CA Unified Communications Monitor vs Cisco DNA Center comparison

Broadcom and Cisco are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Broadcom is ranked #104, while Cisco is ranked #14 with an average rating of 8.0. Broadcom holds a 0.1% mindshare in NMS, compared to Cisco’s 1.4% mindshare. Additionally, 50% of Broadcom users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 89% of Cisco users who would recommend it.

CA Unified Communications M...

Read 2 CA Unified Communications Monitor reviews

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81 Comparison Views

50% willing to recommend

Cisco DNA Center

Read 42 Cisco DNA Center reviews

1,943 Views
930 Comparison Views

89% 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 2025).

Buyer's Guide

CA Unified Communications Monitor vs. Cisco DNA Center

June 2025

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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

104th

Average Rating

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Unified Communications Monitoring (5th), IT Infrastructure Monitoring (76th)

Cisco DNA Center

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

14th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

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

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of CA Unified Communications Monitor is 0.1%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco DNA Center is 1.4%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

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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Ahmed Helmy

Sr. Director, Business Development & Sales Operations at connect professional services

Experience unified visibility and monitoring for enterprise campus and significant time savings and enhanced troubleshooting with reliable support

We have been working with Cisco DNA Center for ten years. Our clients use Cisco DNA Center for unified visibility/monitoring across Enterprise Campus both LAN & WLAN along with Access and fast technical issues troubleshooting The solution provides fast troubleshooting capabilities and fast…

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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."

"Good end-to-end monitoring"

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

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

"We have many people from the team who manage a lot of devices. By using Cisco DNA Center, it has taken some of that burden away, we are impressed with it. We did the investment in CAPEX, but in the OPEX was very low."

"The most valuable features were the monitoring, maintenance, and configuration."

"The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that it gives some kind of ease in operations, especially since our company is moving from CLI to GUI-based configuration."

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

"The most valuable features of Cisco DNA Center are wireless assurance and visibility."

"The monitoring features are very useful for network engineers."

More Cisco DNA Center pros

Cons

"All the features and functions of the solution can be improved."

"The solution should have automatic baseline detection."

"Cisco could improve the security side of their solutions."

"There are some software problems from version to version. It takes a long time for DNA Center to recognize the video and control access devices."

"An area for improvement in Cisco DNA Center is the latency in data correlation. For example, sometimes, when an issue happens, and I check the logs, I can't find the corresponding log. There's a delay in log replication, so this is what needs improvement in Cisco DNA Center. Reporting in Cisco DNA Center could also be improved because it only has a few templates, and you can't customize it based on your requirements. There aren't many options available in Cisco DNA Center regarding reporting, versus Cisco Prime, which has excellent features for different levels of detailed reports. I'd like to see real-time data replication in the next release of Cisco DNA Center, similar to what's done in Meraki. Data in Meraki is real-time with no delay, so data is immediately replicated in the cloud. Currently, there's a lag in Cisco DNA Center, and addressing that lag is the enhancement I'd like to see in Cisco DNA Center. The solution also needs to be more user-friendly."

"The product has many features that do not work properly."

"As a user, it would be good if I could plug in controllers, suites, and devices from other vendors to Cisco DNA Center."

"There is a limitation with the number of VRFs that you can have in your network, and this has caused us problems with some customers."

"What could be improved is the licensing cost of Cisco DNA Center. It's a little bit expensive."

"I would like is to have a small information pointer available. It could be a plus feature that I want to implement. When I hover my mouse over the user interface, it should provide a brief explanation. It would be helpful to have it incorporated into the UI."

More Cisco DNA Center cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"The partnership price is notably high, but it ultimately depends on the chosen business model."

"Cisco DNA Center is expensive."

"We have a three-year license with them."

"Licensing for Cisco DNA Center is a little bit expensive, just like any Cisco solution. Its cost could still be improved."

"It is an expensive solution."

"Cisco DNA Center is too expensive."

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

"The solution is a little bit expensive but depends a lot on the customer's usage. If you use it in the right place, you can easily pay for it."

More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Computer Software Company

15%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

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What do you like most about Cisco DNA Center?

The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that it gives some kind of ease in operations, especially since our company is moving from CLI to GUI-based configuration.

See all answers

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

The cost is very high.

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What needs improvement with Cisco DNA Center?

The system is working fine for me currently.

See all answers

Comparisons

No data available

Cisco Catalyst Center vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 12% of the time

Juniper Mist Wired Assurance vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 7% of the time

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 7% of the time

Fortinet FortiManager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 6% of the time

HPE Intelligent Management Center vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 5% of the time

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Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center

June 2025

Download Cisco DNA Center product report

Also Known As

CA UC Monitor

DNA Center

Overview

CA Unified Communications Monitor is a unified communications monitoring solution that evaluates and reports on the network’s support of real-time applications in multi-vendor environments, so that Network Administrators can optimize the network’s quality of service and end user experience.

Broadcom

Cisco DNA Center offers a comprehensive platform for network automation and management, providing detailed analytics, enhanced security, and streamlined operations for both wired and wireless networks.

Cisco DNA Center integrates with Cisco infrastructure to deliver efficient network automation and management, helping organizations improve network visibility, security, and control. It supports AI-driven analytics and automated workflows to enhance operational efficiency and reduce errors. Challenges include compatibility with third-party systems, steep learning curve, and complex deployment. Its interface facilitates centralized control, vital for troubleshooting, policy management, and configuration management, with support for zero-touch provisioning and SD-Access.

What are the key features of Cisco DNA Center?

Robust Analytics: Provides detailed insights into network health with AI-driven analytics.
Centralized Security: Integrates with ISE for comprehensive security management.
Automated Device Management: Simplifies device provisioning and configuration transfers.
Wi-Fi Analytics: Offers deep insights into wireless network performance.
Zero-Touch Provisioning: Streamlines new device deployments with minimal human intervention.
Scalable Segmentation: Efficiently segments network traffic ensuring security and performance.

What benefits should users consider?

Operational Efficiency: Automation reduces potential errors and streamlines workflow.
Enhanced Security: Integration with Cisco ISE bolsters security capabilities.
Network Visibility: Comprehensive dashboards and analysis tools enhance monitoring.
Troubleshooting: Real-time monitoring aids in identifying and resolving issues swiftly.

In sectors such as healthcare, finance, and retail, Cisco DNA Center is utilized for its ability to enhance security and compliance, manage large-scale networks, and provide detailed analytics for better operational decision-making. Its support for location tracking and policy automation ensures efficient network management across diverse environments.

Cisco

Sample Customers

BBVA Compass

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

CA Unified Communications Monitor vs. Cisco DNA Center

June 2025

Free Report: CA Unified Communications Monitor vs. Cisco DNA Center

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