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Cisco DNA Center vs Cisco Prime [EOL] comparison

Cisco DNA Center and Cisco Prime [EOL] are both solutions in the Network Management Applications category. Additionally, 89% of Cisco DNA Center users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 91% of Cisco Prime [EOL] users who would recommend it.
Cisco DNA Center
Read 40 Cisco DNA Center reviews
  • 7,170 Views
  • 4,184 Comparison Views
89% willing to recommend
Cisco Prime [EOL]
Read 35 Cisco Prime [EOL] reviews
    91% willing to recommend
     

    Comparison Buyer's Guide

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    Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 8, 2024

    Cisco DNA Center and Cisco Prime EOL both operate in the network management solutions category. Data comparisons suggest Cisco DNA Center has an advantage due to its modern infrastructure and ease of integration, whereas Cisco Prime EOL is appreciated for its extensive features despite its end-of-life status.

    Features: Cisco DNA Center is recognized for its automation capabilities, advanced analytics, and efficient operations, providing intuitive workflows and strong integration potential. Cisco Prime EOL offers comprehensive network monitoring, detailed reporting tools, and extensive feature sets conducive to varied deployment scenarios.

    Room for Improvement: Cisco DNA Center could enhance scalability and improve integration with legacy systems, posing challenges for large enterprises. Cisco Prime EOL needed updates to adapt to evolving network demands while maintaining stability and reliability, but modern advancements were required.

    Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco DNA Center offers an intuitive deployment process with effective customer service, leveraging a cloud-based approach to reduce deployment time. Cisco Prime EOL involved a steep learning curve with traditional deployment models, yet support services, although valuable, demanded more user engagement.

    Pricing and ROI: Cisco DNA Center's pricing is higher, justified by potential ROI from improved network visibility and automation benefits. Cisco Prime EOL had more favorable initial setup costs but offered less long-term financial gain due to its end-of-life status, while DNA Center's continuous support and feature updates provide superior investment value.

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    Buyer's Guide
    Network Management Applications
    November 2024
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    Helped 824,053 peers since 2012
     

    Categories and Ranking

    Cisco DNA Center
    Average Rating
    8.0
    Reviews Sentiment
    6.3
    Number of Reviews
    40
    Ranking in other categories
    Network Management Applications (1st), Network Monitoring Software (18th), Network Automation (2nd)
    Cisco Prime [EOL]
    Average Rating
    7.8
    Reviews Sentiment
    6.5
    Number of Reviews
    35
    Ranking in other categories
    No ranking in other categories
     

    Featured Reviews

    AvrahamSonenthal - PeerSpot reviewer
    Efficiently manages our wireless network and provides valuable monitoring features
    The platform's biggest benefit has been in managing our wireless network. Having a single pane of glass to control all wireless controllers and access points and to monitor activity has been a significant advantage. We're a small federal agency with around 300 network devices, so automation is a minor focus. It's more relevant for larger networks. The main benefits we've seen are in inventory management and the potential for configuration automation. However, I recommend using the DNA Centre only for larger networks with over a thousand devices; otherwise, it may not be cost-effective. Before proceeding, ensure that your devices are compatible with DNA Center, as not all Cisco devices are supported. Also, investing in proper training is different from plug-and-play. I rate it an eight.
    Read full review
    ZeeshanAli1 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Robust, cost-effective, and provides good visibility, but the scalability could improve
    We are extremely satisfied with the reliability and robustness of Cisco Prime Infrastructure, which we have been using for many years. Compared to newer products such as DNS centers or others, it has proven to be much more stable, which is important for large-scale operations. Stability is a primary concern for us, and we are glad that Cisco Prime Infrastructure meets our expectations in that regard. Furthermore, in regards to Legacy Plus new hardware, Cisco Prime has proven to be a reliable and adaptable solution thus far. Not only can it support older hardware, but it also has the capability to handle new features with the latest updates. If we consider new solutions such as DNS Center, we may have to sacrifice some legacy features that we still rely on. We may need to continue using these legacy features for a few more years due to various reasons such as budget constraints or the site not being a high priority. However, if we switch to a new product at this stage, we may lose a lot of the monitoring and other capabilities that we have with Cisco Prime. We have a close relationship with Cisco and understand that they are not prioritizing investments in Cisco Prime as they are encouraging customers to adopt the Cisco DNA Center. This means that we don't anticipate many new features to be added to the product in the future. While we know that we will eventually have to transition to a new solution, in the meantime, we plan to do a quick refresh of our legacy products.
    Read full review

    Quotes from Members

    We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
     

    Pros

    "People like to use the dashboards to get an overview of their network."
    "The product gives a consolidated view."
    "I like that we can easily configure any new hardware. It's also easy to deploy and easy to troubleshoot."
    "The product offers an intuitive and automated way to manage user networks. It gives me an insight into the network health."
    "The most valuable feature of Cisco DNA Center is the AI (Artificial Intelligence) that provides us with valuable information."
    "Automation is another key highlight. With automation, you can automate everything through a single port."
    "Cisco VXLAN is a protocol that has been around for some time, but the practical implementation and operational capability of Cisco DNA Center bring it to life."
    "It is very versatile in terms of analytics."
    More Cisco DNA Center pros
    "The solution's configuration management tool is amazing because it centralizes and pushes configurations which saves a lot of volume and effort."
    "What I found most beneficial from Cisco Prime is that it gives you an insight into what your network does, even when you're not actively monitoring what's going on with your network."
    "The most valuable feature of Cisco Prime is the heat map."
    "It helps us manage and monitor analytics and fix issues."
    "Has a good wireless heatmap and search management features."
    "The most valuable features of Cisco Prime include its comprehensive functionality as a one-stop solution for basic SNMP port management."
    "Cisco Prime can help customers fix their Wi-Fi issues with scientific and digital data."
    "The product's most valuable features are monitoring and configuration."
    More Cisco Prime [EOL] pros
     

    Cons

    "The solution needs to improve the dashboard."
    "Integration with analytic tools and API integrations would be ideal."
    "The weaknesses primarily involve pricing and the ongoing need for increased bandwidth and data throughput."
    "It seems to be a little bit more centered toward wireless than wired. You've got more options you can do wirelessly than you can with the wired switches, but it works for what we need it to do. We would like to see a little bit more about the traffic, and we're looking at what's out there to see about that. We are looking at something that might give us a bit more insight into the actual traffic. If they had the full functionality on the wired side, as they do on the wireless side in terms of being able to view traffic and everything, it would be good."
    "One area that needs improvement is the upgrade process."
    "Requires more focus on the digital side of things."
    "There should be an option for automation of template deployment by using the stored data. It is not easy to save configuration information for lots of devices without using other tools. There should be a tighter, better repository of information that can be merged with the templates."
    "The solution's technical support is an area with which my company's clients have a problem. Cisco doesn't provide good technical support unless a user has a big account that Cisco wants to retain."
    More Cisco DNA Center cons
    "The user interface of Cisco Prime could be more user-friendly and increase its performance."
    "Some improvements are needed, specifically in the form of more updates and enhancements."
    "The product needs to improve its interface and reporting."
    "The product's pricing can be cheaper."
    "If you look at some of the wireless site-survey tools that are available in the commercial space, Cisco should include similar solutions, which would help our on-plant engineers when they're doing a site survey."
    "Lacking in integration with a SIEM tool."
    "The onboarding process could be improved and developed to enhance compatibility for non-Cisco devices."
    "Maybe it could be a little cheaper."
    More Cisco Prime [EOL] cons
     

    Pricing and Cost Advice

    "The tool is medium-priced."
    "Our licensing agreement is for three years."
    "The price of the solution is expensive. The hardware is licensed on the device, but the hardware on the server is expensive."
    "The tool's licensing may not come across as something that may be friendly for users."
    "Licensing for Cisco DNA Center is a little bit expensive, just like any Cisco solution. Its cost could still be improved."
    "The solution is a little bit expensive but depends a lot on the customer's usage. If you use it in the right place, you can easily pay for it."
    "Cisco DNA Center is too expensive."
    "The licensing cost for Cisco DNA Center is not more than that of other solutions."
    More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice
    "We update the license every five years."
    "The product's performance monitoring feature could be more intuitive."
    "The cost is quite high."
    "The solution is not inexpensive but is worth it for large-scale environments."
    "Cisco Prime is an expensive solution."
    "If we have a license for Cisco DNA, we can use the same license for Cisco Prime."
    "The price of Cisco Prime was reasonable because we purchased it as part of a Cisco One package. The package was a bundle of Cisco solutions together, such as Cisco ISE and CMX. The price is reasonable com compared to other solutions."
    "You need to get special quotes from the company for each order."
    More Cisco Prime [EOL] pricing and cost advice
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    Top Industries

    By visitors reading reviews
    Computer Software Company
    19%
    Government
    10%
    Manufacturing Company
    9%
    University
    6%
    Computer Software Company
    17%
    Government
    13%
    Manufacturing Company
    9%
    Educational Organization
    6%
     

    Company Size

    By reviewers
    Large Enterprise
    Midsize Enterprise
    Small Business
     

    Questions from the Community

    What do you like most about Cisco DNA Center?
    The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that it gives some kind of ease in operations, especially since our company is moving from CLI to GUI-based configuration.
    See all answers
    What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco DNA Center?
    I would rate the pricing a six out of ten, with ten being expensive.
    See all answers
    What needs improvement with Cisco DNA Center?
    One area that needs improvement is the upgrade process. The time required for downloading and installing packages during upgrades is too long, often taking around ten hours. This is a significant i...
    See all answers
    What do you like most about Cisco Prime?
    The most valuable features of Cisco Prime include its comprehensive functionality as a one-stop solution for basic SNMP port management.
    See all answers
    What needs improvement with Cisco Prime?
    The product's performance monitoring feature could be more intuitive.
    See all answers
    What is your primary use case for Cisco Prime?
    We use Cisco Prime for centralized configuration management backups and monitoring.
    See all answers
     

    Comparisons

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    Compared 9% of the time
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    Compared 8% of the time
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    SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs Cisco Prime [EOL]
    Compared 7% of the time
    Fortinet FortiManager vs Cisco Prime [EOL] Logo
    Fortinet FortiManager vs Cisco Prime [EOL]
    Compared 3% of the time
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    HPE Intelligent Management Center vs Cisco Prime [EOL]
    Compared 3% of the time
    More Cisco Prime [EOL] Competitors
     

    Product Reports

    Buyer's Guide
    Cisco DNA Center
    December 2024
    Cisco DNA Center reportDownload Cisco DNA Center product report
    Buyer's Guide
    Cisco Prime [EOL]
    December 2024
    Cisco Prime [EOL] reportDownload Cisco Prime [EOL] product report
     

    Also Known As

    DNA Center
    Cisco Prime Infrastructure
     

    Learn More

    Cisco
    Cisco
     

    Overview

    Cisco DNA Center offers a comprehensive platform for network automation and management, providing detailed analytics, enhanced security, and streamlined operations for both wired and wireless networks.

    Cisco DNA Center integrates with Cisco infrastructure to deliver efficient network automation and management, helping organizations improve network visibility, security, and control. It supports AI-driven analytics and automated workflows to enhance operational efficiency and reduce errors. Challenges include compatibility with third-party systems, steep learning curve, and complex deployment. Its interface facilitates centralized control, vital for troubleshooting, policy management, and configuration management, with support for zero-touch provisioning and SD-Access.

    What are the key features of Cisco DNA Center?
    • Robust Analytics: Provides detailed insights into network health with AI-driven analytics.
    • Centralized Security: Integrates with ISE for comprehensive security management.
    • Automated Device Management: Simplifies device provisioning and configuration transfers.
    • Wi-Fi Analytics: Offers deep insights into wireless network performance.
    • Zero-Touch Provisioning: Streamlines new device deployments with minimal human intervention.
    • Scalable Segmentation: Efficiently segments network traffic ensuring security and performance.
    What benefits should users consider?
    • Operational Efficiency: Automation reduces potential errors and streamlines workflow.
    • Enhanced Security: Integration with Cisco ISE bolsters security capabilities.
    • Network Visibility: Comprehensive dashboards and analysis tools enhance monitoring.
    • Troubleshooting: Real-time monitoring aids in identifying and resolving issues swiftly.

    In sectors such as healthcare, finance, and retail, Cisco DNA Center is utilized for its ability to enhance security and compliance, manage large-scale networks, and provide detailed analytics for better operational decision-making. Its support for location tracking and policy automation ensures efficient network management across diverse environments.

    Cisco Prime products deliver next-generation management by supporting an intuitive workflow-oriented user experience and integrated lifecycle operations across Cisco architectures, technologies, and networks.

     

    Sample Customers

    Information Not Available
    Mohawk Industries, Universidad EAFIT, Halton Healthcare
    Buyer's Guide
    Network Management Applications
    November 2024
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