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Cisco Catalyst Center vs FireMon Asset Manager comparison

Cisco and FireMon are both solutions in the Network Management Applications category. Cisco is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.5, while FireMon is ranked #17 with an average rating of 8.7. Cisco holds a 9.0% mindshare in NMA, compared to FireMon’s 0.1% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of FireMon users who would recommend it.
Cisco Catalyst Center
Read 16 Cisco Catalyst Center reviews
  • 662 Views
  • 662 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
FireMon Asset Manager
Read 3 FireMon Asset Manager reviews
  • 227 Views
  • 89 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 2, 2025

FireMon Asset Manager and Cisco Catalyst Center are competitors in the network management category, addressing asset management and networking needs. FireMon stands out for its affordability and real-time security capabilities, while Cisco is stronger in comprehensive network management due to its advanced features.

Features: FireMon Asset Manager offers real-time security visibility, enhanced threat detection, and compliance auditing. Cisco Catalyst Center provides advanced automation, analytics, and policy-driven network management.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: FireMon Asset Manager ensures straightforward deployment and effective customer support, allowing quick integration. Cisco Catalyst Center offers comprehensive technical support but requires more time for deployment due to its complexity.

Pricing and ROI: FireMon Asset Manager is noted for cost-effectiveness and favorable ROI, suitable for budget-conscious organizations. Cisco Catalyst Center involves a higher upfront cost with substantial ROI expected from its extensive features.

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To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Catalyst Center vs. FireMon Asset Manager Report (Updated: July 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Catalyst Center vs. FireMon Asset Manager
July 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

Cisco Catalyst Center
Ranking in Network Management Applications
3rd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
16
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
FireMon Asset Manager
Ranking in Network Management Applications
17th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
IT Asset Management (13th), Cyber Asset Attack Surface Management (CAASM) (7th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Network Management Applications category, the mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Center is 9.0%, up from 0.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of FireMon Asset Manager is 0.1%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Management Applications
 

Featured Reviews

Ahmad Attal - PeerSpot reviewer
Delivers strong analytics and integration capabilities but requires regular updates and training
My customers often complain about numerous software bugs requiring frequent software patches and updates to resolve these issues. Furthermore, the complexity of the solution can be challenging for some customers as they often require extensive training to fully understand and utilize the product. They have concerns about the high number of software bugs and the need for regular updates to address these bugs.
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Chan Lung - PeerSpot reviewer
Works very well as a single platform for policy management and audit compliance
The dashboard clearly shows the policies of a network environment. We can see which policies are critical or are always being used. We can also see which ones are not being used or have not been modified in a long time. We can see all the ports that the applications are using. We have all this information in the dashboard. After deployment, FireMon Asset Manager automatically shows the network topology. However, the dashboard is pretty fixed. It is not flexible. If I need to modify the dashboard, I need the help of their customer support. FireMon has streamlined policy deployment across multiple firewalls, making it easier to quickly implement changes. It has also improved our ability to comply with audits and be compliant with PCI DSS and ISO 27001 standards. The efficiency of deploying policies has increased significantly. The information provided by FireMon Asset Manager is helpful in making an organization's environment secure. It makes customers look into their policies and see if they need to be modified.
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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

"Cisco Catalyst Center has greatly enhanced the user-friendliness of configuring Catalyst switches."
"Customer service has been excellent."
"The best feature is its availability, easy deployment, and the good support for the solution."
"There is a lot of documentation for the platform, which is an advantage."
"The best feature of Cisco is its industry-standard nature."
"Cisco's technical support is excellent."
"Cisco Catalyst Center allows me to manage all the fabric SD Access from one location."
"The most valuable feature of Cisco Catalyst Center is automation."
More Cisco Catalyst Center pros
"It offers a single platform for managing firewalls of different brands and simplifies policy deployment and auditing. It helps push policies to different firewalls, and it also helps with policy auditing."
"The most valuable aspects of FireMon Asset Manager are its integrations and its ability to passively monitor the network for unknown assets."
"The most valuable feature is the change modules. Whenever there is a change in the firewall, it automatically reflects on FireMon."
 

Cons

"The retention period of data could be improved from seven days to 30 days."
"Some features in terms of security should be there, especially in threat detection. Cisco Catalyst Center lacked intelligence in this area and required reliance on third-party appliances like firewalls or threat protection devices."
"Regarding the cons of Catalyst, it is a little more expensive. With other vendors, you have one license for all features. In the case of Catalyst, there are many licensing options."
"For someone new, the documentation is not very clear."
"The retention period of data could be improved from seven days to 30 days. This change would help in cases where users are on leave for extended periods."
"There should be tighter cohesion between the web-based GUI and the command line configuration."
"My customers often complain about numerous software bugs requiring frequent software patches and updates to resolve these issues."
"Some documentation or use cases are not clear enough."
More Cisco Catalyst Center cons
"It is not very good at monitoring the Check Point firewall, but it works very well with other firewalls such as Palo Alto, Fortinet, and Cisco ASA."
"While passive discovery remains important, active retrieval of asset details would be valuable, and this functionality is starting to be implemented, as I've observed in recent updates but it is not fully there yet."
"The discovery process could be improved. If incorrect credentials are entered, it should give an error message. That would make our work easy rather than having to troubleshoot why the issue is occurring."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"FireMon is more expensive than other brands but justified by its comprehensive feature set. It includes several functions that might require additional subscriptions in other solutions."
"FireMon Asset Manager's pricing has been reasonable and has worked well for us from a licensing standpoint."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
14%
Government
10%
Energy/Utilities Company
8%
Outsourcing Company
6%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Catalyst Center?
The cost is relative and depends on the market and one's budget provision. While Cisco provides a good return on investment, they are also facing competitive pricing challenges from Huawei.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Cisco Catalyst Center?
The area for improvement in Cisco Catalyst Center is the spectrum analyzer, as I find it difficult to identify which type of device is causing a problem. Additionally, the accuracy of reports can b...
See all answers
What is your primary use case for Cisco Catalyst Center?
We are primarily using Cisco Catalyst Center for two purposes: LAN automation, which we deployed for two sites, and wireless assurance for all 17 sites.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for FireMon Asset Manager?
FireMon is more expensive than other brands but justified by its comprehensive feature set. It includes several functions that might require additional subscriptions in other solutions.
See all answers
What needs improvement with FireMon Asset Manager?
We used FireMon Asset Manager only for the firewalls. It could not always discover, so we had to go in and add it manually. The discovery was not always consistent. At times it worked, and at times...
See all answers
What is your primary use case for FireMon Asset Manager?
We used FireMon Asset Manager for 12 clients. We used it for firewall audits and rule changes.
See all answers
 

Comparisons

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Cisco DNA Center vs Cisco Catalyst Center
Compared 66% of the time
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN vs Cisco Catalyst Center Logo
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN vs Cisco Catalyst Center
Compared 18% of the time
Juniper Mist Wired Assurance vs Cisco Catalyst Center Logo
Juniper Mist Wired Assurance vs Cisco Catalyst Center
Compared 8% of the time
Aruba Airwave vs Cisco Catalyst Center Logo
Aruba Airwave vs Cisco Catalyst Center
Compared 5% of the time
SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper vs Cisco Catalyst Center Logo
SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper vs Cisco Catalyst Center
Compared 3% of the time
More Cisco Catalyst Center Competitors
No data available
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Cisco Catalyst Center
August 2025
Cisco Catalyst Center reportDownload Cisco Catalyst Center product report
Buyer's Guide
FireMon Asset Manager
August 2025
FireMon Asset Manager reportDownload FireMon Asset Manager product report
 

Overview

Cisco Catalyst Center offers a comprehensive platform for network management, providing scalable solutions and advanced analytics for enterprise-level operations.

Focusing on efficient network management, Cisco Catalyst Center effectively addresses dynamic enterprise environments, ensuring operational scalability and actionable insights through its robust feature set. It emphasizes seamless management with an intuitive interface tailored for professional use, facilitating enhanced network visibility and control among IT professionals and service providers.

What are the standout features of Cisco Catalyst Center?
  • Automated Provisioning: Simplifies and speeds up network configuration processes by automating repetitive tasks.
  • Advanced Analytics: Provides real-time insights and trends for network optimization and security enhancements.
  • Policy-Based Configuration: Ensures consistent network settings adherence with centralized policy management.
  • Comprehensive Monitoring: Offers in-depth visibility into network performance, facilitating quick identification of issues.
What benefits should users look for in reviews?
  • Improved Efficiency: Streamlined operations lead to reduced manual input and increased productivity.
  • Cost Savings: Automation and analytics reduce operational expenses and enhance ROI.
  • Enhanced Security: Policy enforcement and monitoring provide robust defense against vulnerabilities.
  • Scalability: Supports growing network infrastructures and evolving enterprise demands.

Cisco Catalyst Center is widely implemented across industries like finance, healthcare, and education due to its ability to handle complex network requirements. It addresses specific needs by offering tailored solutions designed to enhance operational efficiency and security, catering to professionals managing large-scale IT ecosystems.

Cisco

FireMon Asset Manager provides insightful monitoring and management of your network assets, helping organizations maintain security compliance and optimize asset usage effectively.

FireMon Asset Manager offers a comprehensive view of network assets, assisting in identifying security compliance gaps and optimizing resource utilization. Designed for enterprises requiring robust asset monitoring, it ensures efficient tracking, enabling proactive threat management and policy adherence across digital environments.

What are the important features of FireMon Asset Manager?
  • Real-Time Monitoring: Continuously tracks network assets to provide up-to-date security insights.
  • Compliance Assurance: Ensures assets meet security policies and regulatory requirements.
  • Reporting Capabilities: Offers detailed reports for better visibility and analysis of network assets.
What benefits and ROI can users expect from FireMon Asset Manager?
  • Enhanced Security Posture: By maintaining compliance and identifying vulnerabilities, it minimizes risks.
  • Operational Efficiency: Streamlines asset management, reducing manual interventions and resource wastage.
  • Cost Savings: Prevents potential security incidents, saving costs related to breaches and non-compliance fines.

In industries like finance and healthcare, FireMon Asset Manager plays a crucial role by providing meticulous asset tracking essential for maintaining stringent compliance requirements. It enables organizations to swiftly adapt to changing regulations and safeguard sensitive information effectively.

FireMon
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Catalyst Center vs. FireMon Asset Manager
July 2025
Free Report: Cisco Catalyst Center vs. FireMon Asset Manager
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