Aruba Airwave and Cisco Catalyst Center are network management platforms for enterprises seeking robust infrastructure management. Cisco Catalyst Center has the upper hand with extensive features that justify its premium price, while Aruba Airwave is favored for cost-effectiveness and support.
Features: Aruba Airwave provides comprehensive network visibility, monitoring, and troubleshooting with multivendor support, integrating seamlessly across device types. Cisco Catalyst Center offers advanced features like automation, deep analytics, and proactive network management for centralized control and streamlined operations. The primary difference is Cisco's superior automation and analytics capabilities.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Aruba Airwave is known for its straightforward deployment and quality customer support, ensuring minimal disruption and efficient troubleshooting. Cisco Catalyst Center involves a more complex deployment but offers extensive resources and support services for large-scale implementations. The distinction is Aruba's simplicity and responsiveness, compared to Cisco's comprehensive, complex service offerings.
Pricing and ROI: Aruba Airwave promises high ROI with lower initial setup costs and affordable maintenance, appealing to budget-conscious organizations without sacrificing functionalities. Cisco Catalyst Center requires higher upfront investment but offers significant long-term returns through features enhancing operational efficiency. The difference lies in Cisco's focus on value through innovation, while Aruba emphasizes balanced cost against benefits.
They have a long life.
The best feature is its availability, easy deployment, and good support for the solution.
Angie was very kind and communicated well in both Spanish and English, making it pleasant to connect with her.
I had a situation where they were present with us overnight to fix an issue for a customer, demonstrating their dedication.
I would rate technical support nine to nine and a half out of ten.
The software platform is very easy to use.
Aruba Airwave is fully scalable, as we have a large number of tenants using the network with approximately six thousand end users.
They have a feature that allows stacking switches together.
Cisco Catalyst Center is scalable and quite flexible, allowing for specific model choices like the 9,000 or 2,000 series based on the clients' performance requirements and bottlenecks.
It effectively manages all the devices I have, demonstrating its capability to scale.
I have found Aruba Airwave to be stable.
They are very stable, not power cycling, and basically maintaining their stability.
They provide a robust and secure solution for critical workloads.
Cisco Catalyst Center is stable, and I would rate it a nine out of ten for stability.
When upgrading hardware, there were technical issues with network interfaces and Red Hat, which required escalation to developers.
When attempting to copy a floor plan, it does not copy well, so I often have to redraw the walls.
My customers often complain about numerous software bugs requiring frequent software patches and updates to resolve these issues.
In the current setup, incidents are always reactionary, and it would be beneficial if Cisco Catalyst Center could proactively handle issues such as bandwidth crunches and packet drops.
Cisco Catalyst Center lacked intelligence in this area and required reliance on third-party appliances like firewalls or threat protection devices.
They are also facing competitive pricing challenges from Huawei.
Cost is a major factor when any company is buying, and Cisco's products are pricier even compared to other US-based solutions.
The setup can be somewhat expensive.
It provides near real-time monitoring using AIMON and AURO protocols, which is robust with multiple models and brand support.
Aruba Airwave provides good visibility, offering extensive data on network dynamics, such as access point connections, usage, signal strengths, and potential interference from neighboring Wi-Fi networks.
The most helpful feature I noticed, yet did not utilize, allowed us to add our Cisco switches for monitoring.
There is a very wide user base providing support, so I almost never have to contact Cisco support due to the vast accessible knowledge base.
Their threat intelligence platform is excellent, including Talos Intelligence, which provides a good database and strong threat insights.
This dual functionality is crucial for monitoring large enterprises, providing a robust solution for IT teams.
Cisco Catalyst Center offers a comprehensive platform for network management, providing scalable solutions and advanced analytics for enterprise-level operations.
Focusing on efficient network management, Cisco Catalyst Center effectively addresses dynamic enterprise environments, ensuring operational scalability and actionable insights through its robust feature set. It emphasizes seamless management with an intuitive interface tailored for professional use, facilitating enhanced network visibility and control among IT professionals and service providers.
What are the standout features of Cisco Catalyst Center?Cisco Catalyst Center is widely implemented across industries like finance, healthcare, and education due to its ability to handle complex network requirements. It addresses specific needs by offering tailored solutions designed to enhance operational efficiency and security, catering to professionals managing large-scale IT ecosystems.
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