Cisco Enterprise Network Functions Virtualization vs VMware NSX comparison

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Cisco Enterprise Network Functions Virtualization and VMware NSX based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Network Virtualization solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.
To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Enterprise Network Functions Virtualization vs. VMware NSX Report (Updated: March 2024).
765,234 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"The support system that they have in place is very good and they are easy to reach.""Scalability is not a problem.""Routing, switching, and wireless network security are the valuable features of Cisco Enterprise Network Functions Virtualization.""Network Security is one of the most valuable features of Cisco Enterprise Network Functions Virtualization.""The most valuable feature is its user-friendly management dashboard.""It is easy to manage, easy to maintain, and stable. If you set up everything alright, it will give years without any issues."

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"This is the most scalable product of its type.""The alert features are the most valuable.""The solution is very stable and reliable.""The most valuable feature of VMware NSX is the ease of use and its user friendly. For example, it is simple to change the subnet masks.""We are happy with the scalability.""NSX can reduce costs and has good service. It is easy for you and your users to use.""We secured our organisation with Micro-segmentation.""The most valuable features of VMware NSX are the tight integration with the VMware Hypervisor natively and the management console. We have a lot of other integrations where you are able to see the virtual machine's end-to-end visibility."

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Cons
"There is room for improvement in enhancing compatibility with other solutions and vendors.""In terms of what could be improved, I would say the cost. The SDN hardware especially is much too expensive, specifically 799 and 9000.""This is a software solution, which is less stable than a hardware solution by definition.""The solution's orchestration part could be improved.""It would be helpful if they offered modularized upgrades, such as additional memory or a faster processor.""One of the things that can be improved is trimming all mobile numbers so that it aids in swiftly acquiring information for tablets or any necessary solution."

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"Some configuration maximums are limiting to the user, especially when it comes to the deployment of very, very large environments.""The support needs improvement.""The engineering team has room for improvement. They should have have more of a Knowledge Base about different case studies and should develop more advanced features. These kinds of improvements will change the way things get done.""Our technical team is always looking for the solutions that they work with to offer more convenient integrations.""It's a good product, but the way that it has got so many multiple levels that need to be purchased makes it expensive and cumbersome.""We've have had good and bad experiences with them. We don't always find them to be so impactful. Sometimes the support guy isn't so on top of resolving the issue and it can take a while to sort out.""There is room for improvement in VMware NSX's workload management, particularly in the orchestration layer and in managing workloads across multiple clouds.""The technical support could use some improvement."

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Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "There is a separate charge for support."
  • "Cisco Enterprise Network Functions Virtualization is an expensive solution."
  • More Cisco Enterprise Network Functions Virtualization Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "Pricing and licensing could be improved as we are a government entity. Lower pricing could always help."
  • "We haven't had to hire a dedicated network engineer because NSX handles 90 percent of it. The reduced overhead in terms of managing networks has been the biggest plus."
  • "We have saved man-hours and decreased our security exposure."
  • "We can't go without NSX, so it's invaluable from this perspective."
  • "The solution is very expensive."
  • "The licensing fees are expensive and we pay on a yearly basis."
  • "It is an expensive product, but cheaper than some competing solutions."
  • "The price of this product is too high."
  • More VMware NSX Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:The most valuable feature is its user-friendly management dashboard.
    Top Answer:Like any Cisco product, Cisco Enterprise NFV is on the expensive side.
    Top Answer:There is room for improvement in enhancing compatibility with other solutions and vendors. Better integration capabilities could provide more value, especially in scenarios where a mix of solutions is… more »
    Top Answer:There are some very major differences between both the Products and to name a few -Cisco ACI have physical network gear (9K Switches) where the Code runs in ACI Policy Mode & the UCS server where… more »
    Top Answer:Once you know your way around the Cisco ecosystem, using Cisco ACI is not so difficult. It is a global product, so when you change one interface, changes are automatically reflected on every switch… more »
    Top Answer:The product has valuable features for security and network extension.
    Ranking
    3rd
    Views
    157
    Comparisons
    52
    Reviews
    3
    Average Words per Review
    261
    Rating
    8.3
    2nd
    Views
    2,140
    Comparisons
    1,333
    Reviews
    34
    Average Words per Review
    416
    Rating
    8.0
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    Cisco NFV
    VMware Nicira
    Learn More
    Overview

    Simplify operations and roll out new virtual network services in minutes on any platform.

    VMware NSX is a full-stack network and security virtualization platform that enables the virtual cloud network. NSX provides a software-defined process for networking that expands throughout cloud frameworks, data centers, and application structures. Users can join and secure applications within their container and multi-cloud infrastructure and their data center. With robust automated provisioning, the platform offers dynamic flexibility and scalability without compromising on network speed or agility.

    VMware NSX recreates the whole software network model so that users can create and deliver apps quickly and securely. Users can customize security policies and leverage IDS/IPS to block against lateral threats. These security policies can be managed throughout private and public clouds from one pane of glass, no matter where your applications run. By consolidating networking and security tasks into a unified platform, users can save up to one-third of their budget.

    VMware NSX Use Cases

    VMware NSX brings the operational model of a virtual machine to users’ data center networks and revolutionizes the foundations of network and security operations. There are a number of use cases, including:

    • Containers - Similar to VMs, users can offer unified, full-stack networking and security for microservices and containerized apps. This includes the ability to micro-segment, use container networking for Kubernetes, and offers complete visibility for microservices.
    • App Delivery - Users can deliver infrastructure as code while also accelerating app delivery with blueprints that can automate the management of security and networking resources.
    • Security - With zero-trust security in public and private cloud environments, users can reduce attacks, lock down critical apps, and design a logical DMZ in software.
    • Load Balancing - Users can update their data centers from legacy load balancers to software load balancers and SDN automation, creating savings of over 50%.
    • Multi-Cloud - Expand networking across clouds and streamline multi-cloud operations with multi-cloud use cases, including rapid workload mobility, seamless data center extension, and multi-DC pooling.

    Reviews from Real Users

    Through a policy-driven approach, VMware NSX provides VMware technologies to assist with network and security visualization in a unified solution. Users particularly like the distributed firewall and the management dashboard.

    Kolawole O., a systems engineer at a tech services company, writes, "NSX's stand-out function is the distributed firewall. The firewall system is just top-notch, and I haven't seen another solution like it."

    A head of business development and partners management at a comms service provider notes, "I really like the management dashboard, the tailor-made assurance, the telemetry, and the ease of integration with all other solutions of VMware, such as vSphere."

    Sample Customers
    Information Not Available
    City of Avondale, Lumeta, Kroll Ontrack, Heartland Payment Systems, Baystate Heallth, Exostar, Tribune Media, iGATE, NTT Communications, Synergent, California Natural Resources Agency, Bloomington Public Schools, Columbia Sportswear, Join Experience S.A, Schuberg Philis
    Top Industries
    No Data Available
    REVIEWERS
    Computer Software Company24%
    Financial Services Firm18%
    Retailer10%
    Manufacturing Company8%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company15%
    Financial Services Firm12%
    Government10%
    Manufacturing Company8%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business43%
    Midsize Enterprise29%
    Large Enterprise29%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business26%
    Midsize Enterprise19%
    Large Enterprise55%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business21%
    Midsize Enterprise14%
    Large Enterprise65%
    Buyer's Guide
    Cisco Enterprise Network Functions Virtualization vs. VMware NSX
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Enterprise Network Functions Virtualization vs. VMware NSX and other solutions. Updated: March 2024.
    765,234 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Cisco Enterprise Network Functions Virtualization is ranked 3rd in Network Virtualization with 6 reviews while VMware NSX is ranked 2nd in Network Virtualization with 93 reviews. Cisco Enterprise Network Functions Virtualization is rated 7.8, while VMware NSX is rated 8.0. The top reviewer of Cisco Enterprise Network Functions Virtualization writes "Versatile, offering flexibility and scalability". On the other hand, the top reviewer of VMware NSX writes "Works well and allows us to do micro-segmentation and create policy rules". Cisco Enterprise Network Functions Virtualization is most compared with Cisco ACI, whereas VMware NSX is most compared with Nutanix Flow Network Security, Cisco ACI, Illumio, Akamai Guardicore Segmentation and Cisco Secure Workload. See our Cisco Enterprise Network Functions Virtualization vs. VMware NSX report.

    See our list of best Network Virtualization vendors.

    We monitor all Network Virtualization reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.