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Cisco DNA Center vs OpenText Network Node Manager i comparison

Cisco and OpenText are both solutions in the Network Management Applications category. Cisco is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.0, while OpenText is ranked #15 with an average rating of 9.0. Cisco holds a 26.9% mindshare in NMA, compared to OpenText’s 2.1% mindshare. Additionally, 89% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of OpenText users who would recommend it.
Cisco DNA Center
Read 41 Cisco DNA Center reviews
  • 6,085 Views
  • 3,733 Comparison Views
89% willing to recommend
OpenText Network Node Manag...
Read 23 OpenText Network Node Manager i reviews
  • 418 Views
  • 237 Comparison Views
95% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 2, 2025

OpenText Network Node Manager i and Cisco DNA Center are network management competitors. Cisco DNA Center is perceived as superior due to its advanced features and perceived value.

Features: OpenText Network Node Manager i is known for robust monitoring, extensive automation tools, and detailed network visualization. Cisco DNA Center shines with its AI-driven analytics, intuitive dashboard, and seamless integration with Cisco hardware.

Room for Improvement: OpenText Network Node Manager i could enhance its multi-vendor support, improve root cause analysis capabilities, and expand reporting options. Cisco DNA Center may benefit from simplifying its learning curve, refining its AI features for broader applications, and enhancing documentation to support new users.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: OpenText offers a straightforward deployment model with responsive customer service. Cisco DNA Center has more documentation and a knowledgeable support team, although its comprehensive feature set presents a steeper learning curve.

Pricing and ROI: OpenText Network Node Manager i is more budget-friendly with lower initial setup cost and stable performance, providing good ROI. Cisco DNA Center requires a higher initial investment but aims for significant long-term ROI through reduced operational costs and improved network efficiency.

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To learn more, read our detailed Cisco DNA Center vs. OpenText Network Node Manager i Report (Updated: April 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Cisco DNA Center vs. OpenText Network Node Manager i
April 2025
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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 Management Applications
1st
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
41
Ranking in other categories
Network Monitoring Software (12th), Network Automation (2nd)
OpenText Network Node Manag...
Ranking in Network Management Applications
15th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
5.9
Number of Reviews
23
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Network Management Applications category, the mindshare of Cisco DNA Center is 26.9%, down from 29.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of OpenText Network Node Manager i is 2.1%, up from 1.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Management Applications
 

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
Mirit Goldring-Boymshtain - PeerSpot reviewer
Easy-to-implement product with a valuable map topology feature
The platform has a lot of interesting capabilities. Implementation is simplified, in contrast to some products like SolarWinds, where external assistance is often required for meet uploads. It is more inexpensive than other products in the market. In a specific customer implementation, the complex topology of the customer's network revealed a separate and closed segment at one of their sites. We could not understand the status of the broken network and devices. With the help of NNMi, we got a view of the issues. The product helps us reduce downtime and improve incident response time by offering remediation options. The tools run automatically, checking the network activities for different areas and time zones. It provides efficient documentation, interface, and integration features. I rate the product a nine out of ten.
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

"DNA Center is scalable."
"Application Assurance works very well."
"The monitoring is very valuable to me."
"Cisco is a leading network company."
"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."
"The most valuable features of the solution are all of its security features...It is a highly scalable solution."
"The automation features are significant, reducing configuration time. This means outstanding functionality. By deploying the controller automatically, the rest becomes automated"
"It is a stable solution."
More Cisco DNA Center pros
"If you install one node on Network Node Manager and want to scale it up, it's pretty easy to create more nodes."
"Most valuable function would have to the internal causal engine and its root cause analyzer which keep us updated on critical errors and incidents in our network environment."
"Topology creation is the most valuable feature."
"Our monitoring and network teams of less than 100 people use this solution. The availability and fault monitoring are good."
"It gives us a good overview of what's happening in our networks and the devices in the networks."
"It is stable for fault and availability."
"It's quite a mature solution."
"A good enterprise-level solution."
More OpenText Network Node Manager i pros
 

Cons

"The tool's IoT integration should be better."
"The solution’s security side could be improved."
"As a user, it would be good if I could plug in controllers, suites, and devices from other vendors to Cisco DNA Center."
"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."
"The solution's integration feature can be better."
"In terms of the clustering part, there are some concerns."
"Requires more focus on the digital side of things."
"An area that needs improvement is the integration with other vendors."
More Cisco DNA Center cons
"The way the solution currently works means I'm not able to customize my own reports."
"Micro Focus Network Node Manager is not powered to drill down for traffic visibility."
"The resources utilized could be a bit higher, and that is one of the challenges that isn't optimized"
"The solution should integrate with NAC servers."
"As the technologies evolve, also these solutions or the monitoring tools should evolve to cover the progress in technology, including capabilities related to monitoring of virtualized devices today, as the DNS is on the table in this way."
"The dashboards are not customizable and it's not user-friendly."
"Only to improve the GUI."
"Right now, we have open tickets and they are not closing as expected."
More OpenText Network Node Manager i cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Cisco DNA Center is a licensed product with multiple levels of licensing available such as basic, advanced, and essential. I don't have the exact figure, but Cisco DNA Center is costly. For example, the box has information about the essential license and costs a considerable amount of money. You need to pay extra to use advanced features in Cisco DNA Center. My company sees Cisco DNA Center as a solution that's worth the money, which is why it invested in the solution. If you want centralized management for your network, especially when upgrading it, Cisco DNA Center is perfect, but it's more suitable for a large-scale rather than a small-scale network."
"Cisco DNA Center is too expensive."
"The price of the solution is expensive. The hardware is licensed on the device, but the hardware on the server is expensive."
"I do know that Cisco does offer some really good promotions for DNA Center to bring the costs down."
"We get a yearly license at the time we buy the product."
"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."
"Cisco DNA Center is expensive."
"The solution is expensive."
More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice
"It's an expensive solution."
"The solution is quite expensive."
"The solution is priced mid-range compared to the competition."
"It is more inexpensive than other products in the market."
"I wasn't involved in the pricing, but I think it's quite expensive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
17%
Government
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Computer Software Company
19%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
 

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?
The cost is very high.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Cisco DNA Center?
The system is working fine for me currently.
See all answers
What do you like most about Micro Focus Network Node Manager?
The platform has good stability.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Micro Focus Network Node Manager?
They should add AI options in the product's next release.
See all answers
What is your primary use case for Micro Focus Network Node Manager?
We use the product monitoring network infrastructure, interfaces, and devices.
See all answers
 

Comparisons

Cisco Catalyst Center vs Cisco DNA Center Logo
Cisco Catalyst Center vs Cisco DNA Center
Compared 10% of the time
Juniper Mist Wired Assurance vs Cisco DNA Center Logo
Juniper Mist Wired Assurance vs Cisco DNA Center
Compared 7% of the time
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs Cisco DNA Center Logo
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs Cisco DNA Center
Compared 6% of the time
Fortinet FortiManager vs Cisco DNA Center Logo
Fortinet FortiManager vs Cisco DNA Center
Compared 6% of the time
Meraki Dashboard vs Cisco DNA Center Logo
Meraki Dashboard vs Cisco DNA Center
Compared 6% of the time
More Cisco DNA Center Competitors
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs OpenText Network Node Manager i Logo
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs OpenText Network Node Manager i
Compared 29% of the time
DX Spectrum vs OpenText Network Node Manager i Logo
DX Spectrum vs OpenText Network Node Manager i
Compared 22% of the time
Fortinet FortiManager vs OpenText Network Node Manager i Logo
Fortinet FortiManager vs OpenText Network Node Manager i
Compared 20% of the time
IBM Tivoli NetCool vs OpenText Network Node Manager i Logo
IBM Tivoli NetCool vs OpenText Network Node Manager i
Compared 12% of the time
More OpenText Network Node Manager i Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Cisco DNA Center
April 2025
Cisco DNA Center reportDownload Cisco DNA Center product report
Buyer's Guide
OpenText Network Node Manager i
March 2025
OpenText Network Node Manager i reportDownload OpenText Network Node Manager i product report
 

Also Known As

DNA Center
Micro Focus Network Node Manager, Network Node Manager, HPE Network Node Manager
 

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
OpenText Network Node Manager i (NNMi) delivers powerful capabilities enabling NOCs to manage modern networks. NNMi Smart Plug-ins expand NNMi into specialized environments, helping your team reduce time to resolve issues. NNMi is a core component of Network Operations Management.
OpenText
 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
IPC, Exelon, VivaCom, 
Buyer's Guide
Cisco DNA Center vs. OpenText Network Node Manager i
April 2025
Free Report: Cisco DNA Center vs. OpenText Network Node Manager i
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