Cisco UCS B-Series vs HPE BladeSystem comparison

"I can connect Cisco UCS B-Series to multiple chassis and rack servers using a unified platform, then manage them on a single console."

"The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that it is easily scalable."

"It is less time-consuming to deploy the software."

"The most beneficial feature is UCS Manager. It's the best way to manage hardware, creating group policies, like scrub policies and maintenance policies."

"The most valuable features of the solution are stability and security."

"I like that it's very manageable very easy to use and configure. I am not an expert, but the graphic user interface is quite simple very easy to use. It's a complete solution."

"The solution is stable...The solution is scalable."

"The ratio in terms of the number of units and the number of servers that we can get each chassis is quite good."

"We are very happy with flexible NIC configuration features which are possible if you combine the BladeServers with HPE flex switches in the enclosures."

"The most valuable feature of this solution is its high availability."

"The solution is very easy to use."

"This has drastically reduced our datacenter space, has good cooling and power consumption."

"I like the stability."

"It is very stable."

"The benefit is the density and the capability for global harmonization on the hardware, because all the hardware chassis are the same. We can also purchase the same network cards too, chassis by chassis, so it gives us a global solution."

"I really appreciate the integrated Onboard Administrator, the iLO (Integrated Lights-Out) modular network, and the SAN Switches."

"The UCS manager interface needs to be cleaned up a bit and can be streamlined, but no major complaints."

"The solution is difficult to set up."

"This product uses a converged network adapter because it is the only way to provide flexibility with both fiber and ethernet connections."

"Cisco UCS B-Series competitors have similar features as they do, Cisco needs to make some changes to make their offering better."

"The management interface needs a lot of improvement. As it is right now, it's a pain to use. It's not user-friendly."

"The upgrades could be improved."

"The cost of the solution has room for improvement."

"The configuration is a bit complex, as it requires very high technical expertise to apply it."

"We had a few hard drives that crashed, and we couldn't find them locally. We've tried internationally, but we are still struggling to get its spare parts. This is the main challenge that we have faced with this solution. Fortunately, the other drives are still working. There should be easy availability of spare parts. I should be able to request a quotation online from HPE for things that I am not able to get locally. Currently, I can order online, but when I type the serial number, most of the time, it is rejected. I don't know why it is happening. It could be because the company that sold us the system didn't buy it through the normal HPE channel. HPE should assist us as users to get the spare parts. Its security needs to be beefed up. I would like some security features. It was also challenging for us to set it up because we didn't get enough training from them."

"The integration and price of HPE BladeSystem could be improved."

"HPE BladeSystem that we are using is currently very old. It's not too good. We haven't renewed it. I would like the solution to have more updates."

"We sometimes have compatibility issues depending on the browser that you are using. For example, sometimes you have to switch between Edge, Mozilla, Internet Explorer, or Chrome to have things operating correctly."

"I would like to see the upgrade path a little bit smoother."

"In terms of improvements, I'd suggest enhancing the stability of the HPE BladeSystem, especially regarding network connectivity. We once had an issue where a system didn’t communicate with the network, and it took a while to diagnose the problem. Eventually, we discovered it was a motherboard issue, but we initially thought it was the network card. Improving the onboard administratordashboard to provide more granular insights, like clearly identifying faultycomponents, would make troubleshooting much more efficient. Aside from that, the system is superb and has been reliable."

"It is lacking in the ability to replicate virtual machines more easily."

"It would be nice if the solution were cheaper."

"A physical licensing fees needs to be paid."

"From a business point of view, the price is on the higher end."

"Considering our market, I rate the pricing of Cisco UCS B-Series as a six."

"Cisco UCS does not require a license. However, this license is not specific to users."

"Cisco UCS B-Series is an expensive solution."

"The type of service level purchase will determine the level of support response that you receive from Cisco."

"This is a premium device and our clients are not as concerned about the reasonableness of the price compared to satisfaction with their productivity."

"Cisco UCS B-Series is not a cheap solution."

"I don't have access to your financial information or the specific details of this solution's pricing. There are no additional fees. It is the hardware and the support."

"Regarding the cost, HPE BladeSystem is not cheap. The solution and its support are costly, and there are challenges with renewal and pricing, especially in Nigeria, due to the dollar rate and FX issues. However, it is reliable. I don't have specific figures for licensing costs, as the procurement and finance departments handle them."

"Add OneView and ILO advanced to the base product. Don’t adjust the price, but just include them."

"The chassis itself, with no blade server inside, so expensive. The C7000 model costs around $100,000."

"The pricing is competitive."

"We have an annual license."

"It is expensive. There are no additional costs. We are able to get good discounts anyway from HPE, but if the price can come down, we'll be happy."

"Its pricing was good. We selected this solution because it was within our budget. We paid just once when we bought it. We never bought any license."