Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users
Netw0997 - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Administrator at a government with 51-200 employees
Real User
Has many valuable features but it needs more support for the customer
Pros and Cons
  • "After the product was installed, no one could access the secure connection network. In order for any laptop or any endpoint device to attach to my network, it needs to be authorized or be certified to be connected."
  • "I would rate this solution a 7.5 out of ten. To make it a ten they should have more people on tech support. They need to invest more in the product. It's a good product. They should just work on tech support. More support for the customer. It's not that easy to get somebody to understand this product. I have had some issues with tech before for the solution. One of them brought the solution down due to some of his activity. They need to hugely invest in their tech support."

What is our primary use case?

It's a network access manager.

How has it helped my organization?

After the product was installed, no one could access the secure connection network. In order for any laptop or any endpoint device to attach to my network, it needs to be authorized or be certified to be connected.

What is most valuable?

It has many valuable features. 

What needs improvement?

It has many complications from the administration perspective, it's not easy to learn. Not like other solutions that are very friendly and easy to go through. It needs to be more user-friendly. We'll see the same name on more than one tab so we need to realize why that name is there or why only the main tab is not like the other. I cannot believe that Cisco is the best case of security integration however it is easier to implement.

They are good at integration, I do not expect more from them in that regard. They could think about developing VXLAN. They have LDN switches, we need to get into contextual switches, not catalyst switches. Normal switches. I wish they could explore developing more VXLAN options.

Buyer's Guide
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)
March 2025
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE). Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2025.
842,672 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Stability is not something absolute. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability is good. We have 60,000 users. 

How are customer service and support?

Their technical support isn't good. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup took four to six hours to do. The image between six, seven GB, is a huge image, huge process, and it takes too much time. If somebody has a solution of five, four pieces you need to re-image one or you need to incorporate the solution. It will take days to upgrade the solution. It's very complicated. The deployment will take an entire day. And if you have a complication it can take two days because of the complexity. 

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

We are a big organization and we can arrange for licenses because we are a big customer. We have an agreement for the security license. Licenses aren't an issue for us. We pay for licenses every five years or six years.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution a 7.5 out of ten. To make it a ten they should have more people on tech support. They need to invest more in the product. It's a good product. They should just work on tech support. More support for the customer. It's not that easy to get somebody to understand this product. I have had some issues with tech before for the solution. One of them brought the solution down due to some of his activity. They need to hugely invest in their tech support. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Joni Saputro - PeerSpot reviewer
System Engineer at Packet System Indonesia
Real User
Top 5
A cost-effective and stable solution to secure the endpoints

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution to secure the endpoint. Before the user connects to the network, it can be investigated whether to connect.

What is most valuable?

Cisco ISE has a powerful posturing tool with security requirements. This data can be integrated with the device identity and threat intelligence surface, enabling you to create granular policies based on a device's identity. Just like we made policies based on Samsung or Lenovo, you can now do the same based on its compliance posture.

What needs improvement?

You have to restart the system to change the DNS or NTP server.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Cisco ISE as a system integrator for three 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?

The solution’s scalability is good. We cater the solution to medium-sized businesses.

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

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is easy. One engineer can deploy it in three hours.

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

The product has moderate pricing and comes with a subscription model.

What other advice do I have?

We must check the compatibility with the other device before using Cisco ISE. Fortinet or Palo Alto provides integration to another device.

The solution has medium maintenance.

Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Integrator
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)
March 2025
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE). Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2025.
842,672 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Can Aksaya - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Solutions Architect at turcom
Real User
Stable and easy to install network administration solution; provides network access control and fast support
Pros and Cons
  • "Stable network administration solution that can be installed easily, and comes with fast technical support."
  • "Compatibility and integration with other vendors is what needs to be improved in Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine)."

What is our primary use case?

Our customers use Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) as a network access control solution. Before they can get network access, you can do posture check, e.g. in the Windows version, or another version, then it is only after this posture check that the clients can enter the network.

What needs improvement?

Compatibility with other vendors is what needs to be improved in Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine). We should be able to use it with other vendors, for all specifications. There should be integration with different vendors, e.g. Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) working with AccuPoint networks.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've worked in my current company in product pre-sales for one year, and prior, I worked for a different partner company in Turkey, so my total usage of Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) spans eight years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) is a stable solution. It has good performance.

How are customer service and support?

If we need support from the vendor side, we can open a case, then the vendor replies to us as soon as possible. Support for Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) is fast.

How was the initial setup?

The installation of Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) was easy.

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

Our customers pay for the license of Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine). They have an annual subscription, rather than a monthly subscription.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I evaluated Fortinet.

What other advice do I have?

I'm a technical person, and I've worked for a company that does system integrations, including network pre-sales. My company sells Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) and Fortinet products in Turkey. I can also sell these products. My company is a gold partner of Cisco.

I've sold the on-premises version of Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine).

Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) is the best solution for Cisco network customers. It is the best solution for Cisco network devices. As for network products from other vendors, we can use, or we could offer other network access control (NAC) solutions, e.g. Fortinet NAC, or Aruba Secure NAC, etc.

I'm part of the pre-sales team at our company. There are other people who are responsible for installing Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) post-sales, e.g. they install the solution for the customers. For this reason, I am unable to give information on how long it takes to install the solution.

We currently have over 30 users of Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine).

I can recommend Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) to other users.

My rating for Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) is eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
reviewer1074924 - PeerSpot reviewer
Networks Lead Engineer at a mining and metals company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Reliable performance with good network control and great integration capabilities
Pros and Cons
  • "There is good integration with third-party systems like antivirus patch management, MDM."
  • "The pricing and licensing structure are not ideal for customers."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution in our infrastructure.

What is most valuable?

I'm very satisfied with the product. It has been excellent so far. 

From the performance perspective, it is excellent. The outcome is as expected, giving control to the network. 

There is good integration with third-party systems like antivirus patch management, MDM.

What needs improvement?

They need to simplify the processes and management more, as well as the platform. Their user experience is a bit complicated, and it's not easy to manage. They need to do something to enhance the management console and make it more simple and easier to use.

I need to see stronger integration with Cisco SDN. Instead of treating it as a separate appliance, it should be a built-in feature in the SDN solution. This is one of the things that will reduce the complexity of Cisco's architecture. Instead of having multiple appliances, and getting lost in-between, and not knowing where is the problem is, everything can just be in one place. It will be better to move this feature or this technology as a built-in technology in the SDN solutions, similar to DNA and ACI.

The pricing and licensing structure are not ideal for customers.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used this solution for about five years, both in my previous company and my current company as well.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution provides excellent stability and reliability. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. 

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

We are a customer and an end-user.

Cisco, on the price, is not good now. This might entice customers or end-users to go for another cheaper solution where they can still find most of the features Cisco offers. 

They are now offering subscription licenses, and you have to pay thousands of dollars every year for maintenance and renewing support. Most users will not accept this new strategy of Cisco. It's not like HP or Dell, where, when you purchase the hardware and it's a lifetime license. It's a lifetime subscription. You don't need to renew the license every two years. Therefore, from a price perspective, no, Cisco's not good. Their strategy now seems to be pushing customers to go for other solutions.

What other advice do I have?

The product is excellent and I would rate it at a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Deputy Manager at Convergent Wireless Communications
Reseller
Stable, scalable, feature-rich, with good guest and stop authentication
Pros and Cons
  • "It has all of the features available, in fact, more than what you need."
  • "The support could be faster and the pricing could be reduced."

What is our primary use case?

I am a reseller. I provide solutions to our customers.

We used Cisco ISE for Wi-Fi implementation for one project at the International Airport.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features of this solution are guest authentication and stop authentication.

I felt that it was quite good and well suited for us.

Overall, the features and the product are quite good. 

It has all of the features available, in fact, more than what you need.

What needs improvement?

The initial setup could be simplified.

The support could be faster and the pricing could be reduced.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Cisco ISE is a stable product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is a scalable solution.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is fine.

It might take some time. At times, it will take two hours to come online.

Support is available as long as you have the support contract.

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

I have not worked on any other product.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is a bit complex. The integration with the Active Directory is a bit involved.

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

The price is a bit on the high side.

What other advice do I have?

The features are quite comprehensive, but it's okay. However, the pricing is on the higher side.

Feature-wise, it is a nine out of ten. Overall, I would rate Cisco ISE an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
PeerSpot user
Security Engineer at a energy/utilities company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Good stability and enables us to identify and isolate a machine that is infected or that is going to be infected
Pros and Cons
  • "The initial setup was easy. It took around one month. We did the installation part within half an hour to two hours but we found a couple of issues so we raised a case and once everything was resolved it was a month in total."
  • "Since we have started, we struggled a lot to implement this solution into our network, and we opened a case a couple of times. Up until this point, nothing else needs to be improved with this product."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution to authenticate the domain users and if someone is not the domain user to make them a guest.

How has it helped my organization?

Before, our port would be wide open, anyone could come to the network and put their laptop into the port or any device and they would be able to get the IP. Now, if someone tries to connect to our network through an IU port or internet, they will not be able to access it. Another way this solution has improved our organization is that when we integrate this with our OpenGate server we are able to identify and isolate the machine that is infected, or that is going to be infected.

Plus, we had control on which device we can block in real-time and white list, or according to the MAC address, we can send this device to get an assigned IP from a special VLAN.

What is most valuable?

The identification with McAfee DHL is the most valuable feature. It gives us full visibility to see if there's any malware or malicious activity going on in the network and will then isolate the device.

What needs improvement?

Since we have started, we struggled a lot to implement this solution into our network, and we opened a case a couple of times. Up until this point, nothing else needs to be improved with this product.

For how long have I used the solution?

One to three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Stability is very good. We haven't faced any issues and there aren't any bugs. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We currently have around 400 users and we only need two staff members for maintenance. It is being used extensively because all of the users are dependent on it. If the ISE is down no one will be able to authenticate.

How is customer service and technical support?

Technical support is very good because, on the user phase, it shows who was on the call with us and who helped us. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was easy. It took around one month. We did the installation part within half an hour to two hours but we found a couple of issues so we raised a case and once everything was resolved it was a month in total. 

What about the implementation team?

We used an integrator. We had a good experience with them because we have already worked with them in the past couple of years

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We researched this solution and found that it fulfills all of our requirements so we didn't look into any other solutions.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution a nine out of ten. 

I would advise someone considering this solution not to enable it with MAC. They are going to be in a very bad state after enabling this with MAC because if you do it is going to isolate so many devices which do not comply with the policy.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Co-Founder & Director at VSAM Technologies
Real User
Easy to configure with great functionality and good reliability
Pros and Cons
  • "From a configuration point of view, it's simple."
  • "It would be ideal if Cisco could provide some short training videos or documentation to customers to help them understand how to use the product."

What is our primary use case?

The solution is primarily used for Network management and Network Access Controls.

What is most valuable?

The general usefulness of the product is not specific to a particular feature. This is a comprehensive solution covering access to network to create a zero trust environment. It covers Network Access Control, Network Segmentation & policy control

The solution integrates well with other Cisco solutions. It works both from a single-vendor perspective and in cases where the client might have a hybrid network and multiple security solutions.

The product offers very good functionality.

From a configuration point of view, it's simple. It's not very complex. I don't see any major challenges when using the product.

The solution is reliable.

The scalability is good.

We haven't had any issues with technical support. They have been helpful. 

What needs improvement?

I have not come across any missing features. 

It would be ideal if Cisco could provide some short training videos or documentation to customers to help them understand how to use the product. 

For how long have I used the solution?

We have not used this solution for ourselves but implemented it for various organisation's.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable and reliable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. The performance is good. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This solution can work well for large enterprises that have a larger environment, such as a distributed environment. Mostly, from my organization's perspective, we deal with SMEs.

The solution is quite scalable. 

How are customer service and support?

I've been in touch with technical support in the past. They are quite good. I am satisfied with the level of support they provide. I don't have any complaints. 

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is not very complex. All similar solutions will have a similar type of configuration as well, so it's pretty simple to figure things out. 

In terms of how long a deployment takes, it primarily depends upon the environment the customer has. Customers might have a very basic environment wherein it might get done in a couple of hours or so. If it is a very complex environment and they have multiple policies to be deployed, then it could definitely take more time.

There aren't any challenges when it comes to maintenance. It's pretty simple. 

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

I don't handle the licensing aspect of the product. I can't speak to the exact costs involved. 

We have not faced any major challenges in terms of getting a good price point from our customer's perspective. That said, the pricing would depend upon the perceived value of the solution rather than the actual cost of the product. If the solution is able to help the customer in mitigating its challenges many customers don't see any point in discussing the price point if POC is successful

What other advice do I have?

We are a system integrator.

The version of ISE we are using depends on the customer. 

We primarily have the solution set up on premise. 

In terms of advice, from a security standpoint, it is paramount for any organisation, to be secure, no matter its size (large or small). Having secure network access control will always make it safer & help organisation in attaining a zero trust environment 

I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
it_user735732 - PeerSpot reviewer
Unified Networks at a program development consultancy with 11-50 employees
Reseller
Enables us to grant access to users in a secure and easy way
Pros and Cons
  • "Visitors can be granted access to the wifi network using their cellphones, notebooks or tablets in a very easy way. The ease of accessibility that anyone can have to the network is very quick and is a big improvement in our network."
  • "There should be an easier way to do the upgrades. There are a lot of steps to get to the next version from the previous version which ends up being a bit of the headache with the upgrade."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case is to grant access to users, we deploy the bring your own device policy.

How has it helped my organization?

Visitors can be granted access to the wifi network using their cellphones, notebooks or tablets in a very easy way. The ease of accessibility that anyone can have to the network is very quick and is a big improvement for our network.

What is most valuable?

The flexibility to grant anyone access to the network easily and in a secure way is its most valuable feature.

What needs improvement?

There should be an easier way to do the upgrades. Customers were having issues going from one version to the next. There are a lot of steps to get to the next version from the previous version which ends up being a bit of the headache with the upgrade. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's very stable. We have around 200 users and only four people are required for maintenance. 

How are customer service and technical support?

As Cisco partners, the point is that we provide our own support. We prefer our own engineers to be ready to support the solution to provide the service to our customers.

What was our ROI?

We have seen ROI from using this solution. 

What other advice do I have?

We plan to increase usage by around 20 to 30%.

It gives people the peace of mind that they have the possibility to grant access to the people that visit their premises and ensures that they are working in a safe environment that is pure and clear when they use the posture services of the solution.

I would rate it a nine out of ten. 

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: March 2025
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.