In the realm of network management solutions, Fortinet FortiManager and Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN are prominent players. FortiManager seems to have an edge with its affordability and scalability, notably managing up to 100,000 devices, whereas Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN offers a comprehensive set of features that appeal to large enterprises with existing Cisco environments.
Features: FortiManager offers centralized management, supporting up to 100,000 devices, with a focus on automation and security visibility. It integrates seamlessly with other Fortinet solutions like FortiAnalyzer. Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN excels in advanced application-centric routing and provides robust cloud connectivity, benefitting enterprises with scalability needs and a focus on Cisco ecosystem integration.
Room for Improvement: FortiManager needs improved documentation and easier integration with non-Fortinet products. Its support services and reporting could be faster and clearer. Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN users suggest a simplified licensing model and better security integrations, as well as enhanced price competitiveness and configuration simplicity.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: FortiManager is flexible for on-premises and hybrid deployments, though its technical support can be inconsistent, causing occasional delays. Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN supports multiple environments, including public clouds, and provides comprehensive customer support, but its complex licensing and configurations may extend deployment time.
Pricing and ROI: FortiManager is cost-effective, with a competitive licensing model, especially suitable for managing large device numbers, promising good ROI. Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN is perceived as more expensive, potentially deterring SMBs, but its extensive features can justify the higher cost for larger enterprises leveraging Cisco's ecosystem.
They are now back to do that with the remainder of their company, so they've realized the value in 12 months and are willing to invest in the remainder of their organization.
The principal third-level support is very good.
I would consider Cisco support a 10 out of 10.
Cisco's ongoing reorganizations have affected the quality of technical support, which varies depending on the engineer handling cases.
Fortinet's support has proven to be reliable, particularly as we've been engaged with them since the project's initiation.
They are responsive and resolve issues quickly when I raise a ticket.
The level of support for P2 and P1 is wonderful.
Cisco SD-WAN is highly scalable and can be expanded to more than 10,000 sites.
The ease of configuration and features like zero-touch provisioning enhance the scalability of Cisco SD-WAN, especially in disaster recovery situations.
You can raise the capacity as you go, and there is no limit for hardware.
If you are working with a private or public cloud, it is very scalable.
The problem is cloud connectivity and roaming profiles are not working, as there is no option for them.
While some software-related issues and bugs were encountered, they did not cause the whole environment to crash.
I rate the solution's stability ten out of ten.
95% of the time, there are no problems interacting with other devices.
Now, they change frequently, making it difficult to obtain long-term support.
Including more features like integrating with Splunk for monitoring vulnerabilities would help eliminate the need for other SOC solutions.
The negative, or the downside of Cisco is the knowledge base; you need to be a little bit more tech-savvy and network-savvy to work with Cisco, while Juniper is a lot more user-friendly from what I can see, especially in terms of configuration and any kind of roll back.
FortiManager is a good tool, but there is a lack of really advanced documentation.
If you have a couple thousand policies for FortiGate firewalls, it can take a few minutes to receive a response from the remote devices.
In such cases, their CPE or other devices on-site may become unreliable, leading to occasional configuration discrepancies.
Its pricing is justifiable due to the comprehensive solution it offers.
It is also relatively cost-effective for smaller businesses when using the Meraki version.
The pricing of Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN is rated between eight and nine out of ten, where ten is the most expensive.
Fortinet has the best pricing currently on the market.
It isn't the most expensive solution.
It's neither cheap nor expensive.
It also provides robust security features, including port security, analysis, mirroring, and multiple other security solutions.
Integration capabilities provide comprehensive security.
Security is standard compliant, eliminating config drift that was prevalent before manual configurations.
I can automate the installation of configurations using different programming languages like Python or HPE, and it's a GUI solution, so it's pretty easy to use, even for basic users.
Without FortiManager, you cannot manage a complex environment across several sites with multiple firewalls.
Setup, setting policies, and reporting were all very easy.
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN serves to connect remote offices, reduce MPLS costs, and facilitate cloud and internet access while providing secure connectivity and centralized management for hybrid networks.
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN is leveraged for secure connectivity, load balancing, VPN, centralized network management, and migrating from traditional networks to SD-WAN. It supports hybrid networks, enabling centralized management across branches and data centers, improving security, and optimizing bandwidth usage. Industries such as banking and retail benefit from its capabilities for secure and efficient network management.
What are the main features of Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN?
What benefits should be considered in reviews?
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN's implementation in banking enhances secure transaction communication between branches and data centers. Retailers utilize it to ensure steady connectivity for point-of-sale systems and inventory management. Organizations benefit from centralized management, making it easier to handle networks across multiple locations.
Fortinet FortiManager is used for centralized management of FortiGate firewalls, utilizing zero-touch deployment techniques to optimize configuration and deployment, reducing installation time and errors while improving network security and efficiency.
By centralizing policy management and monitoring across devices and locations, Fortinet FortiManager enhances security and operational efficiency. Automation tools simplify management, control, and consistent configuration across environments. It offers scalability for managing large numbers of devices, beneficial for organizations seeking unified threat protection and streamlined administration from one console. The platform integrates effortlessly with Fortinet products, supporting zero-touch provisioning, SD-WAN, and traffic analysis. Although intuitive, the graphical interface and overall performance require refinement, alongside enhanced support and documentation for troubleshooting and configuration.
What are the key features of Fortinet FortiManager?Fortinet FortiManager is implemented across diverse industries like telecommunications, finance, and healthcare, where centralized management and enhanced security are crucial. Its ability to streamline processes and integrate with existing Fortinet products makes it ideal for organizations looking to maintain robust network security standards.
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