Cisco AnyConnect vs Ivanti Connect Secure Formerly Pulse Connect Secure

Cisco AnyConnect meets the purpose, It is supposed to give the VPN connectivity, Network Connectivity that it does very well. Sometimes It takes longer than usual time to Scan System that is very irritating. It is very appropriate to use for IT firm that having vast networks and employee base

Pulse SDP is well suited in an environment where the majority of employees are working remotely or have extensive business travel. In today's environment where cybersecurity is of the utmost importance for all organizations, Pulse SDP provides a solid level of security for those remote employees or those traveling.

• Autoconnections are seamless for the users. There's nothing for them to do once it's all setup.
• It recognizes security certificates for the PC and user, so you can easily lock down the connectivity to the specific users and/or machines you need for your environment.
• Unless the WIFI is extremely poor, the software can make the connection and allow your users to function on the VPN.

• Reliable links.
• Efficient connection timeouts.

• Sometimes when the number of users is large for a VPN service, the connection fails, and the client doesn't give a proper error.
• It should have better support for Linux. It is difficult to set up on Linux, and the interface for settings is not at all user-friendly.
• A few times, the internet becomes slow after connecting to the VPN server through AnyConnect. It should be able to find the best and the optimal server while connecting.

• The central management tool is not mature.
• The option to connect before logging in using Network Connect is EOL, and the alternative is not good enough currently (requires machine authentication).

Cisco AnyConnect has thus far done a tremendous job in enabling users to login to business accounts and applications remotely while also preventing any unwanted security threats. To date, no significant security breaches or incidents have been reported within my organization. The cost has been reasonable, and thus it would be unlikely that we would consider switching to a competitor platform.

Configuration is very easy. Installation is very fast. There is little to zero local resource usage. It is easy to use for everyone at our company and is clearly connected or disconnected while running in the notifications tray. This is integrated easily with DUO 2 Factor Authentication, it waits for completion and then promptly completes the connection when authenticated.

Availability has not been an issue with us till now. It has been there when we need it. There is a website from Cisco which we utilize to check outages etc. Moreover, Cisco TAC is the market leader in terms of support and they have been able to resolve our issues when we have faced any.

We use Cisco AnyConnect to connect to on-prem resources. The delay in connecting is not noticeable.

Cisco has a lot of knowledgebase articles around AnyConnect that are helpful to configure and troubleshoot issues. Beyond that, Cisco support (TAC) is helpful to provide information and troubleshoot issues with the platform. However, you do need an active subscription or EA for support beyond reading the KBs, as well as for client software updates. This is important to keep in mind when deciding on if Cisco AnyConnect is right for your organization, as this can be expensive (cheaper with an EA if you use a lot of Cisco products).

At Adecco, first and foremost, we have Pulse SDP easy to use for our employees. This is a critical factor for us because employees are spending much less time calling into support than engaged in high payoff activities. However, when I have called in for support, Pulse SDP has been responsive and effective.

It's very easy for our IT team to implement and update as needed. We include it as part of our base image and you can set it up so that the organization login works with AnyConnect so when the user has to update their Windows password, it also updates their Cisco login.

There is no VPN connection reset after 12 hours. Currently, we're using this software, and trust me, we're not even clicking the button to connect to VPN. As soon as log in it connects automatically to our office network and is able to access every server without any hassle. I guess this is costly am not sure but Cisco AnyConnect also does a pretty good job in connecting to office networks.

The F5 product was more complicated to manage and requires more time to get used to. Juniper VPN is simpler. F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager may be better if you need other side solutions like load balancing and GSLB. So, it really depends on your requirements.

It is a simple application with a minimal interface.

• We are able to seamlessly work on multiple clients daily, and it allows us to quickly handle more projects at the same time.
• Cisco AnyConnect has allowed our own company's coworkers to remotely connect back to the corporate network, easily assisting work schedules and processes, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Being forced to work remotely, meant our processes still happened quickly and efficiently, by being able to leverage and use Cisco AnyConnect VPN.
• Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, I have worked 100% remotely for a few years now. This was always due to the reliable connectivity and ease of use with Cisco AnyConnect VPN. I live 2+ hours from our nearest corporate office, and even further from some of my client locations, and I have always been able to connect to any of my multiple Cisco AnyConnect VPN connections, within seconds.

• Potential to implement tight controls on third party risk.
• Reliable remote access.