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Can Aksaya - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Solutions Architect at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Mar 29, 2022
Stable and easy to install network administration solution; provides network access control and fast support
Pros and Cons
  • "Stable network administration solution that can be installed easily, and comes with fast technical support."
  • "Compatibility and integration with other vendors is what needs to be improved in Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine)."

What is our primary use case?

Our customers use Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) as a network access control solution. Before they can get network access, you can do posture check, e.g. in the Windows version, or another version, then it is only after this posture check that the clients can enter the network.

What needs improvement?

Compatibility with other vendors is what needs to be improved in Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine). We should be able to use it with other vendors, for all specifications. There should be integration with different vendors, e.g. Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) working with AccuPoint networks.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've worked in my current company in product pre-sales for one year, and prior, I worked for a different partner company in Turkey, so my total usage of Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) spans eight years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) is a stable solution. It has good performance.

Buyer's Guide
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)
December 2025
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE). Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2025.
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How are customer service and support?

If we need support from the vendor side, we can open a case, then the vendor replies to us as soon as possible. Support for Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) is fast.

How was the initial setup?

The installation of Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) was easy.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Our customers pay for the license of Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine). They have an annual subscription, rather than a monthly subscription.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I evaluated Fortinet.

What other advice do I have?

I'm a technical person, and I've worked for a company that does system integrations, including network pre-sales. My company sells Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) and Fortinet products in Turkey. I can also sell these products. My company is a gold partner of Cisco.

I've sold the on-premises version of Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine).

Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) is the best solution for Cisco network customers. It is the best solution for Cisco network devices. As for network products from other vendors, we can use, or we could offer other network access control (NAC) solutions, e.g. Fortinet NAC, or Aruba Secure NAC, etc.

I'm part of the pre-sales team at our company. There are other people who are responsible for installing Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) post-sales, e.g. they install the solution for the customers. For this reason, I am unable to give information on how long it takes to install the solution.

We currently have over 30 users of Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine).

I can recommend Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) to other users.

My rating for Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) is eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
PeerSpot user
Security Solutions Architect
Real User
Feb 20, 2022
Stable security policy management that offers automation, visibility, and control; could be a little easier to implement
Pros and Cons
  • "Cisco offers automation, visibility, and control as well as third party integration capabilities."
  • "I would like for the next release to be easier to implement and to limit its dependencies around ISE, Windows, the network as a whole, etc."

What is our primary use case?

We are a partner with Cisco and am a part of an information security team that uses Cisco to provide security policy management via network, device and wireless access. 

What is most valuable?

Cisco offers automation, visibility, and control as well as third party integration capabilities.

What needs improvement?

I would like for the next release to be easier to implement and to limit its dependencies around ISE, Windows, the network as a whole, etc.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Cisco ISE for over six years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a very stable solution with many integrations.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Cisco's scalability depends on the design - small deployments are not scalable.

How are customer service and support?

Cisco support is good.

How was the initial setup?

This solution is a bit more complex to set up than in comparison to other options - it can take anywhere from two to five months depending on the use case.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price for Cisco ISE itself is very low, however, Cisco professional services are quite expensive. Subscription amount is dependent on number of users.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We looked at Forescout which is more user-friendly but they have a very vulnerable network.

What other advice do I have?

This is a good solution for security teams. If you do not have a security team, I would not recommend this product. 

Overall, I would rate Cisco a seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)
December 2025
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE). Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2025.
879,259 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Sr Manager Infrastructure at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
Top 20
Jan 11, 2022
Great network access control lets you know who's in your network at any time
Pros and Cons
  • "I've had no issues with scalability. I started using it on two campuses, and now I'm using it across the country and scaling it across subsidiaries in other countries."
  • "The intuitiveness of the user interface could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

My main uses are device administration, wireless access authentication, and ethernet access.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is network access control for the users coming into the network, which allows us to know who is in the network at any given time.

What needs improvement?

The intuitiveness of the user interface could be improved. They could also make the deployment process more user-friendly.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have two years of experience with this solution.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

ISE is very stable - since it was installed, I've had no issues with it.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I've had no issues with scalability. I started using it on two campuses, and now I'm using it across the country and scaling it across subsidiaries in other countries.

How are customer service and support?

I've worked closely with Cisco for many years and have no complaints about their support. Sometimes it takes less than a couple of minutes to get through to their support team.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I previously used Portnox, but it only gave us network access control, so we switched to ISE, which has more features like device administration.

How was the initial setup?

Deployment is usually tough the first time, though once you get it working, it works well.

What about the implementation team?

We used in-house engineers and an integrator.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We have a three-year license. Standard licensing gives backup access and very few features, and then there's VM licensing - each VM we use needs to be licensed. VM licensing comes in different sizes: small, medium, and extra-large. There are also licenses for features, posturing licenses, and profiling licenses.

What other advice do I have?

Before deploying, it's a good idea to read up on the product first and then get some training so that when deployed, someone in the organization understands the solution. I would rate this solution as nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Emmanuel Appiah Boateng - PeerSpot reviewer
Network and Security Engineer at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Top 5
Jan 5, 2022
Allows us to use our public ID properly
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature is the ASDM - the user interface makes it very easy to configure the firewall."
  • "I would like the product to include support for OSVS version three."

What is our primary use case?

My primary use case is network address translation and layer 4 filtering.

How has it helped my organization?

Without this product, we wouldn't be able to use our public ID the way we need to.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the ASDM - the user interface makes it very easy to configure the firewall.

What needs improvement?

I would like the product to include support for OSVS version three.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for about five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a stable product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is good - currently, we don't have an internet bandwidth greater than 10GB, so it's efficient for us.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward, and deployment was done in one night.

What about the implementation team?

I implemented using an in-house team.

What was our ROI?

This product has helped us protect our infrastructure.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I considered some open source solutions, but those are usually difficult to set up.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution as it is very easy to set up and has a very easy user interface. I would rate this solution as eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Rammohan Manike - PeerSpot reviewer
Sr Consultant at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Top 10
Dec 7, 2021
It works the same globally no matter where you deploy it
Pros and Cons
  • "The core point is that Cisco ISE is the same globally compared to FortiAuthenticator. Whether I deploy in China, the US, South Africa, or wherever, I'm can get all the capabilities. It allows me to directly integrate with 365, and from a communications point of view, that is a good capability."
  • "Cisco ISE could be simplified somewhat. I would also prefer certificate-based authentication over confirmation-based authentication for all the processes. It's possible for us to do a workaround, but the process needs to be simplified."

What is our primary use case?

I'm using Cisco ISE for integration. We are currently using it for 82.X, but we are planning on using it for a different use case in the next couple of quarters.

What is most valuable?

The core point is that Cisco ISE is the same globally compared to FortiAuthenticator. Whether I deploy in China, the US, South Africa, or wherever, I'm can get all the capabilities. It allows me to directly integrate with 365, and from a communications point of view, that is a good capability. 

What needs improvement?

Cisco ISE could be simplified somewhat. I would also prefer certificate-based authentication over confirmation-based authentication for all the processes. It's possible for us to do a workaround, but the process needs to be simplified. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using Cisco ISE for more than a year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Cisco ISE is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I haven't really tried to scale ISE, but I don't think we'd face any challenges with hard gentle scaling.

How are customer service and support?

We have a good relationship with Cisco support. However, when they do a new release, they take their time. I don't have much of an issue with Cisco support itself, but working with their customer success team and those types of things can be a challenge. It's not just the response time. It's the total resolution time. They'll respond quickly, but when they get the particular fix, it's a challenge. 

How was the initial setup?

In the previous versions, the setup was okay. But as they add more capabilities, it gets more complicated to deploy and maintain the solution. We expect these complexities as part of the roadmap and evolution. We have to set the policy definitions manually because there is no discovery process to define what needs to be authenticated. When a new device is added, we might have to configure something so that it's integrated or set up some data flows of the service we need to do it. These are some of the maintenance activities that we must do to keep it live. We have a good IT team that numbers around 25 people and serves a decent number of customers.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Customers respond to a low price. From the point of view of integration, Cisco ISE hikes up the cost of security, but otherwise, I think it should be okay.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Cisco ISE nine out of 10.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
PeerSpot user
reviewer779877 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Software Engineer with 501-1,000 employees
Reseller
Sep 27, 2021
Good technology that works well with networks, routers and switches, but should include third-party integration
Pros and Cons
  • "When you push out the policy, it is able to populate the entire network at one time."
  • "Third-party integration is important, as well as the continuous adaptation feature which is the AIOps. It would be helpful to include the AIOps."

What is our primary use case?

We are resellers. We provide and deploy solutions for our customers.

Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) helps the operation to automate.

What is most valuable?

It works very well with the network, router, and switches. It is able to enforce the policy and assigns the traffic a Security Group tag.

A Google user is able to enforce access throughout the router and switches ensuring the traffic going through has the same policy.

When you push out the policy, it is able to populate the entire network at one time.

It's quite good, the market is using this solution.

What needs improvement?

This solution has enhanced features that make it difficult to use. To make it easier, it should be made without PxGrid.

It should be able to work with third-party routers and switches. We want to work in an environment where there are multi-vendors that require PxGrid.

Their software-defined access is not easy to implement. You have to have a good understanding of how to implement it. It would be helpful if they could make it easier for the customer to adopt.

Third-party integration is important, as well as the continuous adaptation feature, which is the AIOps. It would be helpful to include the AIOps.

For how long have I used the solution?

They are currently on version 3.1.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

If the customer has more than 200,000 users, the performance becomes a bit laggy.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

In terms of scalability, it's available on the cloud, but I have not yet tested the features on the cloud.

It is used mainly by our customers, who use it for their entire infrastructure. They have anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 users.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support could be better. They outsource the support.

We are brought all around the world, it is similar to following the sun.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Currently, I am using SD-WAN (Software-Defined WAN) from Silver Peak.

How was the initial setup?

To complete the installation, you need to be technically knowledgeable. The setup could be easier.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

For the content, and the technologies it is made to be a bit more complex. 

The technology is good, but to use some of the other features, and capabilities, they request that we purchase the Cisco DNA Center. As a result, the bundled price is a little high.

Once you purchase the DNA, you will need the SNA then the license, overall it's very expensive.

If, however, you implement Cisco ISE without the DNA and the SDA, the price is reasonable.

What other advice do I have?

To avoid running into any complications when getting this solution up and running, you should get technically trained and comfortable with it before applying it.

I would rate Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) a seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
IT Manager at a mining and metals company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Aug 23, 2021
Lacks properly knowledgeable support, but has stability
Pros and Cons
  • "So far, we have had no issues with the stability."
  • "The solution lacks properly knowledgeable support, especially internationally, and this is why I am exploring other applications."

What is our primary use case?

I am not certain if I am using the latest version. It is the one which is made for TV. 

We use the solution to access control. Prior to any device being authenticated on the network, a person must login to the solution's site for authentication purposes. 

What is most valuable?

While the solution has a host of features, we only use the one involving access control. 

We are looking into further uses for it. My aim is to deploy it across all three of our sites and not just one. 

What needs improvement?

There is much room for improvement, especially after having perused the documentation on the solution's website. 

The solution lacks properly knowledgeable support, especially internationally, and this is why I am exploring other applications. 

I would need time to expand my knowledge of the solution and consult with the Cisco engineers before I could point to other pain points. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) since 2015. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

So far, we have had no issues with the stability. 

How are customer service and technical support?

There should be more knowledgeable support, particularly in the international sphere. 

I have no doubt that we will get there. They contacted me yesterday, which makes it likely that by weeks-end we should be able to build a structure and do many things with the solution. This would allow me to know where I am standing, explore further and even examine the possibility of implementing some of Cisco's other features. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We did not use other solutions prior to the current one and will likely not explore others in the future. The current one should be fine. 

How was the initial setup?

The installation was straightforward, although it will likely involve a more complex implementation in the future.

As the previous installation was not complex, it did not take long. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I believe I have paid around $1,000 in licensing fees. The license is annual. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We did not really explore other options prior to using the solution. We considered Fortigate, but found it to not be very straightforward, which is why we decided to go with the current solution. 

What other advice do I have?

While we have focused on the access control aspects of the solution, the documentation demonstrates that it has many more features, so I would like to explore it further. 

We are customers of Cisco. 

At the moment, we have around 250 users making use of the solution. 

I rate Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) as a five out of ten. This is because I wish to explore further any additional features that can add value to our organization, especially on the IT security side. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Edwin Dzangare - PeerSpot reviewer
Edwin DzangareNetwork Engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
User

Cisco Identity Service Engine l will give it an 8 out of 10 rate. It's stable and easily integrates with other network devices such as switches, routers and its central device management TACACS. The major challenge is in the new license model. Base, Plus and Apex licenses have been migrated to Essentials, Advantage and Premier. The new Cisco ISE licensing model Essentials, Advantage, and Premier licenses are term-based which limits end-user to fully utilize all the device features and functionality.  

IT Manager at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Jun 26, 2021
Provides useful information, plenty of network rules, but user interface needs improvement
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features are the ability to retrieve information about Active Directory user names, viewing the log files to see which MAC address tried to connect with the created SSIDs, portal designing for your company, hotspot tools, and creating network rules for WiFi access."
  • "The interface could be more user-friendly and the ability to apply rules to MAC addresses, for example, if I wanted to allow a certain MAC address access at a particular time I cannot make this adjustment."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution for network security.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features are the ability to retrieve information about Active Directory user names, viewing the log files to see which MAC address tried to connect with the created SSIDs, portal designing for your company, hotspot tools, and creating network rules for WiFi access.

What needs improvement?

The interface could be more user-friendly and the ability to apply rules to MAC addresses, for example, if I wanted to allow a certain MAC address access at a particular time I cannot make this adjustment.

In an upcoming release, they could improve by providing rule-based bandwidth consumption, bring your own device (BYOD) need to be more mature, and the reports could be more user-friendly.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for approximately four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The controller has to manage a certain number of access points and we did not see any problems with the scalability. It is able to handle more access points than we need it for.

How are customer service and technical support?

We do not have experience with The technical support from Cisco directly because the technical support we receive is from our partners which they have been excellent.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We have used 3Com wireless controllers previously.

What about the implementation team?

We used Cisco partners to do the implementation of the solution.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Recently, I have evaluated Aruba solutions and I found them to be better than Cisco. There is room for improvement, Cisco can do better.

What other advice do I have?

When deciding to implement this solution it is a good idea to assess and define the requirements to determine whether there is a need for this solution. It is important to know what you can use from it. You can have a WiFi environment without the need for a Cisco ISE. This solution has advanced security that might not be needed for your use case. Be sure about your needs.

I rate Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: December 2025
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.