Nutanix Cloud Manager (NCM) is a cloud management tool that drives consistent governance across private and public clouds for its users. The solution brings simplicity and ease of use to managing and building cloud deployments by providing a unified multicloud management that addresses common cloud adoption challenges.
Nutanix Cloud Manager offers four key value drivers:
The most valuable features of Nutanix Cloud Manager (NCM), according to the reviews, include:
- End-to-end observability and AI ops functionality
- Quick implementation time and ease of use
- High level of automation and fewer false alerts
- Dynamic scaling and scaling policies
- User-friendly interface and consistent interface across products
- Ability to clone servers and receive updates about clusters
- Layer 2 stretching and VM migration capabilities
- Capacity planning and runway analytics for optimization
- Flexibility in expanding technology and support
- Self-service capabilities and improved security posture
- Integrated hardware and cost savings
- One-click upgrades and deduplication capabilities
- Reporting, analytics, and forecasting tools
- Centralized management and simplified operations.
Improvements needed for Nutanix Cloud Manager (NCM) include better monitoring and management of microservices, more use cases for automation, improved virtualization and upgrade features, a more user-friendly UI with a simplified GUI, additional automation features, improved partner tool integration, advanced technical capabilities without relying on CLI, the ability to apply categories to projects and VMs, more APIs for integration with different vendors, enhanced analytics and accurate VM analysis, better support for outdated databases, smoother licensing procedures, improved Nutanix Guest Tools (NGT) installation, a less clunky UI with customizable data inputs, better memory usage awareness during deployment, bug fixes, cross-storage transfer automation, synchronization with local cluster GUI, accurate capacity planning and runway analytics, consolidation of Prism Central and Prism Element features, improved user-friendliness, Nutanix servers for AOS deployment, elimination of duplicate alerts, a desktop application for administration, and streamlined DHCP management.
The reviews indicate that Nutanix Cloud Manager (NCM) has generated a positive return on investment (ROI) for various organizations. The solution automates processes, eliminating the need for dedicated resources and improving efficiency. Customers have experienced benefits such as centralized management, simplified workflows, and faster deployment, leading to increased customer retention. Some organizations have seen significant ROI by migrating workloads to the Nutanix environment, resulting in cost savings and improved productivity. NCM has also helped with disaster recovery, reducing hardware costs and the need for specialized expertise. The solution has provided benefits in terms of VM efficiency, infrastructure optimization, and workload management. Additionally, NCM has facilitated capacity planning, forecasting, and streamlined data management, saving time and money. The platform's ease of use and automation have allowed engineers to make informed decisions and optimize the infrastructure effectively.
The experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Nutanix Cloud Manager (NCM) varies among users. Some find the solution expensive, while others believe the price is reasonable. There are mixed opinions on the value of the product compared to its cost. Some users emphasize the importance of demonstrating the value to justify the price. The pricing is considered competitive and offers good value for what is being offered. Different pricing options and tiers are available to cater to different business needs. Discounts and negotiation for better pricing are possible, especially for long-term licensing agreements. The pricing is seen as fairly priced, economical, and lower compared to other solutions. The acquisition and support cost is considered nominal and within budget. However, there are suggestions for reassessing and improving the pricing model, including the inclusion of basic features in the package.
The primary use case of Nutanix Cloud Manager (NCM) is compliance management, including configurations and drifts. It is also used for cost estimation, automation of business processes, virtualization, optimizing processes, deploying code as a platform as a service, managing production and test environments, partner-facing demos, managing Nutanix infrastructure in multiple data centers, deploying applications and VMs for testing, moving ransomware activities to the cloud, expanding workloads, managing student and employee applications in an educational institute, managing mid-tier applications, consolidating and managing Azure, AWS, and VMware platforms, managing multiple clusters, disaster recovery, centralizing workload, managing servers and storage, unifying shifts and servers, consolidating disparate vendor products and hardware, running services, configuring Citrix infrastructure, movement of virtual machines between clusters, health checks of physical and logical hosts, simplifying operations and administrative tasks, viewing alerts and clusters from a single console, monitoring and reporting VM efficiency, offering secure cloud storage, abiding by government regulations, and centralizing solutions in different regions.
The customer service and support of Nutanix Cloud Manager (NCM) have received predominantly positive reviews. Customers have praised the support team's response time, with quick support provided for critical issues. The technical support has been described as good, excellent, and top-notch, with support representatives going above and beyond to assist customers. Customers have also appreciated the knowledge and expertise of the support team, as well as their willingness to help and follow up. Nutanix's support has been rated highly, with many customers giving it a ten out of ten. The support site and documentation have been found to be helpful, providing valuable information and advice.
The initial setup for Nutanix Cloud Manager (NCM) is generally straightforward and easy to implement. There is ample documentation and support available, including webinars and resources on Nutanix's portal, which helps to reduce the learning curve. Users appreciate the quick setup process and the availability of APIs for configuration. Nutanix support is praised for their assistance during the setup, and remote sessions have been successful. Some reviewers mention that NCM is easier to set up compared to other products. Overall, the initial setup is considered to be relatively simple and efficient, with only a few minor complexities. It is recommended to refer to the documentation first before starting the setup process. Users find the user experience and learning process to be positive, with extensive knowledge base articles, user guides, and admin guides available online. Maintenance and upgrades are handled by Nutanix, reducing the need for day-to-day maintenance from users' end. Some reviewers mention the need for occasional maintenance and updates, but the process is generally smooth. The deployment timeframe varies, but it can be completed within a day or two, depending on the specific requirements. Some reviewers mention that the setup process can be complex, particularly in comparison to other solutions, and recommend having experienced personnel to handle it. However, with proper planning and following best practices, the initial setup can be successful.
Based on the provided reviews, the Nutanix Cloud Manager (NCM) solution is widely regarded as highly scalable. Multiple reviewers mentioned that the solution is scalable, and they have experienced no issues with scaling their operations. Users have reported successfully handling thousands of servers, adding clusters and nodes effortlessly, and expanding their NCM presence. The solution is praised for its ease of scalability, flexibility, and stability. Additionally, reviewers expressed confidence in the solution's ability to handle future growth and expansion.
The Nutanix Cloud Manager (NCM) solution is highly stable and has proven reliable for many customers. It has a rock-solid foundation and takes care of itself, ensuring minimal downtime. Users have not experienced any major issues with its stability and find it easy to run. The solution is part of the Nutanix ecosystem, which is highly clustered, available, and fails over. While there have been some minor issues that users had to work through, Nutanix's support has been helpful in resolving them. The stability of NCM has exceeded expectations and has saved users significant time in managing and maintaining their environment. Users rate the stability of NCM highly and have not faced any significant challenges in accessing applications or vulnerabilities. However, there have been isolated cases where some nodes experienced issues, but these situations are not prevalent among other customers.
Nutanix Cloud Manager provides coverage for Nutanix private clouds as well as for VMware's. The solution also supports several popular public cloud providers, including Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). NCM provides additional flexibility for users, as it is also available as a fully managed Software as a Service (SaaS). This product allows companies to benefit from all of Nutanix multicloud self-services, application automation, security compliance, and governance, without depending on Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure.
Nutanix Cloud Manager (NCM) Features
Nutanix Cloud Manager (NCM) has features in the four key categories already mentioned. Some of the main capacities of the solution include:
Nutanix Cloud Manager (NCM) Benefits
Nutanix Cloud Manager (NCM) provides its users with several benefits. These include:
Reviews from Real Users
An IT Operations at an energy/utilities company likes Nutanix Cloud Manager (NCM) because the product provides visibility, simplifies operations, and saves time and cost.
Drew P., a network systems administrator at Moda Health, rates NCM highly because the product saves man-hours with excellent speed on outcomes and provides a continuous validation process.
Nutanix Cloud Manager (NCM) was previously known as Nutanix Cloud Manager Intelligent Operations, Nutanix Cloud Manager Self-Service, Nutanix Cloud Management Cost Governance, Nutanix Cloud Manager Security Central.
JetBlue, International Speedway Corporation, Volkswagen SAIC, Brighton and Hove City Council, Foresters Financial, Janus International Group, Cloud Comrade, Serco