Cisco DNA Center vs OpenText Network Node Manager i comparison

Cisco DNA Center vs. OpenText Network Node Manager i

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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 DNA Center

Ranking in Network Management Applications

1st

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Monitoring Software (12th), Network Automation (2nd)

OpenText Network Node Manag...

Ranking in Network Management Applications

15th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

5.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Network Management Applications category, the mindshare of Cisco DNA Center is 25.1%, down from 29.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of OpenText Network Node Manager i is 2.4%, up from 1.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Management Applications

Featured Reviews

AvrahamSonenthal

Senior Network Engineer at Inside Global

Efficiently manages our wireless network and provides valuable monitoring features

The platform's biggest benefit has been in managing our wireless network. Having a single pane of glass to control all wireless controllers and access points and to monitor activity has been a significant advantage. We're a small federal agency with around 300 network devices, so automation is a minor focus. It's more relevant for larger networks. The main benefits we've seen are in inventory management and the potential for configuration automation. However, I recommend using the DNA Centre only for larger networks with over a thousand devices; otherwise, it may not be cost-effective. Before proceeding, ensure that your devices are compatible with DNA Center, as not all Cisco devices are supported. Also, investing in proper training is different from plug-and-play. I rate it an eight.

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Qusai Abuomar

Senior Engineer at Elm Co.

Network performance optimization achieved with comprehensive visibility and effective event handling

The root cause analysis is valuable. The availability and event handling are also very good, as our team understands the events well. Overall, the tool helps maintain the health of the network. It provides visibility for the network device status, link status, and hardware status of devices such as switches and routers.

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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 DNA Center provides operational support, compliance support, security vulnerability detection, and automatic scheduling."

"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 solution helps in user microsegmentation."

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

"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."

"People like to use the dashboards to get an overview of their network."

"Cisco is a leading network company."

"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."

More Cisco DNA Center pros

"Overall, the tool helps maintain the health of the network."

"We do not have any issues stability-wise."

"It is stable for fault and availability."

"It is a scalable product."

"Most valuable function would have to the internal causal engine and its root cause analyzer which keep us updated on critical errors and incidents in our network environment."

"It's quite a mature solution."

"The best feature is the solution's entire credibility with all vendors."

"Real time network monitoring application: It is very stable, which provides quick root cause analysis (RCA) for any network faults."

More OpenText Network Node Manager i pros

Cons

"Integration with analytic tools and API integrations would be ideal."

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

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

"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."

"The network, data center, and SD-WAN are all being treated as different services, but I would like to have only one solution to manage all of them."

"The solution needs to improve the dashboard."

"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."

More Cisco DNA Center cons

"As the technologies evolve, also these solutions or the monitoring tools should evolve to cover the progress in technology, including capabilities related to monitoring of virtualized devices today, as the DNS is on the table in this way."

"The deployment architecture and installation part needs improvement."

"When I open a ticket, usually they respond very late. Some of the people I negotiate with seem undertrained."

"We had some issues with some of the features, some modules are not meeting expectations."

"Reporting. Even though this is available in separate software (iSPI) there is potential in making the reporting more SLA-aware and more intuitive."

"The resources utilized could be a bit higher, and that is one of the challenges that isn't optimized"

"Micro Focus Network Node Manager is not powered to drill down for traffic visibility."

"They should add AI options in the product's next release."

More OpenText Network Node Manager i cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"The solution is expensive."

"The tool is medium-priced."

"The tool's licensing may not come across as something that may be friendly for users."

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

"It is an expensive solution."

"Cisco DNA Center is a licensed product with multiple levels of licensing available such as basic, advanced, and essential. I don't have the exact figure, but Cisco DNA Center is costly. For example, the box has information about the essential license and costs a considerable amount of money. You need to pay extra to use advanced features in Cisco DNA Center. My company sees Cisco DNA Center as a solution that's worth the money, which is why it invested in the solution. If you want centralized management for your network, especially when upgrading it, Cisco DNA Center is perfect, but it's more suitable for a large-scale rather than a small-scale network."

"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

"It's an expensive solution."

"It is more inexpensive than other products in the market."

"The solution is quite expensive."

"I wasn't involved in the pricing, but I think it's quite expensive."

"The solution is priced mid-range compared to the competition."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

20%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

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.

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

The cost is very high.

What needs improvement with Cisco DNA Center?

The system is working fine for me currently.

What do you like most about Micro Focus Network Node Manager?

The platform has good stability.

What needs improvement with Micro Focus Network Node Manager?

They should add AI options in the product's next release.

What is your primary use case for Micro Focus Network Node Manager?

We use the product monitoring network infrastructure, interfaces, and devices.

Cisco Catalyst Center vs Cisco DNA Center

Comparisons

Compared 11% 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

Meraki Dashboard vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 5% of the time

More Cisco DNA Center Competitors

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs OpenText Network Node Manager i

Compared 28% of the time

DX Spectrum vs OpenText Network Node Manager i

Compared 20% of the time

Fortinet FortiManager vs OpenText Network Node Manager i

Compared 19% of the time

IBM Tivoli NetCool vs OpenText Network Node Manager i

Compared 15% of the time

More OpenText Network Node Manager i Competitors

Product Reports

Cisco DNA Center

Download Cisco DNA Center product report

OpenText Network Node Manager i

Download OpenText Network Node Manager i product report

Also Known As

DNA Center

Micro Focus Network Node Manager, Network Node Manager, HPE Network Node Manager

Overview

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

OpenText Network Node Manager i (NNMi) delivers powerful capabilities enabling NOCs to manage modern networks. NNMi Smart Plug-ins expand NNMi into specialized environments, helping your team reduce time to resolve issues. NNMi is a core component of Network Operations Management.

OpenText

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

IPC, Exelon, VivaCom,

Cisco DNA Center vs. OpenText Network Node Manager i