What is our primary use case?
We use the analyzer for reporting, to know what exactly is happening on the network. We use it to see which accesses are granted, which accesses are denied, which sites are visited, which botnets are coming in, which viruses, etc.
The solution is on-premise. Most of the time we set it up on the client's premises, depending on their needs. The cloud is there for testing.
What is most valuable?
It has a simplified and user-friendly interface.
What needs improvement?
With FortiAnalyzer, most of the time, although the interface is simplified, when you are new to it you have issues of navigating through it.
And when it comes to pushing logs to a SIEM, most of the time we have some issues when it comes to filtering.
Also, reports need to be simplified because its reporting currently includes more detailed and technical things. If we could get a simplified or executive summary, that would be good.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using this solution for about four or five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's very stable, unlike the previous version which, when the logs were huge, would crash and we would have to reset it and start all over again.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is also fine if you do your prerequisites right. If so, you won't have any issues. But if you don't do your scoping right, and more logs come into the system - more than it can handle - you will face issues. You need to do your scoping right to get it to be stable and scalable.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support is kind of slow. When you have 24/7 support, the response is quick. But when you send something in, it takes a long time to get a response. Fortinet support is a little bit slow when using their portal for support.
In our case, because we are partners, we have a couple of tech guys we can call to get support done. When an end-user requests support through the portal, and even when we do, it takes hours to get a response.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We work with multiple solutions and Fortinet has been the number-one.
How was the initial setup?
For me, the initial setup was straightforward. The deployment takes approximately ten minutes. In some cases we could be waiting for results, waiting for logs to get up to do some analysis.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price is quite expensive. Fortinet products are very expensive. That is something which they should also look at, because if you compare Fortinet product to, say, Sophos for example, Fortinet is really high and that's the only thing which is a drawback for most users. Although their plan is a value-for-money appliance, the price is expensive.
What other advice do I have?
Anyone who asks me about a Fortinet product, I'll give that person a thumbs-up. So far, Fortinet has been the best for me. It's a value-for-money appliance, it has an easy to use interface, and it gives you exactly what you want. The only drawback would be the price.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner.
I think Fortinet has a balanced offering of prices and licenses.
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