Fortinet FortiManager Reviews

We have over 300 Fortigate sites and we use this solution to manage everything under one interface. 

The scripts are very useful. We can push the TCL and CLI scripts to Fortigate.

The automation is great between Ansible and Fortimanager.

We can integrate the solution with other solutions.

There is one central template that we can use across sites. 

The setup is very simple. 

We can use the solution as a VM. 

We've faced an issue when we need to move devices. Templates need to be recreated instead of having the policies, et cetera, cut and pasted over. Everything should just move over when we need to move devices instead of recreating everything from scratch. 

For the IPSEC tunnels, Fortimanager doesn't have all of the features that are available on Fortigate. 

I've been using the solution for three or four years. 

The stability is very good. We haven't dealt with any issues so far. It's reliable. 

The scalability is okay. There are some restrictions. However, it is pretty good. I'd rate the solution eight out of ten. 

We have three accounts using the product. They range in size.

We have an internal team that can handle tickets. We're limited in opening tickets directly with Fortinet.

In the past, however, I have opened many tickets with Fortinet in the past and found them to be very helpful and responsive. They were good at solving issues. 

We have worked with Palo Alto and Cisco. The way of working with the firewalls is a bit different in Palo Alto's Panorama. With Panorama, we can add policies and prioritize them to override firewall policies (and vice versa). It's very flexible.

The initial setup is very simple. We can create it using a VM. 

Our company has its own physical infrastructure, and we place the virtual infrastructure within that. 

I don't deal with the pricing of the solution.

In general, I would rate the product seven out of ten. It offers good features, however, Palo Alto offers better options.

I utilize Fortinet FortiManager to push commands with scripts. I made different scripts for different use cases.

I appreciate the ability to connect via SSH through Fortinet FortiManager to the FortiGates I manage. This feature allows me to gather information about the interfaces without having to physically connect to the device. This is a convenient aspect that I find valuable.

I have started utilizing the group features, which enable me to manage and update the devices in a structured and organized manner. For example, when installing new firmware or updates of FortiOS, I can divide the devices into different groups and update each group individually. This is a feature I began using around a year ago and has proven to be very useful.

Moreover, I have begun utilizing customized fields, which has added an extra level of convenience to my work. These fields have proven to be quite useful, and I would recommend them to others.

The information extraction through command lines was could improve to some extent. Although there were some command lines available, there were not enough options. For instance, I needed to obtain the management IP address of my two Fortigates, but the Fortinet FortiManager did not provide me with the IP address on the LAN interface. I attempted to find this information through the command line but was unsuccessful. I also searched for articles on the internet, but could not find a solution. This is an aspect that could be improved or potentially there is a method to access this information that I have yet to discover.

I have been using Fortinet FortiManager for approximately three years.

Since I have been using the solution I have not experienced any problems with the stability.

We did not run into any problems with the scalability.

I reach out to the technical support team through a ticket. I was attempting to perform a rather complicated task, which involved pushing the FortiOS onto a FortiGate 30 E device without actually installing it. I had found information online that this was possible, but I encountered issues while trying to do so with two FortiGates.

I was successful in pushing the FortiOS onto the device, but both devices stopped functioning after that. I then asked the technical support team if this was a supported process, to which they responded that while it is possible, it would depend on the model being used. Based on my understanding, it is possible but with some limitations, especially with older models of the Fortinet solutions. This was the nature of my interaction with the technical support team.

Evaluating my experience with the support was decent but not textbook. During the evaluation process, I was asked for a substantial amount of information, some of which I felt was not pertinent. Nevertheless, I obliged and provided all the information requested. The main objective of the evaluation was to gather data from the devices and assess their performance. After the analysis was completed, the evaluators came back with their findings and advised that my current approach with the version or model being utilized within the organization was not recommended.

I rate Fortinet FortiManager a nine out of ten.

We primarily use the solution for management tasks. We have Fortigate firewalls across the globe and need this product to manage everything. 

It's able to manage multiple devices, which is quite useful. 

The analytics are quite useful. 

It is easy to set up the solution. 

The solution is stable.

Technical support is good.

It can scale. 

The pricing is reasonable. 

Pricing-wise, it could always be less, even though it is less expensive than Palo Alto.

I've been using the solution for three and a half years. 

It is quite stable. I'd rate it nine out of ten. It is reliable. The performance is good. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. 

It is very scalable. I'd rate it nine out of ten in terms of scalability. They are very flexible. 

We have less than 20 people on the solution. 

Technical support is helpful. They are responsive. 

Positive

We are also familiar with Cisco, Palo Alto, and Juniper as well. 

We moved from Palo Alto to Fortinet based on the cost savings we would achieve. 

The solution has an easy setup.

I'd rate it nine out of ten. It's not complex. 

We have a large setup. Getting everything working took us a couple of months. 

The solution is pretty reasonable in terms of price. I'd rate the affordability around seven or eight out of ten. 

We are customers and end users.

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten. 

We are using the latest version of the solution.

We have a large setup for managing multiple Fortigates, et cetera. You get what you pay for, and it gives us all of the features and functionality we need. If a company has basic requirements, it might be better off with a PfSense.

I'd recommend the solution to others. For the number of features you get, the pricing is pretty great.

My experience with Fortinet products is primarily with Fortinet FortiManager. I have attended training on FortiSandbox and FortiWeb as well.

Fortinet solutions are used by my clients across every sector.

They are also used in the healthcare sector for financial purposes.

Fortinet FortiManager can centrally manage all FortiGates and is effective for the deployment of updates and patches.

We use centralized policy management for policy management.

It helps streamline policy creation and policy enforcement. However, I would prefer to have an online meeting so I can see who I am talking to, as you are obtaining information about my security. I am aware that there are currently many spam and social engineering attacks occurring.

I do not use Fortinet FortiManager daily, but I can speak with my security team and ask them what areas need future improvement for Fortinet FortiManager.

When I installed it, I found it somewhat difficult to set up.

I would rate their support at between eight and nine, which I consider great support.

Positive

I still have experience with ESET and Fortinet products. My other colleague has more in-depth experience with Fortinet FortiManager and uses it more daily in that particular area, as I do not use it as regularly and my other colleagues are more involved in that area.

I am not certain if my clients purchase Fortinet FortiManager through the AWS Marketplace.

I want to remain anonymous for now.

My overall rating for Fortinet FortiManager is seven.

Fortinet FortiManager is a great solution that helps you consolidate the single point of management for all Fortinet solutions. It also helps you support the change management process that is aligned with ITIL. The solution also helps you to have version control and tracking control.

The solution's most valuable feature is the consolidation and the single point of administration solution.

The graphics interface between Fortinet FortiManager and any Forti products should be standardized. Doing a configuration change directly in the UTM is not the same as doing it via FortiManager for some features.

I have been using Fortinet FortiManager for five years.

Fortinet FortiManager is a very stable solution.

I rate the solution's stability ten out of ten.

The solution's scalability is very good.

I rate the solution's scalability an eight out of ten.

I would prefer the person who helps us on the first call or interaction to have a higher engineering capacity.

Positive

The solution's initial setup wasn't done by me but by an expert. I believe the setup is not too simple because it took some implementation by an expert.

As a simplified, unified point of management, Fortinet FortiManager helps to reduce administration costs.

On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing a six out of ten.

I haven't implemented the solution's automation capabilities. The most automation I have done in Fortinet FortiManager is a configuration to be deployed massively to a group of UTMs, access points, or switches. I would recommend the solution to other users. It would be great to have FortiManager by your side if everything you have is from Fortinet.

As the platform tracks every change we make, it helps me with compliance and also helps me maintain all the devices at the same firmware level. It helps with compliance and auditing.

Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

We primarily use the solution for management purposes. It makes management very convenient. We use it for managing Fortinet firewalls in our network.

The ease of use is great. 

It makes management very easy.

The solution is stable.

It likely is scalable. However, I have not attempted to expand the offering.

The presence of Fortinet in our region (Nigeria) needs to be stronger. They need to have a local footprint and local support. 

I cannot recall any missing features.

The pricing could always be lower. 

I've been using the solution for three years. 

The solution is stable. I'd rate the stability eight out of ten. We haven't had issues. There are no bugs or glitches. 

I'm not too sure how scalable the solution is. My understanding is that it would be. However, I haven't tested its capabilities in that way.

I'd rate the scalability seven out of ten. 

We would like to have more local presence in the future. However, we can get support when we need it. 

Neutral

We previously used Check Point. However, it was hard to manage Check Point devices. We moved over to Fortinet. 

The initial setup was quite simple to set up. We bought professional services with the product, and that made it very easy.

I do not recall the deployment taking too long. It's pretty fast.

We had a Fortinet engineer assist with the setup. That service came with the professional services we bought.

We'd like the pricing to be a bit lower.

We did not really look at other options. We did do a POC with Fortinet before purchasing it.

I'm an end-user. 

We are using the latest version of the solution. 

I'd recommend the solution to other users. 

I would rate the product eight out of ten. 

Our solution centralizes all the firewalls in different regions or data centers into one location. We manage policy distribution between various regions by creating policies and deploying them according to the device location where the policy is needed. 

We also distribute certificates remotely for managers. Our solution primarily works with FortiGate firewalls without integrating with third-party products.

The centralized management of policies and certificates, coupled with the capability to handle multi-site deployments effectively, provides streamlined operations. 

Centralized visibility enhances security management, offering unified management across regions such as India, Singapore, and Australia. FortiManager captures all devices and provides reports for security analysis. 

We consider the pricing reasonable as it reduces operational costs and boosts security efficiency.

The graphical user interface could use improvement as it appears complex and not user-friendly. Better integration of Fortinet ADC into FortiManager would be beneficial.

We have been working with FortiManager for more than five to ten years.

Palo Alto Panorama is difficult to configure compared to FortiManager, which is more feasible and easier to manage.

Initially, the deployment takes some time, but it is easy to accomplish. Some challenges we encountered include the NTP server, certificate management, and port openings across regions.

We initially deploy our own NTP server. If that does not work, we resort to manual timing settings.

Pricing is reasonable and does not pose challenges.

FortiManager is more user-friendly compared to Palo Alto Panorama. It is suitable for small-scale and easy management. 

I would rate the overall solution between seven out of ten. Better integration of other Fortinet products like ADC into FortiManager would be beneficial.

I primarily use FortiManager to manage FortiGate firewalls. I started working with Fortinet in 2016, managing configurations to be pushed from FortiManager to firewalls and centralizing configurations to minimize errors.

It has simplified our work by allowing centralized configurations and minimizing errors, providing visibility into configurations, and scheduling configuration deployments.

FortiManager helps automate configuration deployment, allowing us to plan and schedule configurations. It works with proper encrypted protocols, ensuring security. FortiManager's documentation and diagrams are user-friendly, making it easy to understand the configuration process.

FortiManager needs to handle different firewall versions more efficiently. If FortiGate devices have different versions, managing them is challenging. There's also a need to upgrade firewalls or change chassis to adapt to FortiManager's version requirements.

I have used the solution since 2016, which totals approximately nine years of experience.

FortiGate is very stable. Currently, Fortinet's configuration and operation are stable, and I rarely experience problems.

FortiManager is scalable, but after several years, it may become limited due to versioning issues. This requires chassis updates to support newer versions.

In the past, I worked with Alcatel Lucent and had partnerships involving FortiGate.

It is easy to set up on-premises or on a virtual machine. Be cautious about versions to avoid compatibility problems.

The return on investment is high. It saves time, money, and resources, providing visibility into configurations.

FortiGate offers the same features as Palo Alto yet at a more reasonable price. The ROI justifies the investment.

I have experience with FortiAnalyzer and other components but have not explored other firewall solutions like Palo Alto.

I rate the overall solution eight out of ten. 

One should be cautious about hardware and version compatibility. FortiManager is an efficient and cost-effective firewall management solution.