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Cisco Software-Defined Access (SD-Access) vs. Microsoft System Center

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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Cisco SD-Access

    Score9 out of 10
    N/ACisco's Software-Defined Access (SD-Access) provides automated end-to-end segmentation to separate user, device and application traffic without redesigning the network. Cisco SD-Access automates user access policy so organizations can make sure the right policies are established for any user or device with any application across the network.N/A

    Microsoft System Center

    Score8.4 out of 10
    N/AMicrosoft System Center is an enterprise-grade IT Operations Management (ITOM) suite designed for the centralized administration of data center infrastructure, virtualized environments, and hybrid cloud workloads. The platform provides unified management across heterogeneous environments, including support for Windows Server, Linux, and Azure Stack HCI. System Center is Microsoft's ITOM stack for organizations that maintain a significant on-premise footprint, vs the company's Azure-based…

    $1,323

    per month

    Pricing
    Cisco SD-AccessMicrosoft System Center
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    Standard Edition
    $1323
    Datacenter Edition
    $3607
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Cisco SD-AccessMicrosoft System Center
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Cisco SD-AccessMicrosoft System Center
    Considered Both Products
    Cisco
    No answer on this topic
    Microsoft
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    75%
    Would buy again
    6 Answers
    91%
    Would buy again
    31 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    86%
    Delivers good value for the price
    6 Answers
    97%
    Delivers good value for the price
    33 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    88%
    Happy with the feature set
    7 Answers
    91%
    Happy with the feature set
    31 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    75%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    6 Answers
    95%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    21 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    50%
    Implementation went as expected
    4 Answers
    97%
    Implementation went as expected
    28 Answers
    Best Alternatives
    Cisco SD-AccessMicrosoft System Center
    Small Businesses
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Medium-sized Companies
    Cisco ACI
    Score8.5 out of 10
    No answers on this topic
    Enterprises
    Cisco ACI
    Score8.5 out of 10
    No answers on this topic
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Cisco SD-AccessMicrosoft System Center
    Likelihood to Recommend
    7.3
    (8 ratings)
    9.3
    (58 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    1.0
    (1 ratings)
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    Usability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.4
    (5 ratings)
    Support Rating
    6.2
    (8 ratings)
    9.0
    (14 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    6.4
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Online Training
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    2.7
    (1 ratings)
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Cisco SD-AccessMicrosoft System Center
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Cisco
    It's well suited in our corporate offices, where all our business users resides and where we can control all their accesses. What doesn't really fit well is when we have our branch fronts, where all the software domain access features aren't utilized to its fullest, due to the fact that customers and users don't really need to have all the security features that SDA provides.
    Incentivized
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    Microsoft
    For companies with more than 10 Windows devices and needing to standardize the OS, AV, access, share resources, and install software. SCCM is the way to go. This software is unnecessary if the business is all remote users and not in an office-type setting. There are cloud offerings or none to accomplish what a business needs.
    Incentivized
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    Pros
    Cisco
    • Automation, pushing template-based configuration to multiple devices in one push saves time and manpower.
    • Assurance [helps trace] issues related to devices, clients, and provide the troubleshoot as [the] best practices.
    • Segmentation, with the use of the SGT tags, we are able to achieve segmentation and micro-segmentation securely.
    Incentivized
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    Microsoft
    • Allows the grouping of devices by user.
    • Allows controlling updates being deployed to user devices.
    • Allows for the repurposing of machines by being able to load new or updated software on machines that already are in the system.
    • Allows us the ability to wipe a machine clean and restore it back to the configuration that was assigned the machine.
    Incentivized
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    Cons
    Cisco
    • Documentation: Working in this solution I realized there were missing information details about the fusion device support for nexus.
    • Fusion router: This roll in the fabric should be already integrated in the solution, right now it is configured manually.
    • Bugs: Unfortunately the solution still present a lot of bugs, mainly in the controller.
    Incentivized
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    Microsoft
    • The product could improve in the area of having better mechanisms in place with how the SCEP client is deployed/installed from the server on the management side. We have run into this firsthand with the client not installing on an endpoint, and then having to take the time to investigate why it was not installing.
    • A second improvement that can be made is to keep trying to improve the products detection rate for finding malware/viruses. The case can be made that there are some products out there that do a better job at this and have a higher detection rate.
    Incentivized
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    Likelihood to Renew
    Cisco
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft
    Microsoft System Center Operations Manager is tightly integrated to Microsoft Windows servers os monitoring with great product support.
    Incentivized
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    Usability
    Cisco
    It is difficult to start using the product due to its unfamiliar name and acronyms. ,The task should be accomplished in a specific order to ensure success
    Incentivized
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    Microsoft
    It is not user-friendly for the most part. With IT infrastructure, sometimes it cannot handle excess requests. Every few months, you will need an upgrade in terms of server resources to keep up with incoming alerts and requests. This does not happen all of the time, but it does happen when there are too many requests.
    Incentivized
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    Support Rating
    Cisco
    As far as my experience with SD-Access -I'd say things that can be improved are - better functionality with ISE, ease to understand licensing and better documentation for configuration (add-ons, etc), and licensing.
    Incentivized
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    Microsoft
    There is a fair amount of documentation out there to help you when you have questions or run into issues with this product as well as tutorials on some of the more common tasks. Between the documentation and the overall ease of use we haven't had to deal with direct Microsoft support for this product.
    Incentivized
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    Online Training
    Cisco
    I rated the training an 8 because overall, it was well-structured, and the instructor was highly knowledgeable on the subject matter. The content was relevant, and I appreciated the clear explanations of complex topics. However, I felt that some sections were covered too quickly, making it difficult to fully absorb the information before moving on. Additionally, I would have liked more time dedicated to Q&A, as there were moments when I had questions but didn’t get the opportunity to ask them due to time constraints. Adding more interactive discussions or hands-on exercises could further enhance the learning experience and make it even more engaging
    Incentivized
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    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation Rating
    Cisco
    At the beginning, we had to open a TAC case for every single step during the implementation phase.
    Incentivized
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    Microsoft
    Easy to install with intuitive interactive interface during the installation process a and integration to MS SQL was smooth
    Incentivized
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    Alternatives Considered
    Cisco
    Automation, pushing template-based configuration to multiple devices in one push saves time and manpower. Assurance helps trace issues related to devices, clients, and provide the troubleshoot as the best practices. Segmentation, with the use of the SGT tags, we are able to achieve segmentation and micro-segmentation securely.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    We previously used a mix of FOG and Clonezilla to image machines. The biggest issues with these products is that changing one piece of the image required you to rebuild the entire image itself. These pieces of software also did not allow you to manage applications and Windows Updates, causing IT to have to constantly touch machines after they were imaged and update or manage them with a much more hands on approach.
    Incentivized
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    Return on Investment
    Cisco
    • Integration with other platforms in a single platform is a great advantage for the user.
    • Saves time in configuring devices on the network
    Incentivized
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    Microsoft
    • It has allowed the enterprise to standardize on a single platform for monitoring.
    • Easier troubleshooting of issues with Microsoft platforms.
    • Greater visibility of issues across platforms when applications are hosted in a mixed environment.
    • Additional costs for monitoring systems that are not directly supported with additional packs (iSeries, Linux on Power).
    Incentivized
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    ScreenShots