Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance Reviews

Name: Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance
Brand: Cisco
Rating: 4.5 (23 reviews)

Vendor: Cisco

4.5 out of 5

23 reviews
100% willing to recommend

2,459 followers

What is Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance?

Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance offers real-time application and network performance monitoring, VPN management, and network diagnostics across multiple sites.

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Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance is the #33 ranked solution in APM tools and #39 ranked solution in best Network Monitoring Tools. PeerSpot users give Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance an average rating of 9.0 out of 10. Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance is most commonly compared to Splunk Enterprise Security: Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance vs Splunk Enterprise Security. Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 68% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 39% of all views.

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance

November 2024

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Featured reviews

Sylvain Germe

Application and Network Performance Engineer at a tech services company with 1-10 employees

This solution is geared towards on-premise setups, and would not be useful if the company plans to move to the cloud within the next two years, such as Google Cloud for example. If the goal is to monitor bandwidth at remote sites and identify performance issues because the network is under the control, this solution is useful. However, if a company primarily uses cloud-based servers and does not manage the internet connection of its remote sites, the solution becomes less useful. I rate Accedian Skylight a seven out of ten. I have a positive opinion of the tool, but it can be challenging to set up. It is also limited in its applicability to certain use cases. I am familiar with the engineers behind the solution and have a good impression of them. However, I am not pleased with the fact that the company removed many features and raised prices after it was acquired by Accedian.

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reviewer1447356

CTO at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

For us, the most valuable feature is something called TWAMP that allows for real-time traffic in a way that is 10 times lighter than things like SolarWinds. It's in the sub-milliseconds of accuracy, and you can divide tasks so that you can literally see things like the tagging for Quality of Service. That had been incorrect with the carrier, but there was no way on this planet you'd be able to tell a carrier that they're wrong. I have dozens of scenarios where we found "No, that's not right," and got it resolved instantly. I like the reports that are very standardized and so repeatable, which is amazing. I've got CSOs who, in a prior life, would be doing application support for institutions that are 10 times larger than ours, and they were unaware of what is possible. It's one of those solutions which completely educates really smart technical people as to what is possible. It's extraordinary.

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Min Wang

President at AIP US, LLC

The user interface is very good, because it's all GUI-based. It's not command line. I know a lot of people don't like to type commands, so it's all GUI-based. For the active monitoring, we can put up a very nice dashboard. For example, for circuit performance, if you have 10 locations, then you have a dashboard for those 10 locations connecting to the headquarters. The dashboard will tell you the latency, jitter, and throughput. You can log in and see those number very quickly. If there's a problem, you will see it on the dashboard. On the diagram, you will see where the peak is or where the burst is. It will also tell you at what time. You can set it up to see the last minute, five minutes, hour, day, week, or year. You can set the interval you want.

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Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance mindshare

Product category:

As of November 2024, the mindshare of Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance in the Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability category stands at 0.3%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability

Key learnings from peers

Valuable Features

Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance's key features include end-to-end performance measurement, efficient network migration analytics, single-pane GUI, active monitoring with latency, jitter, and throughput dashboards, TWAMP for real-time traffic, accurate sub-millisecond analysis, quality standardized reporting, comprehensive site-to-site latency analytics, useful overlay graphs, detailed metrics for troubleshooting, security integration with Splunk, and interactive support for installation.

"The performance of Accedian Skylight is better than other vendors."
"What I like most about Accedian Skylight is that it's a UI application, so using it is easy.I also like that the support for Accedian Skylight is helpful."
"The feature I used to like the most was its ability to decode layer seven protocols, although this is becoming less useful now that encryption is so widespread."

Room for Improvement

Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance needs cost reduction, data export capabilities for long-term analysis, and enhanced user interface. Additionally, improvements in Latency, jitter, throughput analytics, local cloud support, and stress testing features are required. Users express a desire for an option to upgrade without significant additional cost and enhanced reporting features.

"The UI interface of Accedian Skylight could improve."
"The Accedian Skylight user interface still has room for improvement."
"There should be an option to update and upgrade the solution to the new version without having to re-buy it. I have clients switching to other solutions. The old solution is great, but if you change your license to a new one, you have to almost re-buy it completely."

ROI

Users find Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance essential for improving interaction between network, datacenter, and application teams. It enhances productivity, reduces downtime, and helps troubleshoot network issues quickly, saving time and money. Service providers can use it to meet SLA requirements and reduce costs, while its value proposition justifies its expense. The tool helps pinpoint root causes of issues, improving efficiency and saving significant engineering time, leading to beneficial ROI over years of usage.

Pricing

Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance offers competitive pricing with robust features for enterprises. Users appreciate its cost-effectiveness, reliability, and comprehensive service in maintaining network connectivity. Vendors highlight its scalability and efficient monitoring capabilities that ensure operational efficiency. Enterprise buyers find it particularly valuable for its return on investment and seamless integration into their existing infrastructures, making it a preferred choice for cost-sensitive organizations.

"The solution was previously well-regarded, but after being acquired by Accedian, the prices have significantly increased. This has made it challenging to sell the product due to its high cost. It is an expensive solution."
"The price is competitive overall, depending on the type of customer."
"The pricing of Accedian Skylight is really good. The sensors are low cost. Their model to analytics for sensors is by license, endpoint, or session. With the probes for their analytics, if they get deployed virtually, they are free. The licensing is only based on flows. So, you can effectively deploy probes everywhere in your network. Then, if you want to look at a specific type of traffic, you can enter into it with a very low cost license. You can just use things like spam ports, mirrors, TAPs, and aggregators to optimize what sort of traffic you send to these analysis tools. Then, if you want to start looking at more, you can up your licensed as you go. You are not getting forced into expensive appliances or subscription models."

Popular Use Cases

They utilize Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance to monitor network and application performance in real-time, diagnose performance issues, and ensure optimal user experiences across multiple sites. They deploy it on-premise and in the cloud, using it for troubleshooting, counting external VPN users, and analyzing traffic between branches and data centers. It assists with multi-office simulations, stress testing, protocol analysis, and collecting performance statistics.

Service and Support

Customers find Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance's support exceptional. Their highly technical team provides strong, knowledgeable assistance, with quick and efficient responses. Clients appreciate the personalized attention, regardless of company size. On a scale from one to ten, ratings often fall between eight and ten. Customers believe their support is prompt and effective, praising their developers' industry expertise and troubleshooting capabilities. They find the support comprehensive and consistent globally, ensuring no issues from the support perspective.

Deployment

Initial setup with Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance is generally simple and straightforward. Users need a few hours for small deployments, with configurations taking a bit longer for more complex setups like multiple locations. Good documentation aids the process, but those unfamiliar with networking may find it more challenging. NAT firewalls can cause connectivity issues, requiring troubleshooting. Dashboard creation and detailed analysis might demand extra time, but the setup is efficient for quick site additions.

Scalability

Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance is highly scalable. Users can deploy additional probes as needed and handle multiple data flows with multiple VMs. With license-based expansions, many more sites can be added. Typically used by networking and application support teams, it effectively supports around 10 users. Performance limits are rarely reached, making it a great option for future expansions. The scalability is rated positively by users.

Stability

Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance is praised for its stability. Users report no issues with downtime and find it low maintenance, requiring infrequent upgrades. Some users stress-test the system in demo labs but experience reliable performance without needing frequent reboots. Migration and maintenance have improved with this tool, and maintenance typically involves only a network manager and an administrator. Users frequently rate its stability highly.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers

By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

39%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Real Estate/Law Firm

Comms Service Provider

Educational Organization

Media Company

Non Profit

Energy/Utilities Company

Construction Company

Consumer Goods Company

University

Wholesaler/Distributor

Logistics Company

Hospitality Company

Recreational Facilities/Services Company

Healthcare Company

Retailer

Insurance Company

Wellness & Fitness Company

Aerospace/Defense Firm

Transportation Company

Compare Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance with alternative products

Learn more about Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance

Organizations use Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance for active and passive monitoring, stress testing, and troubleshooting performance issues. Deployed both on-premise and in the cloud, it supports IT infrastructure, security, and analytics with end-to-end performance measurement across cloud data centers. The modern, intuitive interface features TWAMP for real-time traffic accuracy and standardized reports, along with insightful dashboards for circuit performance, latency, jitter, and throughput monitoring.

What are the most important features?

TWAMP: Provides real-time traffic accuracy and standardized reporting.
Insightful Dashboards: Monitor circuit performance, latency, jitter, and throughput.
Security Integration: Compatible with tools like Splunk for enhanced security.
Application Support: Facilitates comprehensive network performance analysis.

What benefits or ROI should users look for in reviews?

Quick Corrective Actions: Immediate response capabilities for performance issues.
Easy Navigation: User-friendly layouts simplify monitoring and troubleshooting.
Comprehensive Analytics: Advanced tools for in-depth network performance insights.
Cloud and On-Premise Options: Flexible deployment to meet different needs.

In industries like finance and healthcare, Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance ensures robust performance monitoring and quick diagnostics for VPNs and internet lines. It aids in maintaining the integrity and security of data transference, facilitating active and passive monitoring, stress testing, and performance troubleshooting across geographically dispersed locations, ensuring seamless operation and compliance with industry standards.

Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance was previously known as Accedian Skylight, Accedian SkyLIGHT PVX, SkyLIGHT PVX, SecurActive, Performance Vision.

Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance customers

T-Systems, Thomson Reuters, Bordeaux Metropole, CGI, Citadelle Regional Hospital Center, Lorraine Institute of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Groupe BPCE, Group S, Splitpoint, Horus-Net, Audatex, Indexis, Province de Liège, EASI, Spie Batignolles, Faymonville