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Learning curves aside, thrilled with our deployment of Cisco Catalyst 2960 Switches
December 10, 2020

Learning curves aside, thrilled with our deployment of Cisco Catalyst 2960 Switches

Randy Kouns | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Modules Used

  • Cisco Catalyst 2960 X/XR Series

Overall Satisfaction with Cisco Catalyst Switches

  • Catalyst 2960 X/XR Series
  • Catalyst 3650 Series
Cisco Catalyst 2960-X/XR Series Switches are deployed/being deployed to replace outdated infrastructure throughout the entire environment. This network links 350-400 users across seven different locations within our municipality. The switches handle all internal and outbound network traffic. Switches on the edge are linked via fiber and internal to each building; end users are connected via Cat6 cabling across multiple VLANS.
  • Ease of configuration and programming
  • Interoperability between Cisco and legacy switches has been excellent allowing for phased deployment
  • Overall cost per unit has been within project budget with no surprise expenses
  • The only con has been our internal learning curve for Cisco configuration; this is due to non-dedicated network team
  • This learning curve created the need to dedicate one team member to expanding their knowledge (not necessarily a con)
  • We predict ROI within two years based on current and future network use
  • Our staff are seeing greater throughput, especially from our satellite/off-campus locations
  • This improved throughput allows better service to our clients/citizens
While we are still in the phased deployment (60-75% complete), we have yet to begin pulling analytics. However, we have noted that in regards to virtualization, we are seeing a higher throughput on disaster recovery backups being written to our offsite location. At the same time, we are deploying the Cisco environment we are revamping our internal VLAN structure. Together we believe we will see a stronger security environment specifically in the area of virtualization. We did plan for the possibility of growth and feel that we will be able to scale up the environment easily.
We are revamping our VLAN environment in conjunction with the deployment of the Cisco Catalyst 2960-X/XR Series Switches. The advanced customization is allowing us greater flexibility in this phase of the project. The benefit to the organization will be the increased security and confidentiality that municipalities require. We are managing all Cisco hardware from a centralized location and find the environment easily managed.
We selected Cisco due to ROI and because we believed our technical staff could be more proficient in a shorter amount of time.

Do you think Cisco Catalyst Switches delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Cisco Catalyst Switches's feature set?

Yes

Did Cisco Catalyst Switches live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Cisco Catalyst Switches go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Cisco Catalyst Switches again?

Yes

I would say that any medium to large organization could see the benefit to the deployment of the Cisco Catalyst 2960-X/XR Series Switches if they can meet one of two criteria. Either
  1. Have a staff member that is familiar with the CCS environment and programming
  2. Or have the ability to allow a staff member to devote the time to develop this skill set.
In our case a staff member was able to translate knowledge and experience of using another manufacturer's switch environment, and within a three-month period be self sufficient in deploying and supporting the Cisco Catalyst Switch environment. All things considered, I see this as a win for both the staff member and the organization. The staff member who had an opportunity to grow and the organization is being served by more robust equipment/environment.