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Cisco UCS Manager vs Dell CloudIQ comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 9, 2024

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 UCS Manager
Ranking in IT Infrastructure Monitoring
19th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
27
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Dell CloudIQ
Ranking in IT Infrastructure Monitoring
33rd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
9
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the IT Infrastructure Monitoring category, the mindshare of Cisco UCS Manager is 1.4%, down from 1.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Dell CloudIQ is 0.9%, down from 1.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
IT Infrastructure Monitoring
 

Featured Reviews

Edwin Mwosa - PeerSpot reviewer
Enhanced network oversight with rapid issue identification and good efficiency
We mainly use Cisco UCS Manager to integrate and manage our Cisco switches across the building. We also utilize it for network integration. It provides an integrated solution for our Cisco environment, streamlining our operations and managing multiple Cisco devices like switches and routers Cisco…
ClaudioSalgado - PeerSpot reviewer
Has proactive monitoring with predictive insights and a user-friendly interface
Some of the most valuable features of CloudIQ include its health status alerts, which allow you to see quickly if there is something that needs immediate attention, preventing the need to check each system individually. It provides a status with traffic light colors, where red indicates danger, yellow means attention is needed, and green represents normal conditions to easily understand the health of the environment. The quick overview aids in decision-making. Additionally, CloudIQ's predictive capabilities, which are enhanced by artificial intelligence, have improved operational efficiency by providing proactive information to prevent issues before they arise.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"For the blade architecture and ease of use, I consider Cisco UCS Manager the best option on the market at the moment."
"Cisco UCS has different layers of security, and you can do multiple installations of your LIAMs on top of the server and Blade. You can install VMware, Windows Server, Hyper-V, etc."
"Creating UCS service profiles for quickly deploying servers and replicating that configuration to another server makes it easier for deployment."
"It's robust."
"The flexibility and the ease in which the features can be expanded are the solution's most valuable aspects."
"One of the valuable features is the user interface base."
"A main feature of Cisco UCS Manager is its reliability, as all of the computing blades are in cluster mode."
"We can configure the Cisco UCS Manager, the profiles and interactions with the resource we manage."
"Has really nice roll-up dashboards."
"CloudIQ allows us to monitor our servers centrally, and we can receive notifications in case of issues, like a potential hard drive failure."
"Some of the most valuable features of CloudIQ include its health status alerts, which allow you to see quickly if there is something that needs immediate attention, preventing the need to check each system individually."
"Fewer vulnerabilities have been observed in the four years we have used the solution."
"It's convenient because you can access it from a mobile device without needing a laptop."
"The best thing about this solution is that you can check for the infrastructure and system updates that you might need to be compliant with the Cloud."
"The tool for forecasting capacity is valuable."
"CloudIQ allows us to monitor our servers centrally, and we can receive notifications in case of issues, like a potential hard drive failure."
 

Cons

"The primary challenge we face is identifying the correct version to deploy during firmware upgrades or compute updates."
"The pricing aspect should be addressed."
"The solution's pricing is high and could be reduced."
"I found it a bit of a challenge to get training on UCSM. I've been trying to get that for some time now. I feel like I have to figure it out a lot of things myself. For years I've to log calls with support whenever I've got challenges that I cannot resolve. If I had some training or more manuals, I'd be better able to handle more things on my own."
"I want to be able to schedule multiple sequential updates in one go."
"The integration with other solutions could be better. I think Cisco can only integrate using Intersight. There is a second interface available as a SaaS platform, in the cloud, or on-premise. It's based on the Redfish protocol, which is standard for all the B-series servers in the market. We can integrate other solutions using API."
"I would like to see Cisco UCS optionally work as a hyper-converged system because right now, it only operates as a converged system."
"We have three data centers and if we could manage all three data centers using one interface, it would be great."
"Getting through support has become a difficult thing. Dell's support has degraded since they took over EMC. It's a bit difficult to use."
"The reporting capabilities of this solution could be improved."
"The process of upgrading could be streamlined."
"Doesn't do well in terms of integrating with technologies other than Dell."
"If you have a heterogeneous environment, there might be some limitations in coverage since CloudIQ is primarily designed for Dell-based infrastructures."
"It can improve the reporting facility to create custom reports or dashboards."
"There is a need for improvement in predictive maintenance, which I assume is somewhat AI-driven."
"Supporting legacy systems is an area that can be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Cisco UCS Manager’s annual licensing fee is expensive."
"We need to take a license for each port, which amounts to a big sum."
"With product discounts which can be negotiated, the product is a great value."
"The pricing for Cisco UCS Manager is okay for its market, so it's a four out of five for me."
"Cisco UCS is more expensive than Dell and HP, but it is more reliable. I see less issues and it's quite stable."
"You buy the hardware and then you get Cisco UCS Manager for free."
"The solution is more expensive than NetApp which offers file systems in various price ranges."
"I believe it is a free product because we don't pay for it."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
25%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
6%
Manufacturing Company
17%
Computer Software Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Government
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco UCS Manager?
When one server fails, we can attach the service profile to a new server, which saves a lot of time.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco UCS Manager?
My experience with the pricing of Cisco UCS Manager ( /products/cisco-ucs-manager-reviews ) is that it is reasonable. Recently, we acquired an excellent bundle with significant discounts, with offe...
What needs improvement with Cisco UCS Manager?
For improvements, while the current graphical user interface is satisfactory, it could be further simplified for different tasks. While it has been improved from using Java to HTML, simplifying the...
What needs improvement with Dell CloudIQ?
It can improve the reporting facility to create custom reports or dashboards.
What is your primary use case for Dell CloudIQ?
I use it for monitoring environment security today. I look at security, capacity, and availability in our environment.
What advice do you have for others considering Dell CloudIQ?
I would rate the overall product an eight out of ten.
 

Comparisons

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Management Science Associates, Peak 10, Virtual Consulting Professionals
North Carolina State University
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco UCS Manager vs. Dell CloudIQ and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
851,604 professionals have used our research since 2012.