


Fortinet FortiAuthenticator and Microsoft Active Directory are two prominent identity management solutions. Fortinet FortiAuthenticator stands out for its pricing and customer support, whereas Microsoft Active Directory is preferred for its feature set and deployment ease.
Features: Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is valued for its high security, integration with Fortinet products, and flexibility. Microsoft Active Directory is praised for its comprehensive directory services, scalability, and integration with a wide range of applications. Users tend to find Microsoft Active Directory more robust in feature set.
Room for Improvement: Fortinet FortiAuthenticator users suggest improvements in documentation and reporting capabilities. Microsoft Active Directory users highlight the need for a more modern approach to identity management and better cloud integration. Fortinet FortiAuthenticator has more room for improvement in usability, whereas Microsoft Active Directory needs advancements in versatility.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Fortinet FortiAuthenticator receives positive feedback for straightforward deployment and responsive customer service. Microsoft Active Directory, while also easy to deploy, can be complex in large-scale environments. Fortinet FortiAuthenticator offers a more user-friendly deployment experience and better customer service support.
Pricing and ROI: Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is favored for its competitive pricing and quick ROI. Microsoft Active Directory, though considered more expensive, is seen as offering greater value due to its extensive features and capabilities. Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is seen as a cost-effective solution, while Microsoft Active Directory is perceived as worth the investment for its comprehensive services.
We were able to implement zero trust extremely quickly because of the platform and its ongoing developments, including Cisco Duo Network Gateway, which enabled that transition to zero trust extremely quickly.
Not having MFA means you cannot put a price tag on that because you will be hit with ransomware immediately.
The biggest return on investment was the ease of use for the end users to have that secondary authentication when logging into the critical systems.
It enhances security by ensuring only the right person can access systems, even if their login credentials are compromised.
The solution is really time-saving since I don't need to create users in each server or system manually, and user access control is streamlined.
They got back to us quickly, were nice, and gave us what we needed.
I would rate their support 10 out of 10.
I would rate support for Cisco Duo a 10, as I have never had a negative experience.
Customer service and support are excellent.
Technical support from Fortinet deserves a rating of 10.
The technical support team is proficient and has all necessary resources to support all types of requirements.
Support documents are available on the internet in every language.
If you purchase retail, the support will be more difficult because they will assess the priority or rating from the customer.
Sometimes support takes long to engage and resolve, extending over weeks or even months.
In my last contracting position, it was a large one for a major worldwide airline that had hundreds of thousands of devices that could use Cisco Duo, and it scaled very well.
You would not need many more engineers to manage Cisco Duo even if we scale up to 500 employees because it is so simple to manage.
Cisco Duo is scalable for organizational growth.
The scalability of FortiAuthenticator is good, and I would rate it an eight on a scale of one to ten.
I find Fortinet FortiAuthenticator to be highly scalable, and I would rate it an eight out of ten for scalability.
Fortinet FortiAuthenticator should be sufficiently scalable.
Microsoft Active Directory scales effectively; I don't foresee any issues with that at all.
We have not had any Cisco Duo outages across all the companies I have worked for that utilize Cisco Duo.
The stability has been excellent.
I did not notice any downtime or crashes with Cisco Duo.
It remains stable even when the number of concurrent users increases.
I experienced no reliability or downtime issues.
If you meet the installation requirements from Microsoft, it will be very stable.
With multiple domain controllers, stability is ensured.
I've been working with Microsoft Active Directory for over 3 years, and we've had no problems.
If you don't have internet access, you can't access your computer, only local access is available.
It lacks some dynamic identity management features compared to other products such as SailPoint.
Not only has the product been very good and we have done fewer support cases, but I think support overall has been very fast.
For example, authentication for wireless users expires after 24 hours, requiring re-authentication daily.
For example, Cisco Duo is on the cloud, so we cannot compete with that part if a user requires a cloud-based two-factor authentication solution.
Fortinet FortiAuthenticator was primarily missing the ability to scale to web applications.
Exporting and verifying group memberships require command line scripts, which isn't simple.
There are some features that need improvements in terms of ease of use and frequency of updates.
Sometimes, it can be overly complicated, and when you apply Group Policy in an Active Directory environment, sometimes those settings apply and sometimes they don't.
The pricing is acceptable to them.
Their website lists $3 per month per user for the Essential license.
One of my customers recently received a billing statement charging 3,600 US dollars for 100 users for one year.
Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is not overly expensive compared to other Fortinet subscriptions.
Overall, Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is an inexpensive solution compared to some other security solutions, providing a simple but effective fix.
For the cloud solution in our region, the pricing of Microsoft Active Directory is very high.
I consider Microsoft Active Directory expensive because if you buy this thing bundled with the Windows Directory Server, you get five user licenses for about a thousand euros, or a little bit less than this.
The pricing, setup cost, and licensing with Microsoft Active Directory is straightforward; you just buy the server and then have to buy the user CALs.
From a management perspective, I appreciate that we can enroll or control devices on the back end for people who get a new phone and forget to handle Cisco Duo properly and need to add a new device.
Our company benefits from all those features of Cisco Duo with confidence, and we feel very secure with it in terms of authentication of our logins.
The benefit of having a complete passwordless environment in our organization is that it's gotten people away from using the sticky note under their keyboard - which is a huge problem.
The integration with FortiToken is outstanding, adding a layer of security for authentication.
Fortinet FortiAuthenticator can be used from anywhere in the world, and the authenticator services function globally.
The main benefits that end users receive from Fortinet FortiAuthenticator include more security for their applications, for their systems, and for all their network devices that they are logging into.
To assess the impact of Microsoft Active Directory's centralized domain management on security protocols and access permissions, Microsoft Active Directory itself has constraints with security because when we have a solution such as SSO or Single Sign-On, which makes it easier for users to log in, some parts have security openings.
One valuable feature is the centralized creation of IDs.
I can control all the devices in my domain by just changing the group policies in one place.
| Product | Mindshare (%) |
|---|---|
| Cisco Duo | 3.2% |
| Microsoft Active Directory | 2.6% |
| Fortinet FortiAuthenticator | 3.7% |
| Other | 90.5% |


| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 66 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 29 |
| Large Enterprise | 93 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 38 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 19 |
| Large Enterprise | 11 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 21 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 7 |
| Large Enterprise | 20 |
Cisco Duo is a cloud-based identity security platform safeguarding critical resources for any user and device worldwide. Known for its ease of use, Duo offers seamless protection across multi-cloud, hybrid, and on-premises environments.
Cisco Duo is designed to secure access with identity-first protection and provides extensive visibility throughout an organization's identity ecosystem. Offering multi-factor authentication, Duo facilitates easy integration and management, allowing teams to protect data effectively on VPNs, applications, and networks. Its single-pane management improves security processes while enhancing trust, making it suitable for diverse IT infrastructures.
What are the key features of Cisco Duo?
Which benefits and ROI should users consider?
In industries like education and finance, Cisco Duo is widely employed to secure multi-factor authentication across platforms such as email, databases, and servers. Its integration capabilities with Microsoft 365, Active Directory, and VPNs like AnyConnect are instrumental in verifying user identities using mobile apps or OTPs, catering effectively to both remote and on-premise environments.
Fortinet FortiAuthenticator enhances security through intuitive management and integration capabilities, offering two-factor authentication and seamless connectivity with FortiGate, LDAP, and AD. It provides robust OTP features and operates efficiently across diverse environments.
Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is designed to streamline two-factor and multi-factor authentication processes across diverse network environments. Its seamless integration with Active Directory optimizes secure user management and enhances VPN security. It facilitates multi-domain authentication and serves as a comprehensive identity and access management tool. Organizations leverage its capabilities for VPN and network access while utilizing tokens for increased security. Its single sign-on feature aids in simplifying identity management and authorization, supporting extensive network and application security demands. However, improvements could be made to its outdated interface, pricing strategy, and better integration with third-party applications. Streamlined command line configurations and bolstered technical support would enhance user experience further.
What are the key features of Fortinet FortiAuthenticator?In industries like finance, healthcare, and education, Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is implemented to secure sensitive data and streamline access management. Its integration capabilities support compliance requirements, while its authentication features ensure authorized access across platforms, enhancing both security and operational efficiency.
Microsoft Active Directory enables centralized management of user identities and permissions, integrating seamlessly with cloud services via Azure AD Connect. Its support for hybrid environments makes it essential for businesses looking to manage authentication, authorization, and access control efficiently.
Active Directory offers a robust framework for network and identity management, focusing on scalability and ease of use. Its integration with Single Sign-On enhances user convenience by synchronizing login credentials across cloud and on-premises applications. While it efficiently manages security protocols, scalability, and third-party application integration, users note areas for improvement like better reporting capabilities, a modernized interface, improved synchronization between on-prem and cloud setups, and streamlined configurations.
What are the essential features of Microsoft Active Directory?In industries like finance and healthcare, Active Directory is implemented to manage sensitive data access and user authentication across complex networks. Retailers rely on its scalability for managing vast customer and product datasets, while educational institutions utilize its centralized management features to efficiently administer student and faculty permissions across multiple applications and platforms.
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