CA Unified Communications Monitor vs Cisco DNA Center comparison

Broadcom and Cisco are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Broadcom is ranked #101, while Cisco is ranked #13 with an average rating of 8.0. Broadcom holds a 0.2% 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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250 Comparison Views

50% willing to recommend

Cisco DNA Center

Read 42 Cisco DNA Center reviews

8,684 Views
1,910 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: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

CA Unified Communications Monitor vs. Cisco DNA Center

July 2025

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Helped 865,384 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

101st

Average Rating

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Unified Communications Monitoring (5th), IT Infrastructure Monitoring (68th)

Cisco DNA Center

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

13th

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 August 2025, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of CA Unified Communications Monitor is 0.2%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco DNA Center is 1.4%, up from 1.0% 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…

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."

"Good end-to-end monitoring"

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

"The most valuable features of the solution are all of its security features...It is a highly scalable solution."

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

"The automation features are significant, reducing configuration time. This means outstanding functionality. By deploying the controller automatically, the rest becomes automated"

"It is a stable solution."

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

"The product offers an intuitive and automated way to manage user networks. It gives me an insight into the network health."

"The product gives a consolidated view."

More Cisco DNA Center pros

Cons

"The solution should have automatic baseline detection."

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

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

"What I want to see in Cisco DNA Center in the future is more support for other platforms so that you can manage third-party products, such as Fortinet."

"The solution needs to improve the dashboard."

"Cisco DNA Center should improve its configuration management. It is better to have a dev version before pushing it."

"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."

"The cost is very high."

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

More Cisco DNA Center cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"The product is very costly."

"The tool is medium-priced."

"Affordability is a problem because it's created for large enterprises only. So, some customers, even if their engineers want the solution, might have problems with budget limitations."

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

"Our licensing agreement is for three years."

"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."

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

"It is an expensive solution."

More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Computer Software Company

14%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Government

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?

After evaluating other solutions, we will provide feedback.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco DNA Center?

We have utilized the software-defined access (SDA) feature of Cisco DNA Center. The AI-driven needs enhancements and Integration and unification of visibility and monitoring to include other areas ...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 44% of the time

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Compared 29% of the time

ITRS Geneos vs CA Unified Communications Monitor

Compared 27% of the time

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Cisco Catalyst Center vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 14% 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 6% of the time

Fortinet FortiManager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 6% of the time

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 5% of the time

More Cisco DNA Center Competitors

Product Reports

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CA Unified Communications Monitor vs. Ixia Hawkeye

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CA Unified Communications Monitor report

Download CA Unified Communications Monitor product report

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center

August 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

July 2025

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

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