licensing costs for the solution vary based on user count, so there is no fixed value. It depends on factors like the number of… more »
    Top Answer:In terms of improvement, I would like better integration for deploying programs with binary files. As for future releases, I hope to see features like seamless migrations with collaboration tools to… more »
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    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    Cisco ISE
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    VMware
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    Overview

    Cisco ISE is an all-in-one solution that streamlines security policy management and reduces operating costs. Cisco ISE delivers visibility and access control over users and devices across wired, wireless, and VPN connections.

    Identity Services Engine enables enterprises to deliver secure network access to users and devices. It shares contextual data, such as threats and vulnerabilities, with integrated solutions from Cisco technology partners. You can see what is happening in your network, which applications are running, and more.

    Features of Cisco ISE

    • Centralized management helps administrators configure and manage user profile characteristics - a single pane of glass for integrated management services.
    • Contextual identity and business policy: The rule-based attribute is a driven policy model. The goal is to provide flexible access control policies.
    • Wide range of access control options, including Virtual LAN (VLAN) URL redirections, and access control lists.
    • Supplicant-less network access: You can roll out secure network access by deriving authentication from login information across application layers.
    • Guest lifecycle management streamlines the experience for implementing and customizing network access for guests.
    • Built-in AAA services: The platform uses standard RADIUS protocol for authentication, authorization, and accounting.
    • Device auditing, administration, and access control provide users with access on a need-to-know and need-to-act basis. It keeps audit trails for every change in the network.
    • Device profiling: ISE features predefined device templates for different types of endpoints.
    • Internal certificate authority: Qn easy-to-deploy single console to manage endpoints and certificates.

    Benefits of Cisco ISE

    Cisco’s holistic approach to network access security has several advantages:

    • Context-based access based on your company policies. ISE creates a complete contextual identity, including attributes such as user, time, location, threat, access type, and vulnerability. This contextual identity is used to enforce a secure access policy. Administrators can apply strict control over how and when endpoints are allowed in the network.
    • Better network visibility via an easy-to-use, simple console. In addition, visibility is improved by storing a detailed attribute history of all endpoints connected to the network.
    • Comprehensive policy enforcement. ISE sets easy and flexible access rules. These rules are controlled from a central console that enforces them across the network and security infrastructure. You can define policies that differentiate between registered users and guests. The system uses group tags that enable access control on business rules instead of IP addresses.
    • Self-service device onboarding enables the enterprise to implement a Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) policy securely. Users can manage their devices according to the policies defined by IT administrators. (IT remains in charge of provisioning and posturing to comply with security policies.)
    • Consistent guest experiences: You can provide guests with different levels of access from different connections. You can customize guest portals via a cloud-delivered portal editor with dynamic visual tools.

    Support

    You can get ISE as a physical or virtual appliance. Both deployments can create ISE clusters that create scale, redundancy, and requirements.

    Licensing

    Cisco ISE has four primary licences. Evaluation for up to 100 endpoints with full platform functionality. The higher tiers are Partner, Advantage and Essential.

    Reviews from Real Users

    "The user experience of the solution is great. It's a very transparent system. according to a PeerSpot user in Cyber Security at a manufacturing company.

    Omar Z., Network & Security Engineer at an engineering company, feels that "The RADIUS Server holds the most value."

    “Whether I deploy in China, the US, South Africa, or wherever, I can get all the capabilities. It allows me to directly integrate with 365, and from a communications point of view, that is a good capability," says Rammohan M., Senior Consultant at a tech services company.

    Hassan A.,Technology Manager at Advanced Integrated Systems, says that "The most valuable feature is the integration with StealthWatch and DNA as one fabric."




    VMware Identity Manager is an Identity as a Service (IDaaS) offering, providing application provisioning, self-service catalog, conditional access controls and Single Sign-On (SSO) for SaaS, web, cloud and native mobile applications. It simplifies business mobility with one touch from any device, empowers employees with a self-service app store, optimizes user experience & security with AirWatch and was designed for the mobile cloud world for AirWatch enrolled devices providing a seamless consumer-grade user experience.
    Sample Customers
    Aegean Motorway, BC Hydro, Beachbody, Bucks County Intermediate Unit , Cisco IT, Derby City Council, Global Banking Customer, Gobierno de Castilla-La Mancha, Houston Methodist, Linz AG, London Hydro, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Molina Healthcare, MST Systems, New South Wales Rural Fire Service, Reykjavik University, Wildau University
    Seventy Seven Energy, The Hut Group, SAIC
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Financial Services Firm13%
    Government11%
    Comms Service Provider11%
    Computer Software Company11%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Educational Organization23%
    Computer Software Company16%
    Government8%
    Financial Services Firm7%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company14%
    Financial Services Firm12%
    Government9%
    Insurance Company8%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business24%
    Midsize Enterprise21%
    Large Enterprise55%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business16%
    Midsize Enterprise32%
    Large Enterprise52%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business92%
    Large Enterprise8%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business18%
    Midsize Enterprise16%
    Large Enterprise65%
    Buyer's Guide
    Network Access Control (NAC)
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, HPE Aruba Networking, Forescout and others in Network Access Control (NAC). Updated: March 2024.
    765,234 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) is ranked 1st in Network Access Control (NAC) with 135 reviews while VMware Identity Manager is ranked 14th in Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) with 12 reviews. Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) is rated 8.2, while VMware Identity Manager is rated 7.6. 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 VMware Identity Manager writes "A tool that needs to improve scalability but is useful to manage user". Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) is most compared with Aruba ClearPass, Fortinet FortiNAC, Forescout Platform, CyberArk Privileged Access Manager and Fortinet FortiAuthenticator, whereas VMware Identity Manager is most compared with CyberArk Privileged Access Manager, Microsoft Entra ID, SailPoint IdentityIQ, Fortinet FortiAuthenticator and WSO2 Identity Server.

    We monitor all Network Access Control (NAC) 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.