CA Unified Communications Monitor vs SolarWinds NPM comparison

Broadcom and SolarWinds are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Broadcom is ranked #89, while SolarWinds is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.5. Broadcom holds a 0.5% mindshare in NMS, compared to SolarWinds’s 3.6% mindshare. Additionally, 50% of Broadcom users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of SolarWinds users who would recommend it.

CA Unified Communications M...

Read 2 CA Unified Communications Monitor reviews

2,046 Views
1,412 Comparison Views

50% willing to recommend

SolarWinds NPM

Read 160 SolarWinds NPM reviews

20,239 Views
15,584 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

CA Unified Communications M...

SolarWinds NPM

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 9, 2024

SolarWinds NPM and CA Unified Communications Monitor are competing network monitoring products. Data comparisons suggest SolarWinds NPM has an advantage in pricing and customer support, but CA Unified Communications Monitor stands out in features, appealing to tech buyers seeking comprehensive solutions.

Features: SolarWinds NPM offers extensive network performance metrics, customizable alerting systems, and precise monitoring capabilities. CA Unified Communications Monitor provides robust VoIP monitoring, in-depth analysis tools, and advanced communication features catering to enterprises with intensive communication needs.

Room for Improvement: SolarWinds NPM could enhance its communication monitoring, provide more in-depth analysis tools, and expand its VoIP capabilities. CA Unified Communications Monitor may improve its pricing model, ease of deployment, and overall customer support to match the competitive market.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SolarWinds NPM is recognized for straightforward deployment and quality customer support suitable for various IT infrastructures. CA Unified Communications Monitor offers comprehensive deployment options with configuration flexibility, though it might require more setup time, balancing it with notable customer support.

Pricing and ROI: SolarWinds NPM offers a competitive pricing model aligned with setup costs, delivering significant value and favorable ROI. CA Unified Communications Monitor may require more upfront investment but offers high ROI through specialized communication monitoring features, valuable for businesses prioritizing unified communications.

To learn more, read our detailed CA Unified Communications Monitor vs. SolarWinds NPM Report (Updated: June 2026).

Buyer's Guide

CA Unified Communications Monitor vs. SolarWinds NPM

June 2026

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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

CA Unified Communications M...

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

89th

Ranking in IT Infrastructure Monitoring

60th

Average Rating

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Unified Communications Monitoring (3rd)

SolarWinds NPM

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

2nd

Ranking in IT Infrastructure Monitoring

4th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

160

Ranking in other categories

Cloud Monitoring Software (8th)

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of CA Unified Communications Monitor is 0.5%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SolarWinds NPM is 3.6%, down from 4.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Monitoring Software Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
SolarWinds NPM	3.6%
CA Unified Communications Monitor	0.5%
Other	95.9%

Network Monitoring Software

Featured Reviews

itarchit489981

IT Architect at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees

Good end-to-end voice quality monitoring and offers valuable features

The solution should have automatic baseline detection. On the per hour, per base, per week. That's usually the best. And on a per individual CI level. I know that they're working on it and when that's available then we will definitely implement it because it will reduce the effort we need to maintain all the products. Right now we have to set thresholds for every location, and it needs to be actually dynamic so if we have better thresholding, we'll have faster alarms across all our locations. We won't have to expend effort on it by resetting or checking them on a regular basis.

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Vivek Jaiswal

Manager IT at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Central monitoring has improved outage alerts and now needs smarter detection and modern dashboards

Regarding the automated network topology and mapping feature in SolarWinds NPM, I am not satisfied with it. For static monitoring, it is acceptable. However, if it is possible, I would need a feature in SolarWinds in the future for some kind of malfunctioning detection, such as malware attacks or that type of environment. We did not have any facility to detect that in SolarWinds. I think it would be better to incorporate those types of features. Regarding customization options in SolarWinds, the ability to customize the dashboard has room for improvement. The dashboard is quite old, and we need some improvement in it. Nowadays, we have multiple tools with AI-based monitoring and web-based dashboards. SolarWinds also has a web-based dashboard, but I think there is scope for improvement in the UI. There may be other areas I would like to improve in SolarWinds NPM.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Good end-to-end monitoring"

"We use the solution to meet the needs of the customer."

"For us, it's very key to know the voice quality of the total solution, which is based on many components across many domains."

"SolarWinds NPM has helped our organization by proactively indicating if we are low on resources for a particular server."

"The most valuable features are language support and technical support."

"The alerting and usage tracking notifications on disk space capacity, network and processor utilization."

"The set up was very easy. We didn't have any problems with the setup. The deployment took less than an hour."

"The alerting system in SolarWinds NPM aids in proactive network management."

"As a large school district, I can tell you that NPM is very valuable to us."

"It's just having visibility of the entire networking estate for myself and for my clients; that's the main benefit of it and it's probably the best product out there."

"It's a very good tool and a very stable tool."

More SolarWinds NPM pros

Cons

"The solution should have automatic baseline detection."

"All the features and functions of the solution can be improved, specifically the user experience."

"SolarWinds needs to upscale on observability and add full-fledged observability features, including security features."

"The product is scalable, but at a cost. Extra modules have to be purchased for each extra server. The initial set up isn't complex, but will require someone who is experienced with the network monitoring system"

"There are still huge concerns about security."

"The only real caveat that we have or that I have an issue with is when I go on vacation, it's a little hard for me to go and modify alerts so that I don't get alerted about things when I'm on vacation."

"An area for improvement would be the use of modular licenses, which are not practical for big clients."

"Currently lacks integration with SMS services."

"The integration with video apps could be better."

"They could make the process of adding various devices easier and more intuitive."

More SolarWinds NPM cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"You have to license it per year, for the support. You don't really need to have support once you've already set it up. Once you install SolarWinds, you can skip on the licensing. It will still work."

"SolarWinds NPM has different pricing models available. The cost of the solution is less than some competitors."

"SolarWinds is expensive. That's why it's primarily banks using the solution. Small businesses can't afford it. Due to its pricing, most smaller enterprises like manufacturing companies are not interested. For example, we have a client who is also interested in traffic monitoring, but they are not purchasing SolarWinds because of the cost."

"It is too expensive."

"We have a perpetual license for this solution, and my impression is that this solution is cheap."

"USD $15,000 annually for maintenance."

"There are a lot of sub-products and it just continued to increase the price."

"The cost is based on the number of nodes, so it is expensive when you have a lot of them."

More SolarWinds NPM pricing and cost advice

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Comparison Review

it_user174738

IT Developer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

May 31, 2015

Nagios vs. Zabbix vs. PRTG vs. Spiceworks vs. Solarwinds Network Performance Monitor

I have researched a quite a few network monitoring tools which can be used for various monitoring purposes of not only the servers, but the intermediate routers as well. There are majorly three types of these softwares. Ones which are completely open-source, you can do almost anything you want…

Read full review

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Construction Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	59
Midsize Enterprise	33
Large Enterprise	86

Questions from the Community

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What is the best network monitoring software for large enterprises?

It actually depends on the exact purpose or kind of devices (network devices, servers, something else). Some tools are better for only network devices while others are better for a cloud monitoring...

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What is the best network monitoring software for large enterprises?

From my point of view, SolarWind is the best tool.

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What is the best network monitoring software for large enterprises?

We are partners with SolarWinds and we sell a lot of Network management to large enterprises also because of scalability, products like Network Performance Monitor & Netflow Traffic Analyzer ar...

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Comparisons

Zabbix vs CA Unified Communications Monitor

Compared 9% of the time

StackState vs CA Unified Communications Monitor

Compared 8% of the time

BMC TrueSight vs CA Unified Communications Monitor

Compared 6% of the time

Precisely Network Management vs CA Unified Communications Monitor

Compared 6% of the time

Icinga vs CA Unified Communications Monitor

Compared 6% of the time

More CA Unified Communications Monitor Competitors

ManageEngine OpManager vs SolarWinds NPM

Compared 3% of the time

Nagios XI vs SolarWinds NPM

Compared 3% of the time

DX Spectrum vs SolarWinds NPM

Compared 3% of the time

Zabbix vs SolarWinds NPM

Compared 3% of the time

PRTG Network Monitor vs SolarWinds NPM

Compared 2% of the time

More SolarWinds NPM Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

CA Unified Communications Monitor vs. Ixia Hawkeye

June 2026

CA Unified Communications Monitor report

Download CA Unified Communications Monitor product report

Buyer's Guide

SolarWinds NPM

May 2026

Download SolarWinds NPM product report

Also Known As

CA UC Monitor

Solarwinds Network Performance Monitor, SolarWinds Network Bandwidth Analyzer

Overview

CA Unified Communications Monitor provides real-time insight into communication networks, ensuring seamless connectivity and performance.

Designed for efficient management of unified communications, CA Unified Communications Monitor helps organizations monitor, diagnose, and manage their network and communication services efficiently. It delivers critical network visibility, allowing IT teams to quickly identify and resolve performance issues. Built with scalability in mind, it supports environments of all sizes, adapting to evolving network demands.

What are the key features of CA Unified Communications Monitor?

Real-time Monitoring: Provides live updates and dashboards for continuous network performance oversight.
Scalability: Handles growing network demands effortlessly, supporting various organization sizes.
Comprehensive Reporting: Offers detailed analytics and reporting to help in troubleshooting and performance analysis.
Custom Alerts: Configures alerts for proactive issue management, ensuring quick response to potential disruptions.

What benefits can users expect when evaluating CA Unified Communications Monitor?

Improved Network Performance: Enhances overall communication quality by addressing bottlenecks promptly.
Cost Efficiency: Reduces downtime and maintenance costs through proactive monitoring and quick issue resolution.
Enhanced User Satisfaction: Ensures a seamless user experience with consistent communication services.
Operational Agility: Adapts easily to growing network needs, supporting efficient management processes.

Industries such as finance, healthcare, and education benefit significantly from CA Unified Communications Monitor implementation. It ensures stable connections for remote consultations in healthcare, supports financial data transmission, and enables interactive learning experiences in education. By facilitating uninterrupted and high-quality communications, it directly contributes to business continuity and improved operational outcomes.

Broadcom

SolarWinds NPM is a network performance monitoring tool offering a user-friendly interface with customizable dashboards. It provides real-time tracking of device health, latency, and bandwidth utilization, supporting diverse integration and scalability needs.

SolarWinds NPM's robust features include real-time monitoring of network performance and efficient tracking of device health, latency, and bandwidth utilization. The tool is appreciated for its ease of deployment, scalability, and support for integration with other tools. Features like SNMP monitoring, NetPath, and comprehensive reporting enhance its diagnostic capabilities and network visibility. However, users identify areas for improvement such as real-time analytics, advanced customization options, and enhanced scalability for larger enterprises. Better customer support, improved integrations, and security measures are also desired.

What are the key features of SolarWinds NPM?

User-Friendly Interface: Simplifies navigation and operation.
Customizable Dashboards: Allows personalized data views.
Real-Time Monitoring: Provides instant updates on network performance.
Strong Alerting Capabilities: Offers immediate notifications for issues.
Scalability: Supports growth with ease.
Integration: Works smoothly with other tools for comprehensive monitoring.
SNMP Monitoring: Tracks device stats effectively.
NetPath: Helps visualize network paths and performance.

What benefits and ROI can users expect?

Improved Network Visibility: Enables proactive issue resolution.
Enhanced Diagnostics: Facilitates quicker troubleshooting.
Real-Time Performance Data: Supports informed decision-making.
Ease of Deployment: Reduces setup time and complexity.
Infrastructure Monitoring: Ensures network stability and reliability.
Custom Integration: Adapts to existing IT environments.

In enterprise environments, SolarWinds NPM is deployed to monitor network health and device status, sending alerts for any issues. It provides visibility into network performance, tracking bandwidth utilization and server metrics efficiently. Its applications span from monitoring routers, switches, and firewalls to supporting infrastructure monitoring across industries.

SolarWinds

Sample Customers

BBVA Compass

Microsoft, Federal Express, Hewlett-Packard, and MasterCard

Buyer's Guide

CA Unified Communications Monitor vs. SolarWinds NPM

June 2026

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