What is our primary use case?
From Extreme, there is Extreme CloudIQ.
How has it helped my organization?
The universal switches have addressed and resolved many of the issues found in previous versions. This has led to improved performance, with the switches now being smaller in size yet more powerful.
What is most valuable?
Extreme Networks is the only one that has this kind of universal switch.
It simplifies things greatly. Customers no longer have to worry about the price differences between traditional and fabric technology switches, which used to have their own pricing. This has made it easier for us as solution providers to tailor options for our customers with fewer but more suitable choices.
What needs improvement?
Security features do exist, and they're mostly common with other switches. What makes these switches unique is the ability to see application layers on the switch, but not directly through the switch. There are tools from Extreme Networks that allow visibility of such traffic, which other switches lack.
Extreme CloudIQ analytics can analyze all the traffic on Extreme Switches up to layer seven, offering full visibility. However, this tool is necessary for such detailed analytics and might not be compatible with some third-party products.
Improvements are always possible. One suggestion from a customer about Universal switches was to merge the two operating systems into one to create a new, unified OS, but that would take a lot of time and might affect stability. Juniper did that with their firmware and faced customer issues.
So, creating a new OS is a tough call. From Enterasys Campus Compass, they're doing well, but the Data Center Switches aren't.
Data Center switches, like Extreme Switching for data center networks. Those are separate categories from the Campus Switches.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using it for almost 11 years now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
For critical network operations, it is very reliable, especially in campus environments. Extreme Networks provides robust solutions, including the Enterasys solution, ensuring reliability and stability for critical operations without downtimes or stability issues.
It's essential for network operations to be reliable and what sets Extreme apart is the durability of their switches. They're designed for heavy-duty use, and capable of operating in less than ideal conditions without the need for perfect cooling systems, unlike some other brands. This makes Extreme Network switches exceptionally reliable and durable compared to Cisco.
It is very powerful and heavy-duty device.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's very flexible. For instance, Extreme Networks has always been good with scalability. If you have a switch with 44 ports and want to expand, you can simply stack it with another switch, even if it's a different model, like 48 to 60 ports. This flexibility and scalability are unique to Extreme Networks.
How are customer service and support?
The customer service and support are good. I prefer vendors who provide technical support directly, unlike others who contract third-party services.
Extreme Networks has its own team, which is a significant advantage. Support is accessed through email or their technical support portal, and Enterasys has a unified number for direct calls in critical situations.
Response times depend on the service level agreement (SLA), generally within 10 to 15 minutes for critical issues.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Cisco is the market leader for Campus Switches. In networking, there are two types of technology: stable or traditional networking, and next-generation technology, called fabric technology.
Cisco, Extreme, and Juniper all offer fabric technology, which became available through acquisitions, like Extreme acquiring Avaya switches. They rebranded and improved them.
Now, there are switches for traditional networks and switches for fabric networks. VSP switches are an example. Extreme acquired them rebranded them, and improved them. So now Extreme has two types of switches: traditional campus switches and fabric campus switches.
VSP switches were previously Avaya's data center switches. When Extreme acquired them, they ended up with two hardware options: traditional networking and VSP for fabric networking.
Because they have multiple LAN hardware options, it's difficult for them to manage and manufacture all the switch hardware. So, they merged these two switches into one.
For example, traditional switches have their own operating system, a firmware or OS called XOS. Avaya has its own operating system called VOS. Each switch or hardware has its own operating system.
What Extreme did was merge the two hardware platforms into one but kept both operating systems on the same hardware. So, when you boot up the switch, it asks you which operating system you want to select: XOS for traditional networking or VOS for next-generation fabric networking.
Making it easier for customers to select the operating system they prefer, whether it's traditional networking or fabric networking, is truly next-generation.
And no other vendor has done this before. Extreme Networks uniquely unified the hardware in a very smart way, reducing the number of hardware models to make it easier for pre-sales and solution architects to choose the best options. Previously, there were so many models and it was quite a headache.
That's why these switches universal switches. It means you can select any operating system you want.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is lower compared to others. The price itself is good, but the economic crisis is causing them to raise prices occasionally. It's out of their control.
Prices are going up for most devices, but Enterasys still offers good value. They're very supportive, and our long-term partnership gives us some flexibility.
What other advice do I have?
The value and support provided justify the cost. I would recommend Extreme Networks to those considering their solutions.
Overall, Extreme Networks deserves a nine out of ten for its outstanding service and product quality.
