Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) vs NetIQ Identity Manager comparison

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) and NetIQ Identity Manager based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, HPE Aruba Networking, Forescout and others in Network Access Control (NAC).
To learn more, read our detailed Network Access Control (NAC) 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
"So far, we have had no issues with the stability.""I really enjoy the live log section. Sometimes, you will have someone who is having issues connecting to the network, and then you have to ask them the dreaded question of, "Did you type a password wrong?" They will probably tell you, "No," but the live log can help sort that out. It gives us that extra ability to assist the end user and make sure that we are making them happy.""The initial setup was easy. It took around one month. We did the installation part within half an hour to two hours but we found a couple of issues so we raised a case and once everything was resolved it was a month in total.""Being able to authenticate wired users through 802.1X is valuable as it enhances our security.""Having access and being able to add people or change authentication yourself is nice. In the past, we've used other group authentication services, and we always had to go to them and get permissions. Having that control is key.""Cisco ISE now competes with any other product in the space because of its centralized and unified highly secure access control with ISE.""It is stable and easy to use.""The authorization and accounts inside of ISE are very useful for us."

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"The product is easy to use.""The main value lies in the simplicity of implementation, as well as its customized look and feel.""The most valuable feature of this solution has been the ability for us to integrate a lot of external systems, and the automatic transfer of a lot of identity information. Additionally, the customization is very good.""The most valuable features of NetIQ Identity Manager are the synchronization of different directories, such as Active Directory. We have many Active Directory systems, not only one.""I like the eDirectory feature.""The most valuable features are Password Reset Alerts, Password Sync, and SQL connectors.""The most valuable feature of NetIQ Identity Manager for identity synchronization is the ability to provide users with all necessary access on day one through automated provisioning, facilitated by approval workflows.""It's a very flexible tool, so you can synchronize multiple sources of data and you have multiple connections to various kinds of systems."

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Cons
"The solution is not so user-friendly.""I would like the product to include support for OSVS version three.""Compatibility and integration with other vendors is what needs to be improved in Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine).""The area where things could be improved is education. It's complicated to deploy initially because you have to know what you're getting into.""There are still some bugs in ISE that need to be worked out.""There are always some things that I would request.""I would definitely improve the deployment and maybe a little bit of the support. Our first exposure to ISE had a lot of issues.""Automation [is an area for improvement]. It seems like everywhere I look, automation is super important. Automation and integrations. That's the area it could be improved..."

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"If it could be operated in such a way that anybody could use it, with just the user interface, and there's no need for programming, then that would be a great improvement.""The integrations must be made easier.""NetIQ Identity Manager could improve by updating the user portal, it is out of date.""The interface is old and outdated, and the design software seems archaic.""It needs some modern features. They should improve and modernize their management interface. It has been created over years and by different persons. You can see different applications, different management consoles for different things. There should be an integrated interface.""We have another system that is using the SAML system, and we also integrate with Active Directory only. If NetIQ Identity Manager can integrate directly, we would not need to use the Active Directory directory.""There's no huge thing missing, because it's already comprehensive. Now and then, however, there might be a minor issue.""Areas for improvement are further enhancing the access granting process to reduce time and improve accuracy."

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Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "There are three levels of pricing: basic, plus, and apex. Basic satisfied our needs."
  • "If you go directly with Cisco for the implementation it's very, very expensive."
  • "The SMARTnet technical support is available at an additional cost."
  • "For the Avast virus scan, we pay around USD $95 per machine for five years which includes all updates and technical support."
  • "The price for Cisco ISE is high."
  • "The price can be lower, especially for subscriptions. It should be a lot cheaper to have a wide range of customers. The price should be comparable to competitive products like Forescout or Fortinet FortiNAC. Forescout is cheaper for customers looking for a cloud solution."
  • "There are other cheaper options available."
  • "The price is okay."
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  • "You just need to be aware that the more systems you connect, the more license fees you have to pay."
  • "Micro Focus is flexible when it comes to price. The cost varies from customer to customer. There are no additional costs, though. Everything is included."
  • "The price of the solution is a bit high and could be reduced."
  • "It would easily help them in getting more market and more customers if more consultants knew about their software. If they could keep it free for schools for teaching purposes, it would be good. I had to pay myself to get it and use it for training. Their competitors are giving it for free. I had to pay for it myself. They are losing market to their competitors."
  • "The solution is quite affordable."
  • More NetIQ Identity Manager Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer: Aruba ClearPass is a Network Access Control tool that gives secure network access to multiple device types. You can adapt the policies to VPN access, wired, or wireless access. You can securely… more »
    Top Answer:OK, so Cisco ISE uses 802.1X to secure switchports against unauthorized access. The drawback of this is that ISE cannot secure the port if a device does not support 802.1x. Cameras, badge readers… more »
    Top Answer:Cisco ISE uses AI endpoint analytics to identify new devices based on their behavior. It will also notify you if someone plugs in with a device that is not allowed and will block it. The user… more »
    Top Answer:The solution is quite affordable. It is reasonably priced. I rate the pricing a five out of ten. There are additional charges for customization.
    Top Answer:The solution must add more configurations. There are different types of user identity in different applications. The integrations must be made easier.
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    Also Known As
    Cisco ISE
    Novell Identity Manager
    Learn More
    Overview

    Cisco ISE is an all-in-one solution that streamlines security policy management and reduces operating costs. Cisco ISE delivers visibility and access control over users and devices across wired, wireless, and VPN connections.

    Identity Services Engine enables enterprises to deliver secure network access to users and devices. It shares contextual data, such as threats and vulnerabilities, with integrated solutions from Cisco technology partners. You can see what is happening in your network, which applications are running, and more.

    Features of Cisco ISE

    • Centralized management helps administrators configure and manage user profile characteristics - a single pane of glass for integrated management services.
    • Contextual identity and business policy: The rule-based attribute is a driven policy model. The goal is to provide flexible access control policies.
    • Wide range of access control options, including Virtual LAN (VLAN) URL redirections, and access control lists.
    • Supplicant-less network access: You can roll out secure network access by deriving authentication from login information across application layers.
    • Guest lifecycle management streamlines the experience for implementing and customizing network access for guests.
    • Built-in AAA services: The platform uses standard RADIUS protocol for authentication, authorization, and accounting.
    • Device auditing, administration, and access control provide users with access on a need-to-know and need-to-act basis. It keeps audit trails for every change in the network.
    • Device profiling: ISE features predefined device templates for different types of endpoints.
    • Internal certificate authority: Qn easy-to-deploy single console to manage endpoints and certificates.

    Benefits of Cisco ISE

    Cisco’s holistic approach to network access security has several advantages:

    • Context-based access based on your company policies. ISE creates a complete contextual identity, including attributes such as user, time, location, threat, access type, and vulnerability. This contextual identity is used to enforce a secure access policy. Administrators can apply strict control over how and when endpoints are allowed in the network.
    • Better network visibility via an easy-to-use, simple console. In addition, visibility is improved by storing a detailed attribute history of all endpoints connected to the network.
    • Comprehensive policy enforcement. ISE sets easy and flexible access rules. These rules are controlled from a central console that enforces them across the network and security infrastructure. You can define policies that differentiate between registered users and guests. The system uses group tags that enable access control on business rules instead of IP addresses.
    • Self-service device onboarding enables the enterprise to implement a Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) policy securely. Users can manage their devices according to the policies defined by IT administrators. (IT remains in charge of provisioning and posturing to comply with security policies.)
    • Consistent guest experiences: You can provide guests with different levels of access from different connections. You can customize guest portals via a cloud-delivered portal editor with dynamic visual tools.

    Support

    You can get ISE as a physical or virtual appliance. Both deployments can create ISE clusters that create scale, redundancy, and requirements.

    Licensing

    Cisco ISE has four primary licences. Evaluation for up to 100 endpoints with full platform functionality. The higher tiers are Partner, Advantage and Essential.

    Reviews from Real Users

    "The user experience of the solution is great. It's a very transparent system. according to a PeerSpot user in Cyber Security at a manufacturing company.

    Omar Z., Network & Security Engineer at an engineering company, feels that "The RADIUS Server holds the most value."

    “Whether I deploy in China, the US, South Africa, or wherever, I can get all the capabilities. It allows me to directly integrate with 365, and from a communications point of view, that is a good capability," says Rammohan M., Senior Consultant at a tech services company.

    Hassan A.,Technology Manager at Advanced Integrated Systems, says that "The most valuable feature is the integration with StealthWatch and DNA as one fabric."




    NetIQ Identity Manager delivers a complete, yet affordable solution to control who has access to what across your enterprise both inside the firewall and into the cloud. It enables you to provide secure and convenient access to critical information for business users, while meeting compliance demands.
    Sample Customers
    Aegean Motorway, BC Hydro, Beachbody, Bucks County Intermediate Unit , Cisco IT, Derby City Council, Global Banking Customer, Gobierno de Castilla-La Mancha, Houston Methodist, Linz AG, London Hydro, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Molina Healthcare, MST Systems, New South Wales Rural Fire Service, Reykjavik University, Wildau University
    Sheetz
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Financial Services Firm13%
    Government11%
    Comms Service Provider11%
    Computer Software Company11%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Educational Organization23%
    Computer Software Company16%
    Government8%
    Financial Services Firm7%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Financial Services Firm13%
    Computer Software Company13%
    Government10%
    Manufacturing Company7%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business24%
    Midsize Enterprise21%
    Large Enterprise55%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business16%
    Midsize Enterprise32%
    Large Enterprise52%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business47%
    Midsize Enterprise18%
    Large Enterprise35%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business15%
    Midsize Enterprise11%
    Large Enterprise74%
    Buyer's Guide
    Network Access Control (NAC)
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, HPE Aruba Networking, Forescout and others in Network Access Control (NAC). Updated: March 2024.
    765,234 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) is ranked 1st in Network Access Control (NAC) with 135 reviews while NetIQ Identity Manager is ranked 8th in User Provisioning Software with 16 reviews. Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) is rated 8.2, while NetIQ Identity Manager is rated 8.0. The top reviewer of Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) writes "Gives us that extra ability to assist the end user and make sure that we are making them happy". On the other hand, the top reviewer of NetIQ Identity Manager writes "If it works, Designer is a charm, but it can be a pain to keep updated". Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) is most compared with Aruba ClearPass, Fortinet FortiNAC, Forescout Platform, CyberArk Privileged Access Manager and Fortinet FortiAuthenticator, whereas NetIQ Identity Manager is most compared with SailPoint IdentityIQ, Microsoft Identity Manager, CyberArk Privileged Access Manager and Microsoft Entra ID.

    We monitor all Network Access Control (NAC) 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.