We use AnyConnect in several ways. Like integrated with our firewall, like host checking, permission-based access, and time-based access controls.
Network Architect at Syriatel Mobile Telecom
Offers good stability, easy to use and good support
Pros and Cons
- "For our company's needs, AnyConnect is sufficient and very easy to use."
- "All Cisco equipment tends to be expensive compared to newer options from other vendors."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
For our company's needs, AnyConnect is sufficient and very easy to use.
What is most valuable?
What needs improvement?
All Cisco equipment tends to be expensive compared to newer options from other vendors.
Moreover, there are some limitations, like the AnyConnect not being supported on all platforms. For example, it doesn't work with some Android versions. We don't use those features, but it's something to consider.
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For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using it for about two years now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's been stable for us. I would rate the stability an eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is a scalable solution. There are around 100 end users using this solution.
The current setup is sufficient for our needs. So, we are not planning to increase the further usage.
How are customer service and support?
We haven't needed to contact them. We have enough internal expertise and resources to handle any issues ourselves. Plus, when we deployed with Cisco technical support assistance, the guys were very customer-friendly and helpful. They always answered our questions and provided maximum upfront support.
How was the initial setup?
It's a moderately complex installation and configuration process, not overly complicated.
The time depends on the specific features and stages involved, like designing, implementing, and configuring.
For a full deployment with access for 100 users, it might take around a week. A basic configuration and installation could be done within two days.
What about the implementation team?
We handled the deployment ourselves. We have the expertise necessary for Cisco AnyConnect solutions. We've deployed AnyConnect on-premises.
We have a team of two engineers and three technicians who manage the deployment and maintenance of Cisco AnyConnect.
What was our ROI?
It can connect users from anywhere and at anytime.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We pay yearly licenses.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We're actually considering deploying a different firewall due to its cost-effectiveness and feature set, providing similar functionalities like load balancing and routing protocols at a more competitive price.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I would rate the solution a nine out of ten. It's been within our budget, a reliable and valuable tool for our company. If it wasn't in our budget, we would have opted for a different solution.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Software Sales Manager at Santa Monica Networks
A very stable solution that is fully scalable and reasonably priced
Pros and Cons
- "The solution provides secure and easy access to corporate network resources."
- "The solution could offer tighter integration with endpoint protection to make it easier to use when routing security applications from other vendors."
What is our primary use case?
Our company installs the solution for clients needing remote connections to their work environments.
What is most valuable?
The solution provides secure and easy access to corporate network resources.
What needs improvement?
The solution could offer tighter integration with endpoint protection to make it easier to use when routing security applications from other vendors.
The interface is minimalistic so it could be a problem for some users.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for twenty years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is very stable and trustworthy when not monitored for periods of time. I have no worries when I step away for 24 hours and then reconnect remotely.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability is dependent on the security hardware or software appliance deployed in the environment but there are no limitations on the actual solution. Licenses are based on the number of users and can include 5,000-10,000 devices.
How are customer service and support?
I have not used support for this product but have for other Cisco products. Their technical support is the best available and I rate it a ten out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The solution is easy to deploy once you spend a few hours planning and conducting security assessments to ensure they align with customer requirements. Deployment when customers already have Cisco Security hardware or software in place takes two or three hours with one hour of that time dedicated to installation and testing.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Licenses are based on the number of users and scale easily. With remote work, every house functions as a small home office and the solution accommodates that scenario. Corporate licenses start at a minimum of 25 users.
The solution is reasonably priced and costs $600 for a five-year license in our scenario.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Our company compared the solution to Palo Alto, Fortinet, and Pulse Secure.
We determined that Cisco was not the least expensive but was the most stable and provided the best support.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend the solution as a first choice to all customers needing a real-time product.
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: Partner
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect)
November 2024
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816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Software Development Manager at Reliance Jio
Reliable, works well, and is useful for connecting to the client network
Pros and Cons
- "It is stable. We haven't had issues so far."
- "Sometimes if we're always having some network issues, or maybe the client is having some network issues, we might get disconnected."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the product as a VPN.
It is useful for connecting with the client network. We use it, and once we are connected, then we use RDC, the remote desktop, where I need to log in to production and other processes.
What is most valuable?
I'm just using it for like a Remote Desktop Connection, I'm not using it for any other purposes. For that task, it works well.
It is stable. We haven't had issues so far.
What needs improvement?
Sometimes if we're always having some network issues, or maybe the client is having some network issues, we might get disconnected. Other than that, it works well.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used the solution for the past year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
So far, we haven't had issues with stability. It's been good overall.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I've never tried to scale the product.
From my area, we have 23 people on the solution. It might be more widely used elsewhere.
We do have plans to increase usage.
How are customer service and support?
If there is any issue with Cisco, I'm going to raise a ticket with my entire team. They will take care of it. It's not my product to develop as I'm not using it in that way. I'm using it only to connect to the client network.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Previously, I used GlobalProtect to connect to VPN. I might have used it for around four years. We switched due to the organization's policy change.
How was the initial setup?
I'm not handling the setup process. In this organization I don't have access to that. I have very limited knowledge in that area. I use it simply for connecting to the client network.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I'm not sure about the licensing cost. I'm just an end-ser. I don't handle costs.
What other advice do I have?
I don't know the exact version of the solution I am on at this time.
I would rate the solution ten out of ten. It has worked well so far.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Technical Team Lead at Alepo
A reliable, easy to configure and stable solution with excellent SSL security
Pros and Cons
- "It is reliable and easy to configure, and the Cisco Firewall can last for many years."
- "It would be good to have some improvements to the quality of service."
What is our primary use case?
We use Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client to connect to the office network from the general internet. So whenever anybody works remotely, it is used to connect to the office network.
How has it helped my organization?
Compared to other products, it is reliable and easy to configure, and the Cisco Firewall can last for many years.
What is most valuable?
It is a reliable solution, and the users face no problems or errors. It also connects quickly, and the SSL security is excellent.
What needs improvement?
I wouldn't want anything to be improved per se. It is reliable without any errors, and the configuration is easy. However, when different configurations need to be completed, we need to get in touch with Cisco Technical Assistance Center because we don't have enough documentation on the website.
In terms of additional features, it would be good to have some improvements to the quality of service. For example, if somebody on your VPN wants to have a Google meeting or WebEx call, they should be given priority traffic.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using this solution for three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is a scalable solution. Almost everyone at our organization uses Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client, so about 200 to 300 users.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support is very good.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
I would rate the setup process a six out of ten. It was manual work, and though the configuration was easy, we still needed to understand it. But overall, It was a fair experience.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Regarding cost, we had to purchase the Cisco CON-SNT and AnyConnect licenses separately. We purchased a three-year package because it was comparatively cheaper than the one-year package.
It costs around 80,000 Indian rupees for a hundred licenses, so approximately $1,020 USD. I rate the price a six out of ten, but we get value for the price.
What other advice do I have?
I rate this product a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Software Engineer at Target
High performance, simple initial setup, and reliable
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client is the consistency, I have not had any issues with the performance."
- "When using Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client when my laptop goes into sleep mode the VPN wants me to enter the password again. I should not have to enter the information again. If the laptop is on and it is not switched off, the password should be in the VPN saved and secured."
What is our primary use case?
I use the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client on my laptop to connect to the VPN.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client is the consistency, I have not had any issues with the performance.
What needs improvement?
When using Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client when my laptop goes into sleep mode the VPN wants me to enter the password again. I should not have to enter the information again. If the laptop is on and it is not switched off, the password should be in the VPN saved and secured.
In the next release, the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client should add fingerprint login authentication. Many of my other applications have it.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for approximately one year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client has been stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of the solution has been good. Everyone in the organization is using the solution and we have not had any issues.
We have approximately 2,000 people in my organization that use Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client.
How are customer service and support?
I have not used the support from Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have not used other solution because the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client works very well.
How was the initial setup?
The setup of the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client was easy, it did not take a lot of time, approximately one hour.
What other advice do I have?
I would advise others that a VPN is necessary because data should be secured. We all lose. A VPN is advised and I have not had any problems with this solution and I did not have the need to try another one.
I would recommend Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client to others.
I rate Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client 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.
Technical program manager at Intel Corporation
Scalable but stability improvements needed
Pros and Cons
- "We have plans to increase the usage of this solution, it can scale well."
- "Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client could improve by optimizing the use of the system resources, it is heavy on the resources. Additionally, there could be more transparency."
What is our primary use case?
I am using Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for my day-to-day work, because most of the applications, except the Microsoft applications which require a VPN.
What needs improvement?
Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client could improve by optimizing the use of the system resources, it is heavy on the resources. Additionally, there could be more transparency.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for approximately five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client could improve. We have had a lot of problems with it. Once I'm disconnected from the Wi-Fi, it's not reconnecting automatically, I need to restart it many times manually.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have plans to increase the usage of this solution, it can scale well.
What about the implementation team?
The implementation of the solution was done by our IT department.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There is a subscription needed for the use of this solution.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client a five out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Security Consultant at T-Mobile Czech Republic a.s.
Easy to use, stable, has no connectivity issues, and allows users to work from home
Pros and Cons
- "What I like most about Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client is that it's easy to use, and that is its main advantage. You can use it without the need for any setup because it's centrally pre-installed, so you just need to log in with your username and password. I didn't experience any problems with the solution in terms of losing connectivity. It works very well every time."
- "In terms of areas for improvement in Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client, from my point of view, the solution works well and right now I don't see the need to improve it. Probably a better user interface could be created for Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client, but its core is VPN creation, and that works well, though I'm not a VPN specialist, and I'm not an expert on how to create a VPN, how the VPN gateway works, how it's implemented, and what's the architecture behind it. A two-factor authentication feature was recently added to the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client. In the past, you only needed to log in with your username and password, but now, there's a token, and the user interface for that token isn't that good. That's another area for improvement. Cisco should also make the two-factor authentication better in the solution. What I'd like added to the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client in its next release is a better two-factor authentication, in particular, the validity of the code being shorter because sometimes when I get the code and I add it to the client, it's invalid, though I'm unsure if it's centrally set up that way or if its a characteristic of the product. Making the interface of the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client more user-friendly is also what I'd like to see in the next release of the solution."
What is our primary use case?
I'm using Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for my home office, and for me, that's the only usage scenario for it.
How has it helped my organization?
Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client has improved my organization because it enables your home office or remote working, and it's a key product based on the current situation where remote working or working from home is necessary for the effectiveness of the organization.
What is most valuable?
What I like most about Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client is that it's easy to use, and that is its main advantage. You can use it without the need for any setup because it's centrally pre-installed, so you just need to log in with your username and password. I didn't experience any problems with the solution in terms of losing connectivity. It works very well every time.
What needs improvement?
In terms of areas for improvement in Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client, from my point of view, the solution works well and right now I don't see the need to improve it. Probably a better user interface could be created for Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client, but its core is VPN creation, and that works well, though I'm not a VPN specialist, and I'm not an expert on how to create a VPN, how the VPN gateway works, how it's implemented, and what's the architecture behind it.
A two-factor authentication feature was recently added to the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client. In the past, you only needed to log in with your username and password, but now, there's a token, and the user interface for that token isn't that good. That's another area for improvement. Cisco should also make the two-factor authentication better in the solution.
What I'd like added to the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client in its next release is a better two-factor authentication, in particular, the validity of the code being shorter because sometimes when I get the code and I add it to the client, it's invalid, though I'm unsure if it's centrally set up that way or if its a characteristic of the product.
Making the interface of the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client more user-friendly is also what I'd like to see in the next release of the solution.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for eight years now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client seems to be a stable solution because I didn't experience any instability from it.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I'm not sure how scalable the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client is because I'm only an end-user and not an administrator.
How are customer service and support?
I'm unable to evaluate technical support for the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client because I've never used support for it as I had no problems with the product.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
A solution was used before going with the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client, but I forgot the name of the previous solution. I'm not exactly sure of the reason behind choosing Cisco, but it could be because the older solution was a little bit complicated in terms of its licensing policy.
How was the initial setup?
In terms of setting up the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client, there's no need to install it in my case because it's pre-installed centrally as part of the package my company has. My team didn't waste any time on the installation because you can use it right out of the box.
In my company, the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client was pre-installed and pre-configured.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I don't have any information about the licensing costs of the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client because normal users like me don't know the pricing information.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I didn't evaluate other options over Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client because as an end-user, I don't have any impact in terms of product evaluation.
What other advice do I have?
I'm currently using Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client, in particular, just for standard installation on workstations in my company.
In terms of the version of the solution I'm using, it's version 4.9, but I don't have any influence on which version of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client to use because it's centrally installed in the company via the system management center, but I suppose it's been updated.
My company has about three thousand five hundred users of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client. Almost everybody uses it to work from home, for example, developers, security consultants, etc. My company is a telecommunication and IT company, so just about everybody works with computers, works from home, and needs Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client.
The solution is maintained by the central end-user support team, particularly two or three people.
Currently, there's no plan to increase the usage of the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client because my company has been reorganizing and letting go of some positions, and this means there's no need to increase the number of users of the solution.
I would recommend the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client to others looking into implementing it because, in my experience, it works very well and seems to be stable. I have no problems with the product. The Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client is easy to use, so I'm recommending it to others.
I'm rating the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client ten out of ten.
My company is not a partner of Cisco. My company is a customer and doesn't sell the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client to customers.
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.
Product Manager, CMOS Image Sensors at a manufacturing company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Excellent performance and connection; it always works and is simple to use
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of this solution is that it works all of the time."
- "It should autodetect or monitor it, when I am in the office it goes to the network in the office, or when I'm not at the office, it automatically activates my VPN connection."
What is our primary use case?
We use the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client in our home office for our VPN connections.
When we are working remotely, we click on the VPN, and nothing more.
What is most valuable?
Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client works well, we don't have any issues with it.
The most valuable feature of this solution is that it works all of the time.
In terms of speed, it depends on the bandwidth of the system rather than being an issue with Cisco. It's more of a bandwidth limitation issue.
What needs improvement?
I would like that it automatically detects when I'm not on the corporate network, it would automatically connect to the VPN. I don't want to have to click the button anymore. It should autodetect or monitor it, when I am in the office it goes to the network in the office, or when I'm not at the office, it automatically activates my VPN connection.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with the company and using the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for five years.
I have never updated this solution myself, our IT department updates our solutions. I am not aware which version we are using at the moment.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is excellent. It works all of the time. I have not had any issues with the stability of the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I am not familiar with the scalability of the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client. It is handled by our IT department.
This solution is used by everyone in our organization who owns a laptop. We have many thousands of users.
I'm not in the IT Department, so I'm not sure how many people have this tool on their laptops, but I believe everyone does.
How are customer service and support?
I have never contacted technical support. There is no need. We go to our internal IT support first. There is a clear boundary between the user in the company and any further assistance.
How was the initial setup?
It is included in the standard software package. I didn't need to install it. The IT department generates the default configuration of the laptop. In the end, it was already there and fully configured.
What about the implementation team?
We have an internal IT department. Like in any company, it's an email help desk. I am not aware of how many people are in the IT support team.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I am not aware of the pricing.
What other advice do I have?
As an end-user, it's good, I would rate Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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