Aruba Airwave vs IBM Tivoli NetCool comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Hewlett Packard Enterprise and IBM are both solutions in the Network Management Applications category. Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #6 with an average rating of 7.8, while IBM is ranked #15. Hewlett Packard Enterprise holds a 3.1% mindshare in NMA, compared to IBM’s 3.7% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 83% of IBM users who would recommend it.

Aruba Airwave

Read 26 Aruba Airwave reviews

2,473 Views
2,226 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

IBM Tivoli NetCool

Read 13 IBM Tivoli NetCool reviews

2,554 Views
2,196 Comparison Views

83% willing to recommend

Aruba Airwave

IBM Tivoli NetCool

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 2, 2025

IBM Tivoli NetCool and Aruba Airwave are network management platforms. Tivoli NetCool has an advantage in customization and scalability, suitable for complex IT environments, while Aruba Airwave shines in wireless network management with robust Wi-Fi capabilities.

Features: Tivoli NetCool provides extensive monitoring, customizable event management, and a wide array of integrations. It supports vast applications, devices, and various protocols. Its customizable dashboards and real-time data insights enhance flexibility. Aruba Airwave offers robust Wi-Fi management, device monitoring, and zero-touch provisioning. Its multivendor support and orchestration feature streamline network tasks, improving efficiency.

Room for Improvement: Tivoli NetCool could benefit from simplifying its deployment and reducing initial setup complexity. Enhancements in initial user training and documentation would aid usability. Improved integration with non-IBM systems could expand its adaptability. Aruba Airwave may require enhanced documentation for advanced features, better real-time alert systems, and expanded compatibility with older hardware models to broaden applicability.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Tivoli NetCool's deployment is intricate and demands expertise, often needing skilled IT professionals. Its customer support is comprehensive, covering diverse IT needs. Aruba Airwave is noted for easier installation and faster setup, beneficial for wireless networks. Its customer service is appreciated for responsive assistance in wireless configurations.

Pricing and ROI: Tivoli NetCool involves higher initial costs due to customization requirements, but offers long-term ROI for large, complex IT setups. Aruba Airwave provides a cost-effective solution for organizations focused on wireless networks, delivering immediate value in Wi-Fi optimization and efficiency.

To learn more, read our detailed Aruba Airwave vs. IBM Tivoli NetCool Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Airwave vs. IBM Tivoli NetCool

September 2026

Download the complete report

Helped 914,262 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Aruba Airwave

Ranking in Network Management Applications

6th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

IBM Tivoli NetCool

Ranking in Network Management Applications

15th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2026, in the Network Management Applications category, the mindshare of Aruba Airwave is 3.1%, down from 5.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Tivoli NetCool is 3.7%, up from 2.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Management Applications Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Aruba Airwave	3.1%
IBM Tivoli NetCool	3.7%
Other	93.2%

Network Management Applications

Featured Reviews

Edward Zeng

Senior Network Engineer at Auckland University of Technology

Troubleshooting obstacles occur but technical support excels

My general opinion on Aruba Airwave is that it's acceptable, but it's not ideal because we are accustomed to Cisco. We didn't use Aruba much, but once you set it up, you probably don't need to worry about it too much. The version we are using is quite old now, probably around version four. I can't remember the version exactly because a lot of the products require Aruba Central, but we haven't used Aruba Central yet. I face challenges with Aruba Airwave, particularly with troubleshooting. When someone has a problem, we try troubleshooting, but the end-to-end users' messages show some details that are not always up-to-date, and sometimes the information from the GUI is not exactly aligned with what's on the website. If Aruba Airwave can apply AI capabilities, that would be even more perfect. I'd appreciate integration with Aruba Central; it would be great if they could incorporate it into Airwave.

Read full review

Petar Ganev

Senior Enterprise Monitoring Engineer at Commerzbank

Reliable for enterprise monitoring but no longer actively developed

There are problems with the latest security requirements because many things have changed in recent years, and now the security audits are very strict. And we need to switch to something else. We need to patch it constantly. Moreover, it is a very old tool and a little bit difficult to support. Otherwise, they work okay.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The most valuable features are the error log and intrusion log. It also provides an overview of your assets. It gives a good database for wireless coverage."

"It has improved my organization by increasing troubleshooting opportunities which makes things more efficient."

"The monitoring and administration allow configurations for checking the association of the user to the network, then to the AP, then to the switch, and back to the controller."

"The Clarity feature makes it easy to use and understand what is going on with your network in a nice dashboard."

"The cost is perfect because the devices have a lifetime warranty, and the licensing is good as well."

"The powerful features we can put forward in Aruba Airwave are clarity, report creation, and VisualRF."

"ROI is good, and the technology has a good life span."

"The feature that proved most beneficial for our organization's network monitoring is the virtual four, which we use frequently when working with Aruba."

More Aruba Airwave pros

"NetCool has a huge database that can collect and process about one million alarms a day."

"Full featured - event/fault management, performance management, topology map, discovery, RCA, event enrichment, Proviso will chart data from almost any source with a variety of aggregation options."

"The feature I have found most valuable with NetCool is how it collaborates all the alarms, and then it does a predictive analysis, providing a consolidated alarm view and management."

"It improves customer satisfaction, deploy-ability, adaptability, flexibility, scalability, and reduces cost of operation."

"Tivoli NetCool allows us to grasp a lot of data that can be applied toward predictive analytics and auto-remediation."

"It's very easy to use."

"Support is one of the best aspects of this solution. NetCool is a good product that has good flexibility. There are a lot of documents available online which is one of the best features of IBM Tivoli Suite. Whenever an issue happens, rather than going to technical support, if you find the exact issue in Google, you can get tech notes for that particular issue."

"Anything is possible with Tivoli. It's quite a robust system."

More IBM Tivoli NetCool pros

Cons

"Stability of GUI Stability of instant access point management"

"We're looking for more device compatibility. Like compatibility with third-party devices."

"More devices or vendors should be onboarded to Aruba Airwave."

"The main challenge we've faced with Aruba Airwave is its high cost, especially regarding high availability and failover licenses, which can be relatively expensive for customers. As for recommendations for improvement, considering that Aruba is planning to retire Airwave soon and introduce a new solution, it's crucial that the new product meets or exceeds the current Airwave's feature set. Customers expect a seamless transition without losing any functionality, so Aruba needs to ensure that the new solution is ready with all the essential features and capabilities from day one to avoid any gaps or dissatisfaction among users and partners."

"We encounter delayed ETAs in the manufacturing of hardware."

"The overall monitoring of this solution could be improved."

"I want a management solution to manage and monitor everything from a single dashboard. This is not there with Airwave."

"When attempting to copy a floor plan, it does not copy well, so I often have to redraw the walls. It's somewhat annoying since other Wi-Fi design software we use is easier for drawing walls and including floor plans."

More Aruba Airwave cons

"The product is pretty costly. It's definitely not the least expensive option."

"Customization and integration that you need to do to make the product fit your needs is very complex. It is not a product that somebody could easily pick up without any prior training or experience."

"From a customer perspective, it is quite an expensive solution to initially implement and then support."

"The installation could be simplified, and technical support could be faster."

"It was a bit expensive to purchase but the benefits outweigh all the cons by far."

"UI is outdated, very old legacy."

"Tivoli NetCool's has medium scalability - there are some problems with its replications not being mature."

"This is another one of those suites glued together from a myriad of acquisitions and it shows once you get under the hood."

More IBM Tivoli NetCool cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The cost is perfect because the devices have a lifetime warranty, and the licensing is good as well."

"We must buy a new license to connect more devices to scale up the solution."

"I rate the product’s pricing a five out of ten."

"This product is not expensive."

"Aruba Airwave's licensing cost is not that expensive."

"AirWave is a very expensive solution. If you implement it in a wide range network, it will cost a lot. There is no option to sell it outside that price segment, which is a problem."

"The tool is expensive. If one is bad or expensive, and ten is very good or cheap, I rate the product's price as a six."

"It is an expensive solution."

More Aruba Airwave pricing and cost advice

"It costs around 100k for every ten servers, which is lower than similar products from other vendors."

"Licensing fees are paid on a yearly basis."

"The price of the product is too expensive."

"Customers are required to pay a licensing fee."

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Network Management Applications solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

914,262 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Outsourcing Company

Construction Company

Government

Marketing Services Firm

Outsourcing Company

16%

Financial Services Firm

13%

Comms Service Provider

Construction Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	11
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	14

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	5

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Airwave?

I think the solution is quite affordable.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Aruba Airwave?

They have other sensors which can manage and control all the sites. There is an IoT component where we can restrict internet services such as Facebook and YouTube. These things can also be managed....

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Aruba Airwave?

For Aruba Airwave, I am using the wireless devices for the Wi-Fi for the full company with access points. This is the top product I feel, and I see in the Gartner also. It is a good product and eas...

See all answers

What is the best network monitoring software for large enterprises?

I have worked from 1973 with all kind of systems in large enterprises across the world. And have experience with all kind of software in monitoring from infra to end to end, it depends on the funct...

See all answers

Comparisons

HPE Intelligent Management Center vs Aruba Airwave

Compared 13% of the time

Cisco DNA Center vs Aruba Airwave

Compared 13% of the time

Huawei eSight vs Aruba Airwave

Compared 11% of the time

Aruba ClearPass vs Aruba Airwave

Compared 8% of the time

ExtremeAnalytics vs Aruba Airwave

Compared 2% of the time

More Aruba Airwave Competitors

OpenText Network Node Manager vs IBM Tivoli NetCool

Compared 11% of the time

DX Spectrum vs IBM Tivoli NetCool

Compared 11% of the time

DataMiner vs IBM Tivoli NetCool

Compared 10% of the time

NetMaster Network Intelligence vs IBM Tivoli NetCool

Compared 8% of the time

Precisely Network Management vs IBM Tivoli NetCool

Compared 7% of the time

More IBM Tivoli NetCool Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Airwave

September 2026

Download Aruba Airwave product report

Buyer's Guide

IBM Tivoli NetCool

September 2026

Download IBM Tivoli NetCool product report

Also Known As

No data available

Tivoli NetCool

Overview

Aruba Airwave is a comprehensive network management tool known for its multivendor support and robust monitoring capabilities. It provides centralized control, cloud management, real-time monitoring, error logs, and visualization tools, making it a preferred choice for managing complex network environments.

Aruba Airwave offers an intuitive interface that simplifies network management and monitoring. Its ability to integrate with major vendors like Cisco enhances its functionality, making it adept at handling large-scale, high-density networks in challenging environments. Users can effectively manage and configure Wi-Fi networks while gaining detailed insight into performance and connectivity issues through efficient troubleshooting tools. Although some desire improvements in interface stability and error reporting clarity, Airwave's features like Clarity, VisualRF, and centralized access make it an asset in network operations. Challenges include pricing, scalability, and device compatibility, with users also seeking better integration with systems like IMC.

What are the key features of Aruba Airwave?

Multivendor Support: Seamless integration with various network vendors like Cisco.
Effective Monitoring: Real-time performance insights and network health checks.
Management and Reporting: Simplified configuration, management, and report creation.
VisualRF: Comprehensive visualization of the network layout and performance.
Clarity and Live Heat Map: Enhanced visibility for troubleshooting connectivity issues.
Cloud Management: Facilitates centralized control and network orchestration.

What benefits and ROI can users expect with Airwave?

Network Visibility: Comprehensive insights for proactive management and optimization.
Improved Performance: Rapid identification and resolution of network issues.
Vendor Integration: Simplifies management across diverse network environments.
Scalability: Supports large-scale deployments in institutions with vast networks.

Entities such as hospitals, universities, and financial institutions typically deploy Aruba Airwave to manage their extensive network infrastructures. The platform is crucial for overseeing access points in high-density areas, leveraging detailed performance metrics for enhanced decision-making. Its capabilities for SNMP device management and access to a unified interface facilitate efficient operation across different network brands, supporting the rigorous demands of industry-specific applications.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

IBM Tivoli NetCool is an advanced event management and network monitoring tool that efficiently processes alarms, offers extensive integration, and provides reliable customization capabilities. It is a comprehensive solution for network operations, catering to complex environments with vast data needs.

IBM Tivoli NetCool features a robust architecture that prioritizes critical alerts through effective event correlation and analysis. It offers seamless integration with numerous systems and provides custom dashboards for enhanced control. Users benefit from its scalability and predictive analysis, while its comprehensive documentation supports implementation. Despite its strengths, challenges like its complex licensing model, high costs, and requirement for expertise in integration are notable. Additionally, modernizing its interface and enhancing AI capabilities could improve user experience.

What are the most important features of IBM Tivoli NetCool?

Event Correlation & Analysis: Prioritizes critical alerts efficiently.
Integration Capabilities: Seamlessly connects with numerous systems.
Customization Flexibility: Offers extensive dashboard customization.
Automation: Streamlines operational tasks effectively.
Scalability: Adapts to growing network demands.
Performance Management: Provides insight into network performance.

What benefits can users expect when using IBM Tivoli NetCool?

Operational Efficiency: Enhances alarm management and IT element monitoring.
Robust Reliability: Ensures stable performance in network operations.
Ease of Use: Simplifies workflows with comprehensive documentation.
Predictive Analysis: Anticipates network issues before they occur.

IBM Tivoli NetCool is frequently deployed in industries like telecommunications, finance, and healthcare, where it performs essential roles in event management and network monitoring. As a manager of managers, it consolidates device oversight, providing an integrated view crucial for mobile operators, financial firms, and hospitals.

IBM

Sample Customers

Henkel, University of Findlay, University of Minnesota Duluth, University of Iowa

Claranet, Consolidated Communications, Telus, €sterreichische Bundesbahnen (€BB), Telekom Srbija, Bendigo Community Telco, Capgemini, Schweizerische Bundesbahnen (SBB)

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Airwave vs. IBM Tivoli NetCool

September 2026

Free Report: Aruba Airwave vs. IBM Tivoli NetCool

Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Airwave vs. IBM Tivoli NetCool and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.

DOWNLOAD NOW

914,262 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our Aruba Airwave vs. IBM Tivoli NetCool report.

See our list of best Network Management Applications vendors.

We monitor all Network Management Applications reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.