What is our primary use case?
Cisco Duo is primarily used for two-factor authentication to access the company network.
What is most valuable?
The features of Cisco Duo that I appreciate most include an administrator's ability to see an overall view of what types of devices users use, which helps identify risks from endpoints that might not be secure enough anymore, and you can see it in one single glance.
The benefit of this feature for my company is that it provides an easy view to see what users are doing, especially with the challenge of bring your own device. Many companies do not want to provide a company device but allow users a budget to buy what they need. If someone wants an expensive iPhone, they have to contribute some of their own money to fit it within their budget, which avoids extra costs for the company while still providing insight into what users are doing.
What needs improvement?
Regarding the pricing, setup costs, and licensing, I find that for some companies using Azure, they question why they should switch when they already have Microsoft Authenticator, which can make it commercially challenging when explaining why they need to transition to Cisco Duo. I believe you do not want everything with Azure, but it is advantageous to have your security through a security or network company, which can sometimes be difficult to communicate.
There could be better communication in explaining to customers why they need Cisco Duo. Some customers, even at high management levels, express confusion about why they should pay when a free option is available.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have not experienced any downtime or performance issues with Cisco Duo. There was one instance of a connection problem, but support resolved it in just a couple of hours.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Cisco Duo scaled very smoothly to meet my company's growing needs and fits our requirements very well.
How are customer service and support?
When evaluating the support and technical service of Cisco Duo, I find it excellent. The team understands problems quickly and helps us very efficiently. I would rate the customer service and technical support a nine out of ten.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Prior to adopting Cisco Duo, I was using Microsoft Authenticator for two-factor authentication as the only other option.
The factors that influenced my consideration for a change were scalability, as it can be utilized for more than just basic needs, and the insight it provides. I appreciate that not only can a user log in with their passcode, but administrators have visibility into user activity, allowing you to see a single dashboard view in Cisco Duo, which is very easy.
How was the initial setup?
My experience with deploying Cisco Duo was that it worked well. The first time for me, I thought this is it and it is working.
What was our ROI?
I have not really seen a return on investment with Cisco Duo, as for me it is more about including Cisco Duo if it is part of the deal when we design a new network and security is required, and two-factor authentication is needed.
From a partner or integrator perspective, I believe Cisco Duo has helped reduce overall authentication-related costs, as the backend is very easy to manage. In large projects, I estimate the reduction in costs with Cisco Duo might be around twenty to twenty-five percent, sometimes more, sometimes less. It depends on the specific situation, but the ease of use and the efficiency of the help desk also contribute to this, as I had a good experience when I needed them once.
For me, the choice to invest in Cisco Duo pays off as I see it as an essential component when selling a network, incorporating it within the discussion around security and Zero Trust principles.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
In considering other solutions before choosing Cisco Duo, Microsoft Azure with Microsoft Authenticator came up as a competitor, and in the enterprise, I think Cisco Duo stands out as one of the biggest competitors I know, primarily because of how easy it is to integrate on the backend.
What other advice do I have?
I think Cisco Duo is doing a great job overall. If I look at it and compare it to other two-factor authentication tools, the backend is very insightful.
It is already very easy to add Cisco Duo at your website or service, such as with Cisco Meraki, where the integration is very seamless, but also with tools against key loggers. It is just click, next, next, and it is always working for me.
The winning point for Cisco Duo over others is its simplicity. It is just a security solution in a box, and it integrates very easily.
My advice to other companies considering Cisco Duo is to do a trial to check it out and see at the backend what capabilities you have, and then try it. I would rate this product an eight out of ten overall.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partnership