What is our primary use case?
The solution is similar to a web security appliance. However, it is like filtering on a cloud base, not on-premise. Basically, it is not fully mature, which means it's not yet ready to replace the WSA, however, over a period of time, it could to a certain extent. It's a cloud solution to protect against fake domain IDs. It can be your filtering solution and can also do a few other things with the other features on it.
What is most valuable?
I like that it's a cloud solution.
The best part of Cisco is that Cisco has the second-largest security service cloud for security background checks. That is the big advantage of the Cisco security portfolio.
The solution is extremely stable. It has excellent performance.
The solution can scale if you need it to.
The initial setup is pretty straightforward.
The pricing is reasonable. You can negotiate contracts with Cisco.
Integration is very easy. It's not that complicated. Out of two clients, one had an easy integration, which was something new for me. That said, it did take time as it was the initial setup for me.
What needs improvement?
There are always little items that can be fixed in any solution, however, I don't have any specific complaints.
The first time you set up the solution and have integrations, it may be a bit difficult, however, it gets easier.
The pricing could always be a little bit better.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for about two to three years at this point.
I have been working with Cisco in general since 2013 or 2012.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable and reliable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's been very good so far.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We only have two clients on this solution. There's no more than that. There may be 200 users in total. One client had 150 users and the other had around 100 users.
The product has three visions, it depends on what license you want, or the requirement, to be more precise. Whether you're from an adaptation center, or enterprise center, or utility center, it has different flavors for different kinds of customers.
How are customer service and technical support?
Cisco's technical support has always been quite good. We're quite happy with the level of service they provide to clients.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
One of our clients did use a different solution. We ended up replacing it with Cisco Umbrella.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is not complex at all. It's a very straightforward installation. In terms of the deployment, it hardly will take more than an hour to two. At that point, it is up and running. A company shouldn't have any trouble with the initial setup.
That said, security is always an ongoing process. It's a security product and therefore there's always work to do with it.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution has three types of licenses that cover a variety of different company types.
In terms of a commercial contract, it's about getting a discount, which you can arrange for the clients more often than not, so it's fine. It is not overly expensive.
That said, I have not pitched Cisco Umbrella for any clients for the last six to eight months. Due to COVID, I'm not getting a time or interest for doing any POC on this right now.
What other advice do I have?
We are partners with Cisco.
I haven't done any POCs with this solution in the last 10 months or so, and I only have two clients on the product.
I would recommend the solution. I'd rate it at a seven out of ten overall. We've been mostly happy with the product.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Integrator