ExtremeCloud IQ and F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) compete in the networking solutions category. F5 BIG-IP APM appears to have the upper hand due to its advanced features that users find worth the additional cost.
Features: ExtremeCloud IQ offers centralized administration, supports remote operations, and excels in Wi-Fi and switch management thanks to its controller-less architecture. It also provides comprehensive network insights with Client 360 and Network 360. F5 BIG-IP APM is known for its robust security features, easy portal access, and flexible integration capabilities, making it ideal for handling complex enterprise requirements.
Room for Improvement: ExtremeCloud IQ faces roaming issues, delays in stats reporting, and a high cost for certifications. Areas for improvement also include better technical support and a refined user interface. F5 BIG-IP APM could improve in integration, GUI navigation, and its post-acquisition pricing and service quality, which some users feel have impacted satisfaction.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: ExtremeCloud IQ supports hybrid and on-premises deployment models with generally positive feedback on customer service, although technical support has room for improvement. F5 BIG-IP APM offers notable on-premises and hybrid cloud capabilities, but customer service experiences vary, with some users reporting slower response times.
Pricing and ROI: ExtremeCloud IQ is recognized for its competitive pricing and scalability compared to Aruba and Cisco, achieving positive ROI through easy deployment and increased productivity. F5 BIG-IP APM is considered expensive with additional features incurring extra costs, but it is valued for its effective resource allocation and network management, providing strong ROI.
I managed to support and deploy ExtremeCloud IQ and handle network management without requiring external staffing, thus saving on external hiring costs.
GTAC receives a score of ten out of ten.
I experienced effective help mainly remotely, though for some issues, a technical person had to assist on-site.
Even if they respond, they don't update me with the process or what's going on.
Most of the technical support is managed in-house due to our extensive experience with F5 products.
F5 technical support is responsive and helpful.
The product's flexibility and company culture contribute to resolving these challenges.
I would rate the scalability of F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) between seven and eight.
It requires some time to update, which affects real-time management.
On a scale from one to ten for stability, I would rate F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) a ten.
Sometimes, the logs are not quite informational or easy to understand.
I needed deep details and more thorough resources.
This integration aids in resolving problems and issues found in the network and enhances support with the GTAC team of Extreme Networks.
If I could copy and paste objects instead of picking and configuring them from scratch each time, it would be great.
The ability to run the Anycast feature would be valuable, as the current solution only operates on-premises.
The main improvement needed for F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is to integrate into the cloud-delivered services from F5.
The licensing was a challenge due to budget constraints, and I used ExtremeCloud IQ without a license for a period.
F5 products are more expensive than other solutions but are valued for their quality and reliability.
For networking and access points, it acts as a controller in a cloud environment, eliminating the need for an appliance controller or wireless LAN controller, thus saving on investment and reducing TCO costs.
The automation and information provided by ExtremeCloud IQ, such as connection status and logs, were very beneficial.
It provides robust security and offers integration with multi-factor authentication systems, which is crucial for an organization's security policy.
APM is quite flexible for customers to use, providing secure remote access through various host-checking conditions for both machines and users.
A lot of features are useful to me, including mostly the authentication, SAML, or SSO, with no sign-on.
| Product | Market Share (%) |
|---|---|
| F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) | 1.2% |
| ExtremeCloud IQ | 1.4% |
| Other | 97.4% |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 45 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 14 |
| Large Enterprise | 24 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 9 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 1 |
| Large Enterprise | 9 |
ExtremeCloud is a resilient and scalable cloud-based network management solution offered by Extreme Networks as a subscription service.
The network is your platform of engagement for clients and staff. We have designed ExtremeCloud to provide superior user experience by empowering you and the applications that drive your business. The combination of Extreme Networks’ smart wired and wireless edges and the elasticity, resilience and scalability provided via state-of-the-art datacenters distributed strategically for worldwide availability allows you to respond to the changing needs of your business, at the speed of cloud, through a simple, multi-site aware user interface.
F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is an access management proxy solution for managing global access to the enterprise networks, cloud providers, applications, and application programming interfaces (APIs). Through a single management interface, BIG-IP APM consolidates remote, mobile, network, virtual, and web access.
BIG-IP APM can also serve as a bridge between modern and classic authentication and authorization protocols and methods. For applications which are unable to support modern authentication and authorization protocols, like SAML and OAuth with OIDC, but which do support classic authentication methods, BIG-IP APM converts user credentials to the appropriate authentication standard supported by the application.
BIG-IP APM Benefits:
BIG-IP APM Features:
Reviews from Real Users
Below are some reviews and helpful feedback written by BIG-IP APM users.
Mahmmoud Rabie, Senior Site Reliability Engineer, writes that BIG-IP APM is "A highly stable solution for load balancing, but the initial setup is complex."
Clyde Livingston, Senior Process Specialist at Telstra, says that BIG-IP APM is "Easy to use, useful access remotely, but lacking stability."
Chris Lam, Senior Solution Consultant at Macroview Telecom Limited, states that BIG-IP APM is "Useful for remote access VPN and VPI integration with VMware.
We monitor all Network Access Control (NAC) reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.
