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IBM Tivoli NetCool vs SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager comparison

The compared IBM and SolarWinds solutions aren't in the same category. IBM is ranked #14 in NMA , with an average rating of 7.7, and holds a 2.0% mindshare in the category. SolarWinds is ranked #14 in CM , with an average rating of 7.7, and holds a 1.5% mindshare. Additionally, 83% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of SolarWinds users who would recommend it.
IBM Tivoli NetCool
Read 13 IBM Tivoli NetCool reviews
  • 626 Views
  • 164 Comparison Views
83% willing to recommend
SolarWinds Network Configur...
Read 27 SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager reviews
  • 495 Views
  • 323 Comparison Views
95% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary
We performed a comparison between IBM Tivoli NetCool and SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Network Management Applications solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

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To learn more, read our detailed IBM Tivoli NetCool vs. SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager Report (Updated: April 2023).
Buyer's Guide
IBM Tivoli NetCool vs. SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager
April 2023
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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

IBM Tivoli NetCool
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
Network Management Applications (14th)
SolarWinds Network Configur...
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
27
Ranking in other categories
Configuration Management (14th), Network Automation (5th)
 

Mindshare comparison

While both are Network Management solutions, they serve different purposes. IBM Tivoli NetCool is designed for Network Management Applications and holds a mindshare of 2.0%, up 1.1% compared to last year.
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager, on the other hand, focuses on Configuration Management, holds 1.5% mindshare, up 1.1% since last year.
Network Management Applications
Configuration Management
 

Featured Reviews

Petar Ganev - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Read full review
RajeshB - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers additional functionality, including warranty management
Setting up a solution involves configuring a server and a web console, which is straightforward. Network team coordination is necessary when applying it to devices. This involves creating device connection profiles and ensuring SNMP is enabled. Initially, there were challenges involved in this process, but once the setup was complete, operations proceeded smoothly. All network devices are automatically added to NPM during auto-discovery in SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor, including Network Configuration Manager features. Once configuration profile credentials are established in NCM, they are automatically deployed to all network devices. The solution is easy to use and deploy, although initial setup may require coordination and overcoming challenges.
Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"Anything is possible with Tivoli. It's quite a robust system."
"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."
"It's very easy to use."
"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."
"Support is one of the best aspects of this solution. NetCool is a good product that has good flexibility. There are a lot of documents available online which is one of the best features of IBM Tivoli Suite. Whenever an issue happens, rather than going to technical support, if you find the exact issue in Google, you can get tech notes for that particular issue."
"NetCool has a huge database that can collect and process about one million alarms a day."
"Tivoli NetCool allows us to grasp a lot of data that can be applied toward predictive analytics and auto-remediation."
More IBM Tivoli NetCool pros
"Its main functionality is highly beneficial as it centralizes the management of configuration items across the network."
"The most valuable Real-time fault detection is beneficial as it enables the identification of changes made to a device's configuration through the SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager. This makes it easy to pinpoint which configurations were added or removed, potentially causing network issues. Such changes are saved in logs for future reference."
"I use it for monitoring the entire network for the company. We oversee nodes down, we oversee devices heading up to crossing the threshold for CPU usage. We oversee power so power backups on the switches, we oversee if they're down or if they're failing. We oversee any node down or any router from any vendor."
"The tool is useful for security purposes."
"It is pretty straightforward to set up."
"The installation is straightforward."
"It allows us to manage backups in big companies. It is also useful in managing the configuration changes."
"We push all our configurations to the servers with ease and the logs capture almost all the transactions needed for an internal audit."
More SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager pros
 

Cons

"The solution is too expensive."
"Tivoli NetCool is based on a Linux platform, it would be beneficial if they moved it to Windows because not everyone is acquainted with Linux."
"The solution is not user-friendly."
"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."
"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."
"Tivoli NetCool's has medium scalability - there are some problems with its replications not being mature."
More IBM Tivoli NetCool cons
"Its customer service response could be faster."
"I would like to see more features in terms of wireless reporting and more historical information for client connectivity in SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager."
"There are certain limitations of node-related monitoring"
"The network flow is a problem for this solution."
"It would be great if they include a network service manager, network performance manager, or a privileged assessment in the next release."
"Its look and feel can be improved. They can also put in more effort into building the THWACK community and use the information about various customer issues and requests to build the new releases."
"I'd like to see additional features like support for devices that don't use CLI for configuration backups, expanded inventory support for other vendors beyond Cisco, and compatibility with newer SD WAN devices. These enhancements would further improve the product's versatility and utility for users. we hope for future enhancements, especially in supporting security devices that lack CLI backup options."
"The AI features do not work well."
More SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It costs around 100k for every ten servers, which is lower than similar products from other vendors."
"Licensing fees are paid on a yearly basis."
"The price of the product is too expensive."
"Customers are required to pay a licensing fee."
"I have a yearly subscription."
"Available at a moderate price"
"Pricing is reasonable and competitive."
"Additional costs beyond the standard licensing fee are inevitable."
"With a minimal bundle, we pay about $3000 a year in licensing costs. If you have multiple devices in your network, you must buy the bundle, which is 100% identical for your infrastructure. If you have 15 devices, you need 15 licenses, for example. That's one bundle. You don't pay for anything over and above that."
"The pricing is good."
"The price of the solution is high compared to other solutions."
"You have a base license for 50 devices, and then you can add more licenses as you go."
More SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager pricing and cost advice
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
32%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Educational Organization
6%
Government
13%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

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
What do you like most about SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager?
The configuration compliance aspect of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager allows for easy comparison of configuration settings across branches, ensuring adherence to security guidelines and b...
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager?
The licensing costs of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager are expensive, but considering its reliability, feature enhancements, and support, it is worthwhile.
See all answers
What needs improvement with SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager?
Further improvements in automation are needed. Currently, there are limitations in performing tasks without logging into routers directly, and we expect more comprehensive device control.
See all answers
 

Comparisons

HPE Intelligent Management Center vs IBM Tivoli NetCool Logo
HPE Intelligent Management Center vs IBM Tivoli NetCool
Compared 23% of the time
OpenText Network Node Manager i vs IBM Tivoli NetCool Logo
OpenText Network Node Manager i vs IBM Tivoli NetCool
Compared 22% of the time
Cisco DNA Center vs IBM Tivoli NetCool Logo
Cisco DNA Center vs IBM Tivoli NetCool
Compared 17% of the time
More IBM Tivoli NetCool Competitors
Cisco DNA Center vs SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager Logo
Cisco DNA Center vs SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager
Compared 27% of the time
Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform vs SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager Logo
Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform vs SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager
Compared 8% of the time
ManageEngine Network Configuration Management vs SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager Logo
ManageEngine Network Configuration Management vs SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager
Compared 7% of the time
VMware NSX vs SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager Logo
VMware NSX vs SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager
Compared 6% of the time
OpenText Network Node Manager i vs SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager Logo
OpenText Network Node Manager i vs SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager
Compared 5% of the time
More SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
IBM Tivoli NetCool
June 2025
IBM Tivoli NetCool reportDownload IBM Tivoli NetCool product report
Buyer's Guide
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager
May 2025
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager reportDownload SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager product report
 

Also Known As

Tivoli NetCool
SolarWinds NCM
 

Overview

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
Before you monitor your network, configure it! A reliable and secure network starts with carefully planned, executed, and monitored network configuration and change management. SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager (NCM) saves time and improves network reliability and security by managing configurations, changes, and compliance for routers, switches, and other network devices from Cisco, Juniper, HP, Dell, Brocade, Aruba, Rukus, and more.
SolarWinds
 

Sample Customers

Claranet, Consolidated Communications, Telus, €sterreichische Bundesbahnen (€BB), Telekom Srbija, Bendigo Community Telco, Capgemini, Schweizerische Bundesbahnen (SBB)
United Lincolnshire Hospitals, Air Rarotonga, NetSuite, Thai AirAsia, REA Group, 335th Signal Command, Agilisys, Marine Expeditionary Force
Buyer's Guide
IBM Tivoli NetCool vs. SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager
April 2023
Free Report: IBM Tivoli NetCool vs. SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Tivoli NetCool vs. SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager and other solutions. Updated: April 2023.
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