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Cisco UCS Manager vs Dell CloudIQ comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 9, 2024

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 UCS Manager
Ranking in IT Infrastructure Monitoring
17th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
27
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Dell CloudIQ
Ranking in IT Infrastructure Monitoring
30th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
9
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the IT Infrastructure Monitoring category, the mindshare of Cisco UCS Manager is 1.5%, up from 1.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Dell CloudIQ is 1.0%, down from 1.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
IT Infrastructure Monitoring
 

Featured Reviews

Edwin Mwosa - PeerSpot reviewer
Enhanced network oversight with rapid issue identification and good efficiency
We mainly use Cisco UCS Manager to integrate and manage our Cisco switches across the building. We also utilize it for network integration. It provides an integrated solution for our Cisco environment, streamlining our operations and managing multiple Cisco devices like switches and routers Cisco…
ClaudioSalgado - PeerSpot reviewer
Has proactive monitoring with predictive insights and a user-friendly interface
Some of the most valuable features of CloudIQ include its health status alerts, which allow you to see quickly if there is something that needs immediate attention, preventing the need to check each system individually. It provides a status with traffic light colors, where red indicates danger, yellow means attention is needed, and green represents normal conditions to easily understand the health of the environment. The quick overview aids in decision-making. Additionally, CloudIQ's predictive capabilities, which are enhanced by artificial intelligence, have improved operational efficiency by providing proactive information to prevent issues before they arise.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Cisco UCS has different layers of security, and you can do multiple installations of your LIAMs on top of the server and Blade. You can install VMware, Windows Server, Hyper-V, etc."
"The flexibility and the ease in which the features can be expanded are the solution's most valuable aspects."
"The most valuable features are flexibility and management."
"For the blade architecture and ease of use, I consider Cisco UCS Manager the best option on the market at the moment."
"Cisco Infrastructure is one of the top vendors and no one can beat them in terms of switching and routing."
"Technical support has been good so far. We haven't had any issues with them. We're satisfied with the level of service they provide our company."
"A main feature of Cisco UCS Manager is its reliability, as all of the computing blades are in cluster mode."
"The most valuable features of Cisco UCS Manager include the visibility it provides and the ease of identifying issues within the Cisco environment."
"It's convenient because you can access it from a mobile device without needing a laptop."
"Mobile application is the most valuable feature for us. We can monitor all the storages on our phones. It's really good."
"Some of the most valuable features of CloudIQ include its health status alerts, which allow you to see quickly if there is something that needs immediate attention, preventing the need to check each system individually."
"CloudIQ allows us to monitor our servers centrally, and we can receive notifications in case of issues, like a potential hard drive failure."
"The tool for forecasting capacity is valuable."
"Fewer vulnerabilities have been observed in the four years we have used the solution."
"Has really nice roll-up dashboards."
"The dashboard is clear and user-friendly."
 

Cons

"We have three data centers and if we could manage all three data centers using one interface, it would be great."
"Cisco UCS Manager is not a scalable solution because once you have 160 blades, it cannot be expanded more."
"I would like to see Cisco UCS optionally work as a hyper-converged system because right now, it only operates as a converged system."
"Improving functionalities similar to InterSite within UCS Manager would be beneficial."
"The primary challenge we face is identifying the correct version to deploy during firmware upgrades or compute updates."
"There is room for improvement in the software part of Cisco UCS Manager. It should be more user-friendly, especially when creating policies."
"Cisco UCS is expensive compared to others. The Cisco UCS Chassis is more expensive than a standalone server, but some companies require standalone servers because of their production load and affordability. You need to pay more if you require more features on the Blade or if you need more ports on the switch."
"I found it a bit of a challenge to get training on UCSM. I've been trying to get that for some time now. I feel like I have to figure it out a lot of things myself. For years I've to log calls with support whenever I've got challenges that I cannot resolve. If I had some training or more manuals, I'd be better able to handle more things on my own."
"In terms of improvement, they should enhance the product range."
"PowerScale is the only file system offered and that is limiting."
"If you have a heterogeneous environment, there might be some limitations in coverage since CloudIQ is primarily designed for Dell-based infrastructures."
"It can improve the reporting facility to create custom reports or dashboards."
"There is a need for improvement in predictive maintenance, which I assume is somewhat AI-driven."
"Supporting legacy systems is an area that can be improved."
"The main limitation of CloudIQ is that it is intended to be used exclusively with Dell hardware."
"The process of upgrading could be streamlined."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing for Cisco UCS Manager is okay for its market, so it's a four out of five for me."
"We need to take a license for each port, which amounts to a big sum."
"You buy the hardware and then you get Cisco UCS Manager for free."
"With product discounts which can be negotiated, the product is a great value."
"Cisco UCS Manager’s annual licensing fee is expensive."
"Cisco UCS is more expensive than Dell and HP, but it is more reliable. I see less issues and it's quite stable."
"I believe it is a free product because we don't pay for it."
"The solution is more expensive than NetApp which offers file systems in various price ranges."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
27%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
7%
Manufacturing Company
15%
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco UCS Manager?
When one server fails, we can attach the service profile to a new server, which saves a lot of time.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco UCS Manager?
My experience with the pricing of Cisco UCS Manager ( /products/cisco-ucs-manager-reviews ) is that it is reasonable. Recently, we acquired an excellent bundle with significant discounts, with offe...
What needs improvement with Cisco UCS Manager?
For improvements, while the current graphical user interface is satisfactory, it could be further simplified for different tasks. While it has been improved from using Java to HTML, simplifying the...
What needs improvement with Dell CloudIQ?
It can improve the reporting facility to create custom reports or dashboards.
What is your primary use case for Dell CloudIQ?
I use it for monitoring environment security today. I look at security, capacity, and availability in our environment.
What advice do you have for others considering Dell CloudIQ?
I would rate the overall product an eight out of ten.
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Management Science Associates, Peak 10, Virtual Consulting Professionals
North Carolina State University
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco UCS Manager vs. Dell CloudIQ and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.