CA Unified Communications Monitor vs Cisco DNA Center comparison

Broadcom and Cisco are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Broadcom is ranked #88, while Cisco is ranked #19 with an average rating of 8.5. Broadcom holds a 0.5% mindshare in NMS, compared to Cisco’s 0.7% mindshare. Additionally, 50% of Broadcom users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of Cisco users who would recommend it.

CA Unified Communications M...

Read 2 CA Unified Communications Monitor reviews

2,146 Views
1,481 Comparison Views

50% willing to recommend

Cisco DNA Center

Read 44 Cisco DNA Center reviews

9,841 Views
3,346 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

CA Unified Communications M...

Cisco DNA Center

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

CA Unified Communications Monitor and Cisco DNA Center both operate in the network management and monitoring category, with Cisco DNA Center having the upper hand due to its comprehensive features and perceived value.

Features: CA Unified Communications Monitor provides real-time communication monitoring, call quality analytics, and network traffic insights. Cisco DNA Center offers robust automation capabilities, detailed network monitoring, and integration features for modern environments.

Room for Improvement: CA Unified Communications Monitor could enhance its automation capabilities, expand integration options, and advance network analytics. Cisco DNA Center might improve deployment ease, streamline user interface experiences, and optimize resource requirements.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: CA Unified Communications Monitor offers straightforward deployment with responsive customer service, while Cisco DNA Center involves a more complex setup with extensive support resources facilitating problem-solving.

Pricing and ROI: CA Unified Communications Monitor is cost-effective with lower setup fees and quicker ROI, appealing to budget-conscious organizations. Cisco DNA Center involves higher initial costs but delivers strong ROI through its advanced features.

To learn more, read our detailed CA Unified Communications Monitor vs. Cisco DNA Center Report (Updated: June 2026).

Buyer's Guide

CA Unified Communications Monitor vs. Cisco DNA Center

June 2026

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Helped 902,988 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

CA Unified Communications M...

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

88th

Average Rating

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Unified Communications Monitoring (3rd), IT Infrastructure Monitoring (61st)

Cisco DNA Center

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

19th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Management Applications (1st), Network Automation (2nd)

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2026, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of CA Unified Communications Monitor is 0.5%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco DNA Center is 0.7%, down from 1.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Monitoring Software Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Cisco DNA Center	0.7%
CA Unified Communications Monitor	0.5%
Other	98.8%

Network Monitoring Software

Featured Reviews

itarchit489981

IT Architect at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees

Good end-to-end voice quality monitoring and offers valuable features

The solution should have automatic baseline detection. On the per hour, per base, per week. That's usually the best. And on a per individual CI level. I know that they're working on it and when that's available then we will definitely implement it because it will reduce the effort we need to maintain all the products. Right now we have to set thresholds for every location, and it needs to be actually dynamic so if we have better thresholding, we'll have faster alarms across all our locations. We won't have to expend effort on it by resetting or checking them on a regular basis.

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Mahir Öztürk

Network Engineer at NGN Bilgi ve İletişim Hizmetleri

Client history has helped resolve past network issues more efficiently

I mostly use the client history feature of Cisco DNA Center. I didn't use the real-time monitoring capability of Cisco DNA Center because I primarily used it for client history regarding issues and problems. I don't use it for real-time monitoring. If there is a problem, I can inspect the situation and see what is happening, which is beneficial.

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

"We use the solution to meet the needs of the customer."

"For us, it's very key to know the voice quality of the total solution, which is based on many components across many domains."

"Good end-to-end monitoring"

"The most valuable features include AI-driven insights which make troubleshooting much easier."

"Cisco DNA Center is a user-friendly solution."

"The product's most valuable feature is the visual representation of the switch's front panel."

"What I found valuable in Cisco DNA Center is the Software-Defined Access Network, so the entire LAN network can be centralized and managed from a single dashboard."

"The advice I would give to other people who want to use Cisco DNA Center is to go for it, particularly if they have Cisco infrastructure, though these days integration could be an issue."

"I like the visibility, instant build, network, policies, and the ability to control access. I also like that you can visualize your whole network."

"I like that we can easily configure any new hardware. It's also easy to deploy and easy to troubleshoot."

"It enables monitoring of various components such as access points, switch cards, and other elements within the company's solutions."

More Cisco DNA Center pros

Cons

"The solution should have automatic baseline detection."

"All the features and functions of the solution can be improved, specifically the user experience."

"The weaknesses primarily involve pricing and the ongoing need for increased bandwidth and data throughput."

"The product doesn’t have good monitoring capabilities."

"An area that needs improvement is the integration with other vendors."

"The solution can be quite pricey."

"Cisco DNA Center was a new technology for us, at the beginning, it was not easy to do, but Cisco did a lot of training with us to a level we could handle everything. The team is managing itself now without the assistance of Cisco."

"It's a very hard software to learn. It's very deep, and when we first got it, there wasn't a whole lot of documentation on it."

"The cost is very high."

"It seems to be a little bit more centered toward wireless than wired. You've got more options you can do wirelessly than you can with the wired switches, but it works for what we need it to do. We would like to see a little bit more about the traffic, and we're looking at what's out there to see about that. We are looking at something that might give us a bit more insight into the actual traffic. If they had the full functionality on the wired side, as they do on the wireless side in terms of being able to view traffic and everything, it would be good."

More Cisco DNA Center cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"The licensing cost for Cisco DNA Center is not more than that of other solutions."

"Cisco DNA Center is too expensive."

"The price could be better. It's a very expensive tool."

"I rate the product's pricing an eight on a scale of one to ten, where one is very cheap, and ten is very expensive."

"We get a yearly license at the time we buy the product."

"I would rate the pricing a six out of ten, with ten being expensive."

"It is an expensive solution."

"I do know that Cisco does offer some really good promotions for DNA Center to bring the costs down."

More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Manufacturing Company

13%

Government

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	12
Midsize Enterprise	9
Large Enterprise	24

Questions from the Community

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco DNA Center?

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What needs improvement with Cisco DNA Center?

The deployment of Cisco DNA Center was complex due to the fact that on the data center side, we have a Juniper infrastructure, which created some complexity, though not significant. The deployment ...

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What is your primary use case for Cisco DNA Center?

In my organization, we currently have some Cisco devices such as access switches, and we also have infrastructure, but that is not part of our responsibility. We do not manage that infrastructure. ...

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Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center

June 2026

Download Cisco DNA Center product report

Also Known As

CA UC Monitor

DNA Center

Overview

CA Unified Communications Monitor provides real-time insight into communication networks, ensuring seamless connectivity and performance.

Designed for efficient management of unified communications, CA Unified Communications Monitor helps organizations monitor, diagnose, and manage their network and communication services efficiently. It delivers critical network visibility, allowing IT teams to quickly identify and resolve performance issues. Built with scalability in mind, it supports environments of all sizes, adapting to evolving network demands.

What are the key features of CA Unified Communications Monitor?

Real-time Monitoring: Provides live updates and dashboards for continuous network performance oversight.
Scalability: Handles growing network demands effortlessly, supporting various organization sizes.
Comprehensive Reporting: Offers detailed analytics and reporting to help in troubleshooting and performance analysis.
Custom Alerts: Configures alerts for proactive issue management, ensuring quick response to potential disruptions.

What benefits can users expect when evaluating CA Unified Communications Monitor?

Improved Network Performance: Enhances overall communication quality by addressing bottlenecks promptly.
Cost Efficiency: Reduces downtime and maintenance costs through proactive monitoring and quick issue resolution.
Enhanced User Satisfaction: Ensures a seamless user experience with consistent communication services.
Operational Agility: Adapts easily to growing network needs, supporting efficient management processes.

Industries such as finance, healthcare, and education benefit significantly from CA Unified Communications Monitor implementation. It ensures stable connections for remote consultations in healthcare, supports financial data transmission, and enables interactive learning experiences in education. By facilitating uninterrupted and high-quality communications, it directly contributes to business continuity and improved operational outcomes.

Broadcom

Cisco DNA Center delivers powerful centralized security, automation, and comprehensive analytics for enhanced network management. With an intuitive dashboard and integration with Cisco devices, it reduces errors, boosts efficiency, and ensures seamless wired and wireless network operations.

Organizations leverage Cisco DNA Center for network management and automation, offering increased visibility into traffic flows and efficient device provisioning. It supports real-time data transmission, network segmentation, and integrates with ISE. Features like wireless assurance, centralized management, and AI-driven insights into network health promote an efficient network environment while addressing compliance issues. However, improvements are necessary for better third-party integration, affordability, and more user-friendly documentation.

What are the solution's most important features?

Comprehensive Analytics: Provides in-depth network insights through real-time data.
Centralized Security: Unifies security management, offering enhanced protection.
Network Management: Simplifies device configuration and policy compliance.
Automation Capabilities: Reduces human error and facilitates efficient network operations.
AI-Driven Assurance: Delivers insights into network health for proactive management.

What benefits and ROI should users look for?

Increased Efficiency: Streamlines operations by reducing manual tasks.
Improved Security: Enhances protection through centralized policies.
Cost Effective: Simplifies management, potentially lowering operating costs.
Enhanced Visibility: Offers comprehensive data for better decision-making.

In industries like healthcare, finance, and education, Cisco DNA Center's advanced features facilitate the management of complex network infrastructures and aid in achieving compliance efficiently. Its ability to manage LANs and WLANs supports diverse networking environments including greenfield projects and SPN setups.

Cisco

Sample Customers

BBVA Compass

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

CA Unified Communications Monitor vs. Cisco DNA Center

June 2026

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