We use Cisco Prime for network mapping and surveys.
Information Technology Staff at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Useful for network mapping and survey but needs to improve pricing and customization
Pros and Cons
- "We use Cisco Prime for network mapping and surveys."
- "Cisco Prime needs to have lower prices and more customization options."
What is our primary use case?
What needs improvement?
Cisco Prime needs to have lower prices and more customization options.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with the solution since 2017.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate Cisco Prime's stability around six to seven out of ten.
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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We do not scale the networks very frequently. I would rate it an eight out of ten. My company has less than 10 users of Cisco Prime.
How was the initial setup?
I would rate the tool's setup a six or seven out of ten and took two weeks to complete. We relied on two people to handle the deployment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I would rate the solution's pricing an eight out of ten.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Cisco Prime 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.
Network-Engineer at a aerospace/defense firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
Lots of features and excellent stability but a bit too complex
Pros and Cons
- "The hardware Cisco provides is excellent. It's a well-made product."
- "The solution is not easy to configure."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for wireless and to do backups on switches and routers. In addition, we're using it for the deployment of our new software versions.
What is most valuable?
The product has a lot of features and capabilities. It's very flexible. It's a big tool with lots of useful pro features.
The initial setup isn't too complex. We have a good in-house team that can manage it.
The stability has been quite good overall.
The solution has scaled as much as we have needed it to.
The hardware Cisco provides is excellent. It's a well-made product.
What needs improvement?
We tried here to use it as a bigger monitoring tool. However, the problem is that a lot of new products from Cisco are not supported by Prime anymore.
The solution is not easy to configure. It's not user-friendly for admins. It's quite a complex solution.
The strategy from Cisco doesn't seem to be well defined. We need to figure out how to properly integrate everything together, and right now, that's not exactly clear.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for about two years at this point. It's been a while.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability has been good so far. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. For how we are using it, we haven't had issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability fits our needs. For how we are using it, the scalability has been fine.
How are customer service and technical support?
We have direct technical support from our supplier here in Germany if we need it.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is not so complex. It's pretty straightforward. We had a lot of people in-house that were proficient in Cisco. It was not very complicated.
What about the implementation team?
The initial implementation was done here within the company. We did not need to hire any consultants or integration partners. We handled it ourselves.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We're looking at Cisco DNA. Prime, for the things we're using it for, is too big for us. This is why we want to compare it with Cisco's DNA Center. Cisco creates very good hardware solutions. However, we need some time here to integrate products into software solutions from Cisco.
What other advice do I have?
We are a customer and an end-user. We do not have a professional relationship with Cisco.
We will not keep using this solution. I'm only keeping Prime Infrastructure at the moment for coexistence purposes as we have not yet created some functionalities elsewhere.
I'd rate the solution at a six out of ten, mostly due to some issues we have surrounding its overall complexity that hinders us a bit.
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.
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Prime [EOL]
December 2024
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Prime [EOL]. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2024.
824,067 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Hardware and Networks Support Executive at a manufacturing company with 501-1,000 employees
The solution is very easy to use, and has a good dashboard
Pros and Cons
- "The dashboard is a valuable feature. It's very clear, and the metrics make it easy to see the current network situation."
- "Maybe it could be a little cheaper."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for monitoring and backing up our network devices.
What is most valuable?
The dashboard is a valuable feature. It's very clear, and the metrics make it easy to see the current network situation.
What needs improvement?
In general, it's fine for me. It's a nice product. Right now, I can't think of any features that could be added. Maybe it could be a little cheaper.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using the solution for less than a year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable. It works very well.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable. You can expand it if you buy an additional license.
How are customer service and support?
We've never had to create a case for Cisco Prime support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
At my previous company, I used Huawei Insight software for our Cisco devices. Cisco Prime is slightly easier than Huawei Insight but a bit expensive, which is why my previous company preferred it.
How was the initial setup?
The setup wasn't complex at all.
What about the implementation team?
We did the deployment in-house.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I don't think these products have a standard cost because they are very specific. You need to get special quotes from the company for each order.
What other advice do I have?
On a scale of one to 10, I would rate the product as nine.
We have two users using the solution.
The product is simple to maintain. By following the Cisco alarms, you can fix problems easily.
The solution is very easy to use, and I absolutely advise using it, as long as your budget has no limits.
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.
Supervisor at EIA
A stable and scalable solution that helps connect physical service stations
Pros and Cons
- "We use the solution to control the physical service station that is part of the SCADA network. We connect and control them remotely."
- "The product's pricing can be cheaper."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution to control the physical service station that is part of the SCADA network. We connect and control them remotely.
What needs improvement?
The product's pricing can be cheaper.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the product for ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The product is scalable. My company has 100 users for the product.
How was the initial setup?
The solution's deployment depends on the experience. It took about three to four months to deploy the product. We have around 10 people who are supervising the materials.
What about the implementation team?
Our partner in Iraq helped us with the deployment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We update the license every five years.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate the product an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
EVP – Central Asia,Kazakhstan, Ukraine at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
A comprehensive network management with real-time monitoring, automation, and robust security features
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable is the assistance for network support."
- "They could consider offering more flexible pricing options for their customers."
What is our primary use case?
We use it for Infrastructure Hyperion to support the financial and strategic planning processes and for remote device configuration. When we perform network repairs and upgrades, we need to implement modernization procedures and methods.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable is the assistance for network support.
What needs improvement?
They could consider offering more flexible pricing options for their customers.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with it for eight years now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate its stability capabilities ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We don't use it to increase the workload. There are around ten people actively involved with operating this system.
How are customer service and support?
Its technical support offers the finest experience and the most effective solutions. I would rate it ten out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We use other well-known software for our purposes, like POTG and Rubix software, to oversee our infrastructure monitoring. I believe Cisco Prime is exclusively used for Cisco equipment and we haven't encountered any problems with it.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The cost is quite high.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I would rate it ten 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
TechFin Solutions Department Lead at IE Network Solutions PLC
Highly stable, ensures our network's performance and security
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of Cisco Prime is its excellent audio and video conferencing with clear quality and no interruptions."
- "Some improvements are needed, specifically in the form of more updates and enhancements."
What is our primary use case?
We use Cisco Prime for network management, ensuring our network's performance and security. It also helps with project execution and project monitoring.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Cisco Prime is its excellent audio and video conferencing with clear quality and no interruptions.
What needs improvement?
While it is a great solution, some improvements are needed, specifically in the form of more updates and enhancements.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco Prime for a month.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We have not experienced any issues with the stability of the solution. I would rate the stability as a seven out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Cisco Prime is quite scalable.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is fairly easy. It only takes a few minutes to deploy it.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I would rate Cisco Prime as a nine 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.
Data Center Engineer at Emerging Communications Limited
Stable, scalable, and simple implementation
Pros and Cons
- "I have found the solution to be scalable."
- "The user interface of Cisco Prime could be more user-friendly and increase its performance."
What needs improvement?
The user interface of Cisco Prime could be more user-friendly and increase its performance.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco Prime for approximately one year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cisco Prime is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I have found the solution to be scalable.
How are customer service and support?
We are in Tanzania and we use a support representative in Kenya. We have received good responses from them and the technical support we receive from Cisco has been through email and it was good. However, the support we have received from Huawei was better. It would have a local presence in Tanzania.
I rate the support from Cisco Prime a four out of five.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used other solutions previously, such as Huawei. What attracts customers to Cisco Prime is it is readily available. Many customers are comfortable with Cisco solutions, it is easy for us to sell to them. The solution is recommended for large enterprises.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Cisco Prime is simple.
I would rate the initial setup of Cisco Prime a three out of five.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Cisco Prime 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
Networks Lead Engineer at a mining and metals company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Good management capability and wireless heatmap, but NetFlow needs to be improved
Pros and Cons
- "It gives you the ability to upgrade switches remotely, schedule the upgrade time, perform backups, and monitor the health of all networks."
- "If you think about a centralized monitoring system, Cisco Prime is not good because it does not support third-party vendors like Palo Alto or FortiGate."
What is our primary use case?
This solution is being used for managing Cisco access points and managing network switches.
What is most valuable?
Cisco Prime is very good management-wise. It gives you the ability to upgrade switches remotely, schedule the upgrade time, perform backups, and monitor the health of all networks.
The wireless heatmap is very good.
What needs improvement?
The NetFlow is very limited, which is a disadvantage to this product. NetFlow is a very important tool that gives you a lot of information about what is happening for each device, including all of the hosts that are connected and what they are doing. For example, it will tell you if devices are accessing an on-premises application and you can use that information to help build usage statistics. With Cisco Prime, it is not reporting all of the Cisco devices. In particular, some of the access point devices are missing. NetFlow is about network visibility, so it should definitely not be limited to Cisco products.
If you think about a centralized monitoring system, Cisco Prime is not good because it does not support third-party vendors like Palo Alto or FortiGate.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco Prime for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This solution is always stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
If you consider scalability from the point where it can be used with everything, then it is not scalable. It cannot monitor all of the devices in your network, as a normal monitoring system would.
We have more than 1,000 users.
How are customer service and technical support?
Cisco's technical support is very good for all of its products and in all aspects. You get a very good response from them. I have no doubts about the OEM because they are really very good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used SolarWinds and Microsoft SCOM in the past.
SolarWinds is used on the networking side and can also be used for monitoring the health of the hardware. SCOM was being used for maintaining Microsoft products, such as keeping track of the number of licenses they have, performing health checks on Windows systems, and other monitoring tasks.
How was the initial setup?
I did not personally set up this device, although it is a Cisco product, which normally comes ready to use. With a Cisco product, you just need to switch it on, put in a username and password, and then you have access. It's straightforward. I think that it is probably an easy setup, and not difficult to do.
What about the implementation team?
We have two in-house engineers who take care of all of the network setup and maintenance. They are also responsible for operating all of the monitoring systems, network devices, firewalls, etc.
What other advice do I have?
My advice to anybody who is considering this solution is to look carefully at your infrastructure. Our plan is to take Cisco Prime out because we do not have a fully-Cisco infrastructure and it is not compatible with all of the devices.
It is very good for Cisco products and if your entire infrastructure is Cisco, or you want to monitor a specific section that is entirely Cisco, then it will work well. However, if you have a mix of devices from different vendors and you want to centralize then this is not the right solution. Also, I would not recommend using two different solutions for the same purpose. Find one that works with everything, like SolarWinds or Netskope.
Ultimately, I think that Cisco Prime will be taken off the market and replaced with Cisco DNA. It has all of the features such as NetFlow, monitoring, and smart analytic systems. It is another Cisco product doing the same job and much better.
I would rate this solution a seven 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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Updated: December 2024
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