ExtremeCloud IQ vs IBM Tivoli NetCool comparison

Extreme Networks and IBM are both solutions in the Network Management Applications category. Extreme Networks is ranked #13 with an average rating of 8.5, while IBM is ranked #14 with an average rating of 7.7. Extreme Networks holds a 2.7% mindshare in NMA, compared to IBM’s 2.2% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of Extreme Networks users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 83% of IBM users who would recommend it.

ExtremeCloud IQ

Read 76 ExtremeCloud IQ reviews

2,493 Views
449 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

IBM Tivoli NetCool

Read 13 IBM Tivoli NetCool reviews

920 Views
644 Comparison Views

83% willing to recommend

ExtremeCloud IQ

IBM Tivoli NetCool

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 2, 2025

IBM Tivoli NetCool and ExtremeCloud IQ are competing in the network management and monitoring category. ExtremeCloud IQ seems to have the upper hand due to its intuitive design and cost-effective cloud solutions.

Features: IBM Tivoli NetCool offers advanced event and fault management, topology discovery, and real-time analytics for large-scale networks. It also includes automation for incident management and robust integration capabilities. ExtremeCloud IQ boasts AI-driven networking, effortless scalability, and comprehensive cloud-based management. It features controller-less access points, and easy deployment due to its intuitive interface.

Room for Improvement: IBM Tivoli NetCool could improve its deployment complexity, modernize its user interface, and expand cloud-native capabilities. ExtremeCloud IQ may enhance its advanced analytics, integrate more third-party plugins, and provide deeper customization for enterprise environments. Both products can work on simplifying integration with newer technologies.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: ExtremeCloud IQ is praised for its straightforward deployment and cloud accessibility, reducing implementation time significantly. Its intuitive design and cloud control make it user-friendly. IBM Tivoli NetCool can be complex to deploy owing to its extensive capabilities but provides deep integration with legacy systems. Both products offer solid customer support, tailored to their distinct deployment models.

Pricing and ROI: IBM Tivoli NetCool involves a higher initial cost but can yield significant ROI for enterprises seeking extensive network monitoring. It is typically a valuable investment for large-scale infrastructure. ExtremeCloud IQ provides a lower start-up cost, highlighting ROI through decreased operational expenses and improved network efficiency, appealing to those prioritizing cost-effective cloud solutions.

To learn more, read our detailed ExtremeCloud IQ vs. IBM Tivoli NetCool Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

ExtremeCloud IQ vs. IBM Tivoli NetCool

September 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

ExtremeCloud IQ

Ranking in Network Management Applications

13th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Access Control (NAC) (11th), Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) (21st)

IBM Tivoli NetCool

Ranking in Network Management Applications

14th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Network Management Applications category, the mindshare of ExtremeCloud IQ is 2.7%, down from 2.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Tivoli NetCool is 2.2%, up from 1.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Management Applications Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
ExtremeCloud IQ	2.7%
IBM Tivoli NetCool	2.2%
Other	95.1%

Network Management Applications

Featured Reviews

KristianLarsen

Senior Consultant at Mikla IT

Helps resolve network-related issues quickly and is reasonably priced

The tool has both advantages and weaknesses because it has several pieces of software on which it has been working because of buyouts. The tool has several branches of software versions, and you can consolidate it into ExtremeCloud, but it also has the disadvantage that sometimes people can get issues because the software on the hardware is different than they expected, especially if it is not converted to the tool used. The tool has simplified things, but it also adds a complexity that sometimes stumps some users. In the future, I think the tool’s onboarding setup of a new tenant could be smoother or faster. I also think that they could provide a simpler setup for first-level support so that it can be easier for them to have a support dashboard that would help them. I am talking about customer support organizations, so you usually have a high turnaround, but you need to have something that is easier to use and where you don't need so much training.

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Petar Ganev

Senior Enterprise Monitoring Engineer at Commerzbank

Reliable for enterprise monitoring but no longer actively developed

There are problems with the latest security requirements because many things have changed in recent years, and now the security audits are very strict. And we need to switch to something else. We need to patch it constantly. Moreover, it is a very old tool and a little bit difficult to support. Otherwise, they work okay.

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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

"The tech who handles Extreme IQ tells me it's easy to use and learn. He felt like it was pretty intuitive. It comes with solid training materials. He also has talked about the security features that give you as much or as little control as you want."

"Ability to assign zero trust policies from the user."

"This solution's most valuable feature is its short deployment time."

"ExtremeCloud IQ is integrated with the Ekahau tool so that you can log in to the ExtremeCloud IQ portal, upload the cloud plans, draw all the interiors, and plan the APs with the real-time AP position."

"It is a scalable solution."

"What our customers like the most is that this device is so rugged. It has very good performance and throughput. Its console is very easy to use and has many features, which makes it different from its competitors. Cloud IQ has all the features built into the console, whereas other solutions require you to integrate multiple solutions with their consoles. You don't need to add anything extra with Cloud IQ. With this single solution, you can do almost everything."

"It is more cost effective and gives more flexibility."

"The deployment made my life very easy."

More ExtremeCloud IQ pros

"It's very easy to use."

"Tivoli NetCool allows us to grasp a lot of data that can be applied toward predictive analytics and auto-remediation."

"The feature I have found most valuable with NetCool is how it collaborates all the alarms, and then it does a predictive analysis, providing a consolidated alarm view and management."

"The scalability of monitoring, the breadth of supported network components, the scale of the number of monitoring events, and the flexibility in customization make this a well-rounded product."

"The solution has very good integration capabilities."

"The tool had many built-in automation capabilities."

"NetCool has a huge database that can collect and process about one million alarms a day."

"The tool is much easier to manage than running scripts and figuring out how many endpoints have been exceeded."

More IBM Tivoli NetCool pros

Cons

"For me, the only issue is the potential delay in the tool statistics updating in real time after making changes."

"Integrating the network access control solution can be complex, as it essentially combines two separate products."

"A room for improvement in ExtremeCloud IQ is roaming. My team is facing roaming issues with the solution, particularly when using VoIP over WiFi. For example, VoIP sometimes breaks when you walk around the customer site. In terms of what I'd like to see in the next release of the solution, right now, the inventory for ExtremeCloud IQ is awful. There's no stock, and you must wait a year and a half for new stocks. It's awful."

"Their firewall configuration gets funky and it can be difficult to understand."

"The certification costs from suppliers are getting out of control, and it's not just Extreme. We have the same problem with Cisco and Huawei."

"The licensing model could be improved."

"The Virtual Appliance crashed once while doing an upgrade. The good thing here is, even if the management system fails, all our networks and features still remain 100% stable and working."

"An area for improvement in ExtremeCloud IQ is its technical support. Support could be better, especially when you need help concerning ExtremeCloud IQ and WinG."

More ExtremeCloud IQ cons

"The solution is not user-friendly."

"Customization and integration that you need to do to make the product fit your needs is very complex. It is not a product that somebody could easily pick up without any prior training or experience."

"The installation could be simplified, and technical support could be faster."

"The solution does not have any AI capabilities."

"UI is outdated, very old legacy."

"The solution is too expensive."

"Tivoli NetCool's has medium scalability - there are some problems with its replications not being mature."

"In terms of improvement, I would like to see more AIOps, Artificial Intelligent Operations in the next release. IBM develops new features for Power BI or Cognos Analytics, which is good. As of now, we use Cognos Analytics, we are not using Power BI. They have the Insight concept but we don't like that."

More IBM Tivoli NetCool cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There are probably cheaper solutions but we invest for stability and performance for the longer haul."

"Customers need to pay a yearly licensing fee for ExtremeCloud IQ, which is a little bit expensive."

"Bring the cost down."

"It is costly as compared to Meraki, Aruba, Juniper, and Cisco. Cloud IQ is an enterprise solution, whereas Meraki is specifically a single solution."

"Extreme is twice as cheap compared to Cisco due to the currency exchange. Normally, I think Cisco would be a little bit more expensive, but there wouldn't be that much of a difference."

"I did a multi-year license. It was a three-year license. It compares well with others in terms of the price. It is about a hundred dollars per year on a three-year scale."

"Previously, ExtremeCloudIQ provided free licensing for all the basic requirements of their customers. An advanced cloud user had to purchase advanced licenses for automation and advanced country features at the enterprise level. They have restricted the licensing, allowing only up to ten units for testing, which is challenging. This limitation becomes problematic, especially in countries like Sri Lanka or other Asian countries, where customers face economic challenges and have limited budgets. The previous free option was beneficial, but it has become tougher to manage with these new changes. They should revise their pricing structure, offering the basic features free of charge for up to 50 AP. Larger entities with more than 50 APs have the budget to support them. Still, it becomes more difficult for small and medium-sized businesses with less than 50 APs to allocate a significant budget for control and management features."

"ExtremeCloud IQ's pricing is medium, but its support contract costs more."

More ExtremeCloud IQ pricing and cost advice

"The price of the product is too expensive."

"Licensing fees are paid on a yearly basis."

"It costs around 100k for every ten servers, which is lower than similar products from other vendors."

"Customers are required to pay a licensing fee."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Comms Service Provider

11%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

Computer Software Company

32%

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	45
Midsize Enterprise	13
Large Enterprise	24

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	4

Questions from the Community

What are pros and cons of Aruba 515 Series AP vs. Cisco Meraki or Extreme Networks?

Depends. I have personally used both Cisco and Aruba so I am familiar with them. Extreme I am not, so unless they have some feature that I need or want, I wouldn't consider them. Do you have expe...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ExtremeCloud IQ?

The licensing was a challenge due to budget constraints, and I used ExtremeCloud IQ without a license for a period. The documentation and training courses were also costly, impacting how easily I c...

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What advice do you have for others considering ExtremeCloud IQ?

I rate the overall solution nine out of ten only due to the poor documentation. Despite this, I was very happy with ExtremeCloud IQ as it greatly eased my workload, allowing me to manage the networ...

See all answers

What is the best network monitoring software for large enterprises?

I have worked from 1973 with all kind of systems in large enterprises across the world. And have experience with all kind of software in monitoring from infra to end to end, it depends on the funct...

See all answers

What do you like most about IBM Tivoli NetCool?

The tool had many built-in automation capabilities.

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM Tivoli NetCool?

The main challenge is its licensing model, which is very complicated.

See all answers

Comparisons

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 12% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 11% of the time

Ubiquiti Wireless vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 8% of the time

Aruba Wireless vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 8% of the time

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 8% of the time

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SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs IBM Tivoli NetCool

Compared 39% of the time

OpenText Network Node Manager vs IBM Tivoli NetCool

Compared 35% of the time

HPE Intelligent Management Center vs IBM Tivoli NetCool

Compared 26% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

ExtremeCloud IQ

October 2025

Download ExtremeCloud IQ product report

Buyer's Guide

IBM Tivoli NetCool

September 2025

Download IBM Tivoli NetCool product report

Also Known As

Aerohive Networks, Aerohive HiveManager, HiveManager, ExtremeCloud , ExtremeSecurity

Tivoli NetCool

Overview

ExtremeCloud is a resilient and scalable cloud-based network management solution offered by Extreme Networks as a subscription service.

The network is your platform of engagement for clients and staff. We have designed ExtremeCloud to provide superior user experience by empowering you and the applications that drive your business. The combination of Extreme Networks’ smart wired and wireless edges and the elasticity, resilience and scalability provided via state-of-the-art datacenters distributed strategically for worldwide availability allows you to respond to the changing needs of your business, at the speed of cloud, through a simple, multi-site aware user interface.

Extreme Networks

IBM Tivoli Netcool delivers near real-time, consolidated event management across business infrastructure, data centers, complex networks and IT domains. The software provides full management and automation to help you deliver continuous uptime of business services and applications.

IBM

Sample Customers

Henry Ford Health System, Baltimore Ravens, Brandili, Federal University of Alagoas, CEDAE, Caxias do Sul, UNISC Concurrency, CenturyLink Field, Louisiana College, Cricket Tasmania Stadium, Moscow Internet Exchange

Claranet, Consolidated Communications, Telus, €sterreichische Bundesbahnen (€BB), Telekom Srbija, Bendigo Community Telco, Capgemini, Schweizerische Bundesbahnen (SBB)

Buyer's Guide

ExtremeCloud IQ vs. IBM Tivoli NetCool

September 2025

Free Report: ExtremeCloud IQ vs. IBM Tivoli NetCool

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