Cisco DNA Center vs OpenText Network Automation comparison

Cisco and OpenText are both solutions in the Network Automation category. Cisco is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.0, while OpenText is ranked #7 with an average rating of 9.0. Cisco holds a 14.5% mindshare in NA, compared to OpenText’s 2.2% mindshare. Additionally, 89% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 80% of OpenText users who would recommend it.

Cisco DNA Center

Read 41 Cisco DNA Center reviews

2,518 Views
1,554 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

OpenText Network Automation

Read 5 OpenText Network Automation reviews

326 Views
212 Comparison Views

80% willing to recommend

Cisco DNA Center

OpenText Network Automation

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 6, 2025

OpenText Network Automation and Cisco DNA Center are competing products in network management. Cisco DNA Center seems to have an upper hand due to its comprehensive features that appeal to complex network environments, whereas OpenText offers more competitive pricing.

Features: OpenText Network Automation provides efficient network management with robust automation capabilities, excelling in compliance management and integration with IT management solutions. Cisco DNA Center offers advanced features like AI-driven analytics, policy-based automation, and enhanced security controls, catering to complex network environments.

Room for Improvement: OpenText Network Automation could enhance its AI analytics and broaden its security control offerings. Expanding its integration capabilities with diverse hardware might increase its appeal. Cisco DNA Center might work on reducing setup complexity and improving non-Cisco hardware compatibility. Simplifying its pricing structure could also be beneficial for broader market penetration.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: OpenText Network Automation offers a straightforward deployment process with both on-premises and cloud-based options, backed by responsive support. Cisco DNA Center integrates efficiently into Cisco network infrastructures, offering streamlined installation with extensive support documentation and proactive services, especially in Cisco-centric environments.

Pricing and ROI: OpenText Network Automation is often commended for its cost-effectiveness, providing a good ROI with a lower setup cost. Cisco DNA Center, despite its higher initial cost, offers an extensive feature set justifying its price in complex deployments. The decision often depends on whether an organization values enhanced functionality enough to justify a higher expenditure.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco DNA Center vs. OpenText Network Automation Report (Updated: March 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center vs. OpenText Network Automation

March 2025

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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

Cisco DNA Center

Ranking in Network Automation

2nd

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Management Applications (1st), Network Monitoring Software (12th)

OpenText Network Automation

Ranking in Network Automation

7th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Network Automation category, the mindshare of Cisco DNA Center is 14.5%, down from 18.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of OpenText Network Automation is 2.2%, down from 2.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Automation

Featured Reviews

AvrahamSonenthal

Senior Network Engineer at Inside Global

Efficiently manages our wireless network and provides valuable monitoring features

The platform's biggest benefit has been in managing our wireless network. Having a single pane of glass to control all wireless controllers and access points and to monitor activity has been a significant advantage. We're a small federal agency with around 300 network devices, so automation is a minor focus. It's more relevant for larger networks. The main benefits we've seen are in inventory management and the potential for configuration automation. However, I recommend using the DNA Centre only for larger networks with over a thousand devices; otherwise, it may not be cost-effective. Before proceeding, ensure that your devices are compatible with DNA Center, as not all Cisco devices are supported. Also, investing in proper training is different from plug-and-play. I rate it an eight.

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reviewer1480065

Service Operations Engineer at ATOS

Allows to upload necessary firmware to your device and perform the upgrade

With OpenText Network Automation, firmware can be uploaded for specific devices. If you need to upgrade a device, you can use this tool, though it may not apply to all devices. The software allows you to upload the necessary firmware to your device and perform the upgrade. Additionally, it enables you to check multiple devices for specific configurations and automates the search process and the configuration of multiple devices.

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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

"We can monitor all devices and get the required information using the product."

"The most valuable features of the solution are all of its security features...It is a highly scalable solution."

"I like that we can easily configure any new hardware. It's also easy to deploy and easy to troubleshoot."

"The solution helps with the management and orchestration of campaigns. It helps with visibility and analytics. I also like its SDA configuration."

"The most valuable feature of Cisco DNA Center is the AI (Artificial Intelligence) that provides us with valuable information."

"The most valuable features were the monitoring, maintenance, and configuration."

"Has a good processing feature with a high level of accuracy."

"It is simple to manage and it is all done from a single dashboard."

More Cisco DNA Center pros

"When compared with SolarWinds, it is more user-friendly, and tasks can be completed more quickly."

"With OpenText Network Automation, firmware can be uploaded for specific devices. If you need to upgrade a device, you can use this tool, though it may not apply to all devices."

"Pushing the network configuration to bulk devices. This saves a considerable amount of time that the engineer spends in pushing the network configuration."

Cons

"There should be an option for automation of template deployment by using the stored data. It is not easy to save configuration information for lots of devices without using other tools. There should be a tighter, better repository of information that can be merged with the templates."

"Cisco DNA Center was a new technology for us, at the beginning, it was not easy to do, but Cisco did a lot of training with us to a level we could handle everything. The team is managing itself now without the assistance of Cisco."

"An area for improvement in Cisco DNA Center is the latency in data correlation. For example, sometimes, when an issue happens, and I check the logs, I can't find the corresponding log. There's a delay in log replication, so this is what needs improvement in Cisco DNA Center. Reporting in Cisco DNA Center could also be improved because it only has a few templates, and you can't customize it based on your requirements. There aren't many options available in Cisco DNA Center regarding reporting, versus Cisco Prime, which has excellent features for different levels of detailed reports. I'd like to see real-time data replication in the next release of Cisco DNA Center, similar to what's done in Meraki. Data in Meraki is real-time with no delay, so data is immediately replicated in the cloud. Currently, there's a lag in Cisco DNA Center, and addressing that lag is the enhancement I'd like to see in Cisco DNA Center. The solution also needs to be more user-friendly."

"DNA Center has been on the market for a few years and they need to update it."

"The solution's integration feature can be better."

"The tool's IoT integration should be better."

"It seems to be a little bit more centered toward wireless than wired. You've got more options you can do wirelessly than you can with the wired switches, but it works for what we need it to do. We would like to see a little bit more about the traffic, and we're looking at what's out there to see about that. We are looking at something that might give us a bit more insight into the actual traffic. If they had the full functionality on the wired side, as they do on the wireless side in terms of being able to view traffic and everything, it would be good."

"What I want to see in Cisco DNA Center in the future is more support for other platforms so that you can manage third-party products, such as Fortinet."

More Cisco DNA Center cons

"The tool performs slowly."

"Compatibility of the devices needs to be enhanced, as it seems to be limited."

"Level one administration task can be defined in Micro Focus Network Automation but it could be more simplified."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The tool's licensing may not come across as something that may be friendly for users."

"Licensing for Cisco DNA Center is a little bit expensive, just like any Cisco solution. Its cost could still be improved."

"Cisco DNA Center is a licensed product with multiple levels of licensing available such as basic, advanced, and essential. I don't have the exact figure, but Cisco DNA Center is costly. For example, the box has information about the essential license and costs a considerable amount of money. You need to pay extra to use advanced features in Cisco DNA Center. My company sees Cisco DNA Center as a solution that's worth the money, which is why it invested in the solution. If you want centralized management for your network, especially when upgrading it, Cisco DNA Center is perfect, but it's more suitable for a large-scale rather than a small-scale network."

"I rate the product's pricing an eight on a scale of one to ten, where one is very cheap, and ten is very expensive."

"The product is very costly."

"The price could be better. It's a very expensive tool."

"It is an expensive solution."

"I would rate the pricing a six out of ten, with ten being expensive."

More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice

"Pricing is reasonable, but if you compare it with other network Operation Management tools that are available on the market, it's expensive."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Government

20%

Computer Software Company

18%

Financial Services Firm

16%

Wholesaler/Distributor

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco DNA Center?

The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that it gives some kind of ease in operations, especially since our company is moving from CLI to GUI-based configuration.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco DNA Center?

The cost is very high.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco DNA Center?

The system is working fine for me currently.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Micro Focus Network Automation?

The tool performs slowly.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Micro Focus Network Automation?

There is a team responsible for network automation to check devices for compliance. I connect to the device, make the necessary configurations, and inform the team that certain rules must be remove...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Micro Focus Network Automation?

When managing a large number of devices, network automation simplifies the process of locating specific configurations. For example, if you need to find a particular configuration, network automati...

See all answers

Comparisons

Cisco Catalyst Center vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 10% of the time

Juniper Mist Wired Assurance vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 7% of the time

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 7% of the time

Fortinet FortiManager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 7% of the time

Meraki Dashboard vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 6% of the time

More Cisco DNA Center Competitors

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs OpenText Network Automation

Compared 61% of the time

BMC TrueSight Network Automation vs OpenText Network Automation

Compared 39% of the time

More OpenText Network Automation Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center

March 2025

Download Cisco DNA Center product report

Buyer's Guide

Network Automation

March 2025

Download OpenText Network Automation product report

Also Known As

DNA Center

Micro Focus Network Automation, HPE Network Automation

Overview

Cisco DNA Center offers a comprehensive platform for network automation and management, providing detailed analytics, enhanced security, and streamlined operations for both wired and wireless networks.

Cisco DNA Center integrates with Cisco infrastructure to deliver efficient network automation and management, helping organizations improve network visibility, security, and control. It supports AI-driven analytics and automated workflows to enhance operational efficiency and reduce errors. Challenges include compatibility with third-party systems, steep learning curve, and complex deployment. Its interface facilitates centralized control, vital for troubleshooting, policy management, and configuration management, with support for zero-touch provisioning and SD-Access.

What are the key features of Cisco DNA Center?

Robust Analytics: Provides detailed insights into network health with AI-driven analytics.
Centralized Security: Integrates with ISE for comprehensive security management.
Automated Device Management: Simplifies device provisioning and configuration transfers.
Wi-Fi Analytics: Offers deep insights into wireless network performance.
Zero-Touch Provisioning: Streamlines new device deployments with minimal human intervention.
Scalable Segmentation: Efficiently segments network traffic ensuring security and performance.

What benefits should users consider?

Operational Efficiency: Automation reduces potential errors and streamlines workflow.
Enhanced Security: Integration with Cisco ISE bolsters security capabilities.
Network Visibility: Comprehensive dashboards and analysis tools enhance monitoring.
Troubleshooting: Real-time monitoring aids in identifying and resolving issues swiftly.

In sectors such as healthcare, finance, and retail, Cisco DNA Center is utilized for its ability to enhance security and compliance, manage large-scale networks, and provide detailed analytics for better operational decision-making. Its support for location tracking and policy automation ensures efficient network management across diverse environments.

Cisco

OpenText Network Automation helps IT organizations drive efficiencies by automating time-consuming manual compliance and network configuration tasks for the complete operational lifecycle of network devices from provisioning to policy-based network configuration management, compliance policy enforcement and reporting, and security administration. OpenText Network Automation also helps increase network stability and uptime by preventing inconsistencies and misconfigurations often created by manual processes. When combined with OpenText Network Node Manager i, it delivers a unique integrated solution that delivers network fault, availability, and performance integrated with change, network configuration, compliance, and automated diagnostics that operates from a shared network topology database.

OpenText

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Tech Mahindra, Avea, China Merchants Bank, NNIT, Distinctive Software Solutions, Virgin Media, NEC Australia, Osiatis, Hostworks, Retegal, Allianz Shared Infrastructure Services SE (ASIC), State of Kansas Division of Information Services and Communications (DISC)

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center vs. OpenText Network Automation

March 2025

Free Report: Cisco DNA Center vs. OpenText Network Automation

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