

Cisco Umbrella and IBM NS1 Connect compete in the cloud-based security solutions category. Cisco Umbrella has the upper hand in pricing and customer support, while IBM NS1 Connect excels in features and overall value based on user reviews.
Features: Users appreciate the robust threat intelligence, DNS-layer security, and ease of integration of Cisco Umbrella. IBM NS1 Connect is favored for its advanced traffic management, superior customization options, and scalable architecture.
Room for Improvement: User reviews suggest enhancing reporting functionalities, improving UI/UX, and reducing false positives for Cisco Umbrella. For IBM NS1 Connect, users recommend improving integration capabilities, simplifying the setup process, and refining the support documentation.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Umbrella is praised for its straightforward deployment and reliable customer service. IBM NS1 Connect, while powerful, has a steeper learning curve and less responsive support.
Pricing and ROI: Users find Cisco Umbrella more cost-effective, appreciating its quick ROI. IBM NS1 Connect, despite higher upfront costs, is considered worth the investment due to its rich feature set.
Cisco is a big brand in the networking domain, but in security, they are pushing a lot and improving day by day.
From my point of view, the biggest return on investment when using the solution is that it makes it a lot easier to delegate some of the tasks that were traditionally used, such as building policies on the firewalls and doing it through Cisco Umbrella.
The biggest return on investment when using Cisco Umbrella for me is the ease of use of the fact that we've deployed this with our Cisco VPN Secure Client, so every computer has the Umbrella module in it.
I have definitely seen a return on investment with IBM NS1 Connect as it has given our organization more control and flexibility in managing DNS at a global scale, which almost was impossible before.
I have seen a return on investment with IBM NS1 Connect, as application uptime has improved by 40% to 45%.
I would rate customer support ten out of ten due to the excellent assistance throughout the POC process.
Cisco's support is fantastic, providing assistance when needed, especially during the initial installation process.
If I don't need to go to support all the time, that means the product is working fine, so I'm very happy with them.
They are very proactive and supportive, available 24/7.
The customer support for IBM NS1 Connect is very proactive and responsive twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
Cisco Umbrella scales incredibly with the growing needs of my organization.
Cisco Umbrella scales really well with the growing needs of my company, bringing the ability to ensure that people are safe and connected.
Cisco Umbrella scales effectively with the growing needs of my company; it's excellent, and I have experienced no issues.
It has managed to handle all my organization's growth.
I have not experienced any major stability issues with Cisco Umbrella.
Cisco Umbrella Secure Access is pretty stable in my mind, and we have not seen many glitches that would have interrupted services at customer locations.
The stability and reliability of the Cisco Umbrella platform have been great.
IBM NS1 Connect is very stable as I have not experienced any lagging or downtime.
IBM NS1 Connect is very stable.
Making it more flexible and easy to deploy, particularly when integrating with other technologies like Active Directory and proxies, would be beneficial.
The product can only shield a small area, making it less effective for larger spaces or multiple users.
I have to write an email to Umbrella support to get assistance, unlike the other products where I can call the Cisco technical assistance center and get an engineer.
Pricing can be more transparent, especially when dealing with tight budgets.
DNS timeout issues should be resolved.
We've bundled that with our firewall stuff and our VPN, which brings the price down and adds the ability to grow.
The only cost associated is the license cost unless additional solutions need to be integrated with Umbrella, which would incur extra costs.
The prices need to be lower as the current pricing is exceedingly high.
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing of IBM NS1 Connect has been that it is one of the most cost-effective tools and very affordable.
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing is that the cost can be more transparent, especially for organizations working on a tight budget.
The DNS layer security provided by Cisco Umbrella is very effective for our security posture, offering us vast improvements in visibility over DNS queries and potential threats.
The most valuable feature of Cisco Umbrella is its DNS security.
The best possible thing is that it is very easy to deploy, easy to configure, and very fast to get onboarded with a customer because this is a cloud-based service.
The best features that IBM NS1 Connect offers include routing based on user verification, endpoint switching based on latency, DNS response time, real-time monitoring, intelligent traffic routing capabilities, API-driven functionality, HTTPS redirects, secondary DNS, and API integrations.
The intelligent traffic routing and API-driven features of IBM NS1 Connect have helped my team by allowing routing based on user location, endpoint switching based on latency, and DNS response time.
| Product | Mindshare (%) |
|---|---|
| Cisco Umbrella | 17.5% |
| Palo Alto Networks DNS Security | 9.1% |
| Infoblox Advanced DNS Protection | 7.3% |
| Other | 66.1% |
| Product | Mindshare (%) |
|---|---|
| IBM NS1 Connect | 2.6% |
| Cloudflare | 25.9% |
| Quad9 | 23.9% |
| Other | 47.6% |

| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 50 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 31 |
| Large Enterprise | 52 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Midsize Enterprise | 3 |
| Large Enterprise | 10 |
Cisco Umbrella provides fast-deploying DNS-layer security with powerful threat protection capabilities. Trusted by over 30,000 entities, it ranks highly in DNS security and effectively supports secure remote work environments.
Cisco Umbrella offers comprehensive DNS security, web filtering, and ease of use, enhancing network security through robust threat protection and malware prevention. It processes over 600 billion requests daily, making it a leader in its field. The seamless integration with existing infrastructures and cloud-based nature makes it suitable for remote and distributed work environments, ensuring consistent security throughout. Management is streamlined with a single-pane interface that simplifies administration, while in-depth reporting capabilities provide valuable insights for continuous monitoring.
What are the key features of Cisco Umbrella?Cisco Umbrella is widely adopted in industries requiring advanced DNS-level security to counteract malware, phishing, and cyber threats. Its ability to monitor and protect remote and roaming employees makes it an attractive option for sectors highly dependent on cloud services. By managing DNS queries and blocking harmful sites, Cisco Umbrella enhances cybersecurity across networks, providing an added layer of protection for businesses worldwide.
IBM NS1 Connect delivers comprehensive DNS management with features like DNSSEC, low latency, and intelligent traffic routing. It integrates seamlessly with automation tools, making it ideal for improving infrastructure management.
IBM NS1 Connect offers a robust DNS management platform combining security, speed, and reliability. Its API-driven functionality allows for seamless integration with Terraform and other tools, enhancing geolocation-aware capabilities and real-time performance monitoring. Smart Domains ensure optimal routing, while Pulsar boosts user experience. Real-time telemetry and intelligent traffic routing minimize load times, contributing to efficient service delivery and application uptime. Recommendations for improvement include enhancing DNS timeout resolutions and providing educational resources for networking novices.
What are IBM NS1 Connect's key features?In healthcare, IBM NS1 Connect enhances CDN routing and facilitates efficient DNS management. Financial institutions leverage its geo-load balancing capabilities for secure transaction processing. E-commerce brands use its low latency and automation features to improve website responsiveness and reduce error rates. Telecom companies benefit from its API integration, allowing for seamless upgrades and network optimizations.
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