Our primary use case for this solution is Assurance. It helps us manage and monitor analytics and fix issues such as poor voice quality. We can investigate by fetching reports and real-time alert generation for VoIP infrastructure. For example, suppose there is latency during calls, it can be immediately alerted to take immediate action before we investigate the deeper issue.
Solutions Architect at Tech Mahindra
A great solution for managing and monitoring analytics
Pros and Cons
- "It helps us manage and monitor analytics and fix issues."
- "The onboarding process could be improved and developed to enhance compatibility for non-Cisco devices."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
Cisco Prime could be improved for other devices like Aruba and Juniper by focusing on the features to be enabled for non-Cisco vendors. For example, the onboarding process could be improved and developed to enhance compatibility for non-Cisco devices. Otherwise, for Cisco infrastructure, it's well suited.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using this solution for approximately ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution's stability depends on the product's chosen requirements.
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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
We have had a good experience with customer service and support. They are responsive and helpful. They are available to assist when issues occur but do not provide support for the entire configuration process.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We previously used Juniper. However, it did not provide some of the parameters available on Cisco.
How was the initial setup?
The product is both straightforward and complex. However, it is primarily straightforward because Cisco provides their OVA template and open virtual appliances for deployment using the VMware ESXi. Hence, it's easy to deploy, but it's a little bit difficult to configure according to your use cases and what is performed or delivered to the customer.
What about the implementation team?
Deployment can be done in three ways and the time varies depending on the chosen one.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I cannot comment on pricing and licensing as another department handles it.
What other advice do I have?
I rate this solution an eight out of ten. The solution is good but can be improved by including features for non-Cisco vendors. I recommend this tool to customers looking for a good tool that can provide an advanced level of monitoring for people with 90% infrastructure or inventory from Cisco.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

Network Manager at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Amazing for configuration management but lacking in visualization for real time monitoring
Pros and Cons
- "The solution's configuration management tool is amazing because it centralizes and pushes configurations which saves a lot of volume and effort."
- "The solution has issues with real time monitoring of devices and NetFlow such as inadequate visualization for reports, sources, and destinations."
What is our primary use case?
Our company uses the solution for management of complex configurations, archiving routes and switches, and monitoring wireless connections. Our team of seven administrators serve as system integrators for our clients and currently manage more than 1,000 sites.
What is most valuable?
The solution's configuration management tool is amazing because it centralizes and pushes configurations which saves a lot of volume and effort.
What needs improvement?
The solution has issues with real time monitoring of devices and NetFlow such as inadequate visualization for reports, sources, and destinations. Because of this, I have to rely on other tools for monitoring and troubleshooting so I am only able to use 50% of the solution.
I would like the solution to allow open monitoring for use with other products in the same fashion that competing vendors support any SMP products.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable if the appliance is functioning properly without interruption.
We experienced three cases where the solution was interrupted on push and almost corrupted.
Sudden outages that interrupt host availability will cause instability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable from the configuration management side.
There might be limitations on the monitoring side.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is good with no issues.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is easy and deployment takes about 30 minutes.
What about the implementation team?
Our company implements the solution for customers.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution uses a licensing model for pricing.
What other advice do I have?
The solution is only good for configuration management and has issues with real time monitoring.
Our company had the expectation that we could use the solution for both configuration management and real time monitoring, but unfortunately we were not able to replace our other monitoring tool.
We still recommend that our customers use the solution for configuration management, especially if they have a lot of Cisco devices.
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
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Senior Network Engineer at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees
A user-friendly solution good for network monitoring and upgrades
Pros and Cons
- "Cisco Prime is user-friendly, so we are comfortable using it."
- "We would like to see the inclusion of detailed alerts."
What is our primary use case?
Our primary use case for this solution is for network monitoring and conducting upgrades and we can manage devices in the network. Additionally, we deploy this solution on-premises.
We are planning to move to DNA Center, but we have legacy devices and near versions of devices that support Cisco DNA Center. We run both, but for DNA Center, we don't rely on it. In the future, when Cisco moves all of its device's DNA platforms, we will move from Cisco Prime to Cisco DNA Center.
What is most valuable?
Cisco Prime is user-friendly, so we are comfortable using it. In addition, we find the ability to monitor inventory and export reports from running networks valuable.
What needs improvement?
We would like to see the inclusion of detailed alerts. This feature is available in Cisco DNA Centre.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using this solution for one year and are currently using version 3.8.
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 solution is scalable, but if you want to expand the number of devices that can be used on the server, you will have to upgrade your license.
How are customer service and support?
We have had a good experience with customer service and support which is why we have continued to use this product. However, the technical support depends on the licensing contract.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup depends on your experience with the specific product. It will not be difficult if you have had previous experience, but if you haven't, it may be difficult. In our case, we had moderate experience with our initial setup.
What about the implementation team?
A solution integrator conducted the initial stages of deployment, but the other stages were completed in-house. Therefore, the time for deployment varies depending on the number of devices managed through Cisco Prime infrastructure for the site. Still, it doesn't take much time because multiple features like network discovery can be run with all the saved parameters.
What was our ROI?
We have seen a return on investment. When you have a central management plan, it saves a lot of costs. For example, the solution has reduced the resources and time needed to be spent on day-to-day tasks by managing our activities from a central management plane.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The licensing costs are much cheaper compared to Cisco DNA Centre. I rate the licensing costs a five out of ten because it is moderate. It is not too cheap or costly. The solution has a standard licensing fee and no additional charges, but the DNA licensing must be renewed every three, five or seven years.
What other advice do I have?
I rate this solution an eight out of ten. The solution is good and has all the features we require for our environment. My advice to users implementing this solution for the first time would be to opt for Cisco DNA Center because, with time, I believe Cisco will force customers to use Cisco DNA Center because they may retire all other legacy platforms.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Lead Analyst at a media company with 51-200 employees
A good tool for inventory monitoring and wireless management but needs to improve wireless management
Pros and Cons
- "Cisco Prime is a good tool for inventory monitoring and wireless management."
- "I want the tool to improve data visibility."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution to manage Cisco devices and other wireless products.
What is most valuable?
Cisco Prime is a good tool for inventory monitoring and wireless management.
What needs improvement?
I want the tool to improve data visibility.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the solution's stability an eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate Cisco Prime's scalability an eight out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
I have never had any experience with the technical support.
How was the initial setup?
Cisco Prime's deployment is complex.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I rate the solution's pricing an eight out of ten.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the product an 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.
Senior Solution Architect at Zak Solution
Helps with the management and support of the enterprise network
Pros and Cons
- "The solution helps with the management and support of the enterprise network."
- "The product needs to improve its stability."
What is our primary use case?
The solution helps with the management and support of the enterprise network.
What is most valuable?
The tool's performance is fine.
What needs improvement?
The product needs to improve its stability.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the product for more than 15 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate the solution's stability an eight out of ten since I have encountered bugs in the past.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
My company has 30-50 users for the product.
How was the initial setup?
The tool's setup is easy. One engineer is enough to handle the deployment and maintenance.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate the product an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
Sales Manager at Ultimate Tech and Innovation
Provides very good support, but the product needs to improve its interface
Pros and Cons
- "The technical support team is very good."
- "The product needs to improve its interface and reporting."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution as a monitoring tool for management and configuration.
What is most valuable?
The technical support team is very good.
What needs improvement?
The product needs to improve its interface and reporting. The setup should be made easy.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used the solution for years.
How was the initial setup?
The product is not at all easy to deploy. It needs quite a bit of server, and the person installing must have the knowledge to handle and manage the product.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
If we have a license for Cisco DNA, we can use the same license for Cisco Prime.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend the product for medium to large enterprises. I would recommend SolarWinds over Cisco Prime. SolarWinds is user-friendly, has a pretty good UI, and allows us to customize the report. Overall, I rate the solution a six 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
Network Design at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
It's a good solution for managing a large environment
Pros and Cons
- "The endpoint information Cisco Prime generates helps us troubleshoot, and it's also useful for compliance reporting and endpoint identification."
- "I rate Cisco Prime seven out of 10 for affordability. All Cisco solutions are expensive."
What is our primary use case?
We use Prime to manage all our Cisco products like wireless controllers, access points, switches, etc.
How has it helped my organization?
The endpoint information Cisco Prime generates helps us troubleshoot, and it's also useful for compliance reporting and endpoint identification.
What needs improvement?
Cisco Prime is a little outdated. It will soon be discontinued and replaced by DNA Center, which offers similar functionality.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used Cisco Prime for about 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate Cisco Prime 10 out of 10 for stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate Prime eight out of 10 for scalability. Prime is a management tool, so the scalability is there. It's sufficient for our environment.
How are customer service and support?
I rate Cisco support eight out of 10. Overall, Cisco's support team is knowledgeable. They easily understand our questions and provide solutions fast. However, some of their engineers take longer, so I have to deduct a couple of points.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
I rate Cisco Prime nine out of 10. All Cisco products come with a quick start guide that tells you every step. The initial installation takes a few hours, but it takes longer to integrate and populate the system to capture all your information. You can complete the deployment in two days.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I rate Cisco Prime seven out of 10 for affordability. All Cisco solutions are expensive.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Cisco Prime eight out of 10. I recommend it. It's a useful tool for managing large Cisco environments.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
Information Technology Analyst at Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation
Stable, shows which locations are down, and has a reporting feature
Pros and Cons
- "What I found most beneficial from Cisco Prime is that it gives you an insight into what your network does, even when you're not actively monitoring what's going on with your network."
- "I would love for Cisco Prime to show bandwidth usage and consumption, but I can't monitor bandwidth usage at a given time."
What is our primary use case?
I use Cisco Prime to check the interfaces and links and generate reports. I use the solution to see which locations are down.
What is most valuable?
What I found most beneficial from Cisco Prime is that it gives you an insight into what your network does, even when you're not actively monitoring what's going on with your network.
What needs improvement?
I would love for Cisco Prime to show bandwidth usage and consumption, but I can't monitor bandwidth usage at a given time on the version I use or on the subscription I have available. All I can see on Cisco Prime is the uptime depending on the date range or period I want to have an insight about, so this is an area for improvement in the solution.
If bandwidth usage and consumption data are available, that will help me with my reporting.
I discovered you need another license to see bandwidth utilization data. If Cisco can diffuse that functionality into a single subscription, I can monitor bandwidth usage and see reports and a few other functionalities, which would improve Cisco Prime.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using Cisco Prime for around six months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cisco Prime is a stable product. Its stability is eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I've yet to try to scale Cisco Prime.
How are customer service and support?
I've contacted Cisco Prime technical support, and as it can be problematic at times and other times pretty seamless, it's a seven out of ten for me.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Cisco Prime was the first solution I used, and then I just supplemented it with a free version of PRTG.
How was the initial setup?
I didn't do the initial setup for Cisco Prime because I just came into the company after the setup.
What about the implementation team?
A third party implemented Cisco Prime for the company.
What other advice do I have?
I've used PRTG and then Cisco Prime.
I have to check the version of Cisco Prime that I'm currently using, but I'm sure it isn't the latest version.
A third party deals with Cisco Prime, which can sometimes be troublesome, though it's pretty seamless at other times.
Up to thirty people use the solution within the company.
I'd tell people looking into Cisco Prime that the decision should be based on what you need the solution for. What are you looking to monitor? It would be best if you also looked into licenses supporting your use case. This is the best way to go about it.
My rating for Cisco Prime is 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.

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