Cisco DNA Center vs OpenText Network Automation comparison

Cisco and OpenText are both solutions in the Network Automation category. Cisco is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.0, while OpenText is ranked #7 with an average rating of 9.0. Cisco holds a 20.3% mindshare in NA, compared to OpenText’s 2.6% mindshare. Additionally, 89% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 80% of OpenText users who would recommend it.

Cisco DNA Center

Read 41 Cisco DNA Center reviews

3,153 Views
1,830 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

OpenText Network Automation

Read 5 OpenText Network Automation reviews

355 Views
243 Comparison Views

80% willing to recommend

Cisco DNA Center

OpenText Network Automation

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 6, 2025

OpenText Network Automation and Cisco DNA Center are competing products in network management. Cisco DNA Center seems to have an upper hand due to its comprehensive features that appeal to complex network environments, whereas OpenText offers more competitive pricing.

Features: OpenText Network Automation provides efficient network management with robust automation capabilities, excelling in compliance management and integration with IT management solutions. Cisco DNA Center offers advanced features like AI-driven analytics, policy-based automation, and enhanced security controls, catering to complex network environments.

Room for Improvement: OpenText Network Automation could enhance its AI analytics and broaden its security control offerings. Expanding its integration capabilities with diverse hardware might increase its appeal. Cisco DNA Center might work on reducing setup complexity and improving non-Cisco hardware compatibility. Simplifying its pricing structure could also be beneficial for broader market penetration.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: OpenText Network Automation offers a straightforward deployment process with both on-premises and cloud-based options, backed by responsive support. Cisco DNA Center integrates efficiently into Cisco network infrastructures, offering streamlined installation with extensive support documentation and proactive services, especially in Cisco-centric environments.

Pricing and ROI: OpenText Network Automation is often commended for its cost-effectiveness, providing a good ROI with a lower setup cost. Cisco DNA Center, despite its higher initial cost, offers an extensive feature set justifying its price in complex deployments. The decision often depends on whether an organization values enhanced functionality enough to justify a higher expenditure.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco DNA Center vs. OpenText Network Automation Report (Updated: December 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center vs. OpenText Network Automation

December 2024

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Review summaries and opinions

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

Categories and Ranking

Cisco DNA Center

Ranking in Network Automation

2nd

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Management Applications (1st), Network Monitoring Software (16th)

OpenText Network Automation

Ranking in Network Automation

7th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the Network Automation category, the mindshare of Cisco DNA Center is 20.3%, down from 25.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of OpenText Network Automation is 2.6%, down from 3.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Automation

Featured Reviews

AvrahamSonenthal

Senior Network Engineer at Inside Global

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.

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reviewer1480065

Service Operations Engineer at ATOS

Allows to upload necessary firmware to your device and perform the upgrade

With OpenText Network Automation, firmware can be uploaded for specific devices. If you need to upgrade a device, you can use this tool, though it may not apply to all devices. The software allows you to upload the necessary firmware to your device and perform the upgrade. Additionally, it enables you to check multiple devices for specific configurations and automates the search process and the configuration of multiple devices.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It offers automation, security enforcement, analytics, and integration with other Cisco technologies, making it a key driver for efficient network operations and compliance with security protocols."

"I like that we can easily configure any new hardware. It's also easy to deploy and easy to troubleshoot."

"The monitoring features are very useful for network engineers."

"Cisco DNA Center provides operational support, compliance support, security vulnerability detection, and automatic scheduling."

"Automation is another key highlight. With automation, you can automate everything through a single port."

"It is a stable solution."

"What I found valuable in Cisco DNA Center is the Software-Defined Access Network, so the entire LAN network can be centralized and managed from a single dashboard. Cisco DNA Center is suitable for centralized management and lets you deploy switches in a centralized fashion. You can also do multiple switch port configurations simultaneously and segregate your traffic into multiple fabrics. Another valuable feature of Cisco DNA Center is enhanced security through Scalable Group Tags. Cisco DNA Center can be integrated with your Cisco ISE to enhance the port securities, and this paves the way for Software-Defined Networking in the LAN segment, which is the main advantage of Cisco DNA Center. I also like that you can use Cisco DNA Center for data assurance or correlation. The solution shows your network and client health parameters, which I find convenient for troubleshooting."

"I like the visibility, instant build, network, policies, and the ability to control access. I also like that you can visualize your whole network."

More Cisco DNA Center pros

"With OpenText Network Automation, firmware can be uploaded for specific devices. If you need to upgrade a device, you can use this tool, though it may not apply to all devices."

"Pushing the network configuration to bulk devices. This saves a considerable amount of time that the engineer spends in pushing the network configuration."

"When compared with SolarWinds, it is more user-friendly, and tasks can be completed more quickly."

Cons

"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."

"Technical support could be better. The price could be better, and it could be more stable."

"Requires more focus on the digital side of things."

"The network, data center, and SD-WAN are all being treated as different services, but I would like to have only one solution to manage all of them."

"One area that needs improvement is the upgrade process."

"DNA Center has been on the market for a few years and they need to update it."

"The cost is very high."

"An area that needs improvement is the integration with other vendors."

More Cisco DNA Center cons

"Level one administration task can be defined in Micro Focus Network Automation but it could be more simplified."

"The tool performs slowly."

"Compatibility of the devices needs to be enhanced, as it seems to be limited."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Affordability is a problem because it's created for large enterprises only. So, some customers, even if their engineers want the solution, might have problems with budget limitations."

"Licensing for Cisco DNA Center is a little bit expensive, just like any Cisco solution. Its cost could still be improved."

"Cisco DNA Center is too expensive."

"The partnership price is notably high, but it ultimately depends on the chosen business model."

"I would rate the pricing a six out of ten, with ten being expensive."

"The licensing cost for Cisco DNA Center is not more than that of other solutions."

"I rate the product's pricing an eight on a scale of one to ten, where one is very cheap, and ten is very expensive."

"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."

More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice

"Pricing is reasonable, but if you compare it with other network Operation Management tools that are available on the market, it's expensive."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

19%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

University

Computer Software Company

18%

Government

15%

Financial Services Firm

15%

Healthcare Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

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 needs improvement with Micro Focus Network Automation?

The tool performs slowly.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Micro Focus Network Automation?

There is a team responsible for network automation to check devices for compliance. I connect to the device, make the necessary configurations, and inform the team that certain rules must be remove...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Micro Focus Network Automation?

When managing a large number of devices, network automation simplifies the process of locating specific configurations. For example, if you need to find a particular configuration, network automati...

See all answers

Comparisons

Juniper Mist Wired Assurance vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 9% of the time

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 8% of the time

Meraki Dashboard vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 7% of the time

Fortinet FortiManager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 7% of the time

Huawei eSight vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 7% of the time

More Cisco DNA Center Competitors

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs OpenText Network Automation

Compared 55% of the time

More OpenText Network Automation Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center

January 2025

Download Cisco DNA Center product report

Buyer's Guide

Network Automation

December 2024

Download OpenText Network Automation product report

Also Known As

DNA Center

Micro Focus Network Automation, HPE Network Automation

Learn More

Cisco

OpenText

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.

OpenText Network Automation helps IT organizations drive efficiencies by automating time-consuming manual compliance and network configuration tasks for the complete operational lifecycle of network devices from provisioning to policy-based network configuration management, compliance policy enforcement and reporting, and security administration. OpenText Network Automation also helps increase network stability and uptime by preventing inconsistencies and misconfigurations often created by manual processes. When combined with OpenText Network Node Manager i, it delivers a unique integrated solution that delivers network fault, availability, and performance integrated with change, network configuration, compliance, and automated diagnostics that operates from a shared network topology database.

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Tech Mahindra, Avea, China Merchants Bank, NNIT, Distinctive Software Solutions, Virgin Media, NEC Australia, Osiatis, Hostworks, Retegal, Allianz Shared Infrastructure Services SE (ASIC), State of Kansas Division of Information Services and Communications (DISC)

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center vs. OpenText Network Automation

December 2024

Free Report: Cisco DNA Center vs. OpenText Network Automation

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