

Aruba Orchestrator and Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms compete in the network management and WAN optimization market. Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms seems to have the upper hand due to its performance, flexibility, and integration capabilities.
Features: Aruba Orchestrator offers integrated WAN optimization, streamlined management, and internal visibility. It supports customization and integration with cloud and on-prem environments and provides security integration with platforms like ClearPass. Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms is known for flexibility, stability, and performance in heavy traffic scenarios, offering features such as QoS, advanced security options, and seamless integration with Cisco ISE and SASE. Its centralized management system simplifies operations across multiple sites.
Room for Improvement: Aruba Orchestrator could improve its security features and manage deployment complexity. More flexible public cloud options and cost reduction would be beneficial. Users desire enhanced documentation and multi-tenancy solutions. Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms could add more AI-driven automation features and better troubleshooting documentation. Users anticipate more bandwidth options and enhanced integration capabilities.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Aruba Orchestrator supports hybrid and on-premises deployments and receives praise for its technical support, though sometimes it experiences delays in escalation. Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms, with its versatile deployment models, stands out in hybrid cloud environments. Its technical support is comprehensive and helpful, often ensuring quicker resolutions than Aruba, contributing to smoother deployments.
Pricing and ROI: Aruba Orchestrator is priced mid-range to high, with subscription licensing seen as cost-effective in some regions. ROI varies with better outcomes in areas with lower data costs. Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms is considered a reliable investment due to its performance, despite higher upfront costs. Users appreciate the reliability and warranty support of Cisco products, which justifies the expense. Both platforms demonstrate ROI with Aruba focusing on WAN optimization and Catalyst on stability and performance.
I have seen a return on investment and financial benefit from using Aruba Orchestrator.
We don't see return on investment, but we love the technology, so we purchase because of the technology.
Quantifying ROI is very difficult; if I had to estimate, it would be at least 20 percent savings in time and money.
I have seen a return on investment because we save both money and time due to the reliable product, which helps significantly with site operations and maintaining SLAs.
I have seen a return on investment with Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms.
The technical support of Aruba is very supportive and excellent.
I would rate my experience with technical support from Aruba as eight out of ten.
Cisco engineers, the best of the best, those who have the CCIE certification, are there online to help you configure, assemble that, take out the module, the chassis, and replace it.
In my last experience, while deploying a Captive Portal for a customer and integrating it with ICE, Cisco TAC support resolved a bug within a couple of hours, which was very important for my customer.
Cisco has a well-established support ecosystem with technical documentation, troubleshooting resources, and availability for deeper assistance when needed.
Both are very scalable and stable.
From an operations standpoint, the scalability of Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms allows me to manage and monitor edge connectivity consistency as the environment grows.
Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms demonstrates good scalability with more line slots for line cards, making it highly scalable with additional options for adding extra cards.
We had Cisco infrastructure in the past before we replaced it with Aruba, and our experience is much better with Aruba compared to Cisco—far, far better.
Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms is a scalable product for me, and the same applies to my customers.
I find Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms quite reliable, meaning it is also very stable with no crashes and zero downtime.
After purchasing that technology, you no longer experience network cuts or disruptive network downtime.
The price should be improved as it is very high.
It would be great if they would have a fully multi-tenant solution on their Orchestrator.
The interfaces and VLAN documentation, along with more examples of how to configure two different networks—such as one side using BGP and the other side using OSPF and how they work together—would be helpful.
We could improve in terms of step-by-step root cause analysis by integrating AI in vManage to assist users.
I would particularly appreciate seeing new integrations and features related to AI in future updates, especially how Catalyst or Cisco will provide AI features integrated with their very stable product.
Regarding my experience with the pricing and setup costs, I find it expensive software compared to others.
Even though they are expensive, they are quality.
Chassis costs were reasonable, but line cards and optical transceivers were somewhat expensive.
As a customer, the biggest advantage of Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms that I think of is its reliability, which makes me really confident to use it.
Integration capabilities with cloud and on-prem environments help my organization maintain a hybrid approach.
The security features of Aruba Orchestrator are really good; I don't think there is any issue with security.
It's really great that it connects today all the gateways and SD-WAN solution with the SASE and the zero trust network access.
If there are issues, such as switches or ports being disconnected, or if someone connects their own laptop to the bank's network, our ISE detects it and forces disconnection immediately, filing an alert to our email.
It is beneficial for the business and user-friendly because on the GUI interfaces, you are working with something you can see, and you do not need to memorize all the configuration commands every time.
We were concerned about supporting the increasing bandwidth requirement for our sites. Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms helps with this, as we understand it is a newer platform with many optimizations under the hood that can be done to make it more powerful and able to support larger bandwidth requirements.
| Product | Mindshare (%) |
|---|---|
| Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms | 0.6% |
| Aruba Orchestrator | 1.3% |
| Other | 98.1% |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 5 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 1 |
| Large Enterprise | 5 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 3 |
| Large Enterprise | 8 |
Aruba Orchestrator combines WAN optimization with SD-WAN for seamless management, reduced setup times, and enhanced internal visibility. It integrates REST API and offers a single pane of glass interface, valued for its analytics, optimization, and security features.
Aruba Orchestrator provides unified management for SD-WAN devices, optimizing connections across branches to lower WAN costs. It enhances application capabilities and data access globally, enabling reports, health monitoring, and efficient MPLS connectivity. While offering robust tools, pricing and menu complexity are areas for improvement. Expanding multi-tenant structures and cloud flexibility could better meet user needs. Integrating dynamic security features would enhance its offerings. Although deployment is quick, simplifying complexities and improving training resources are essential for improved efficiency and user-friendliness.
What are Aruba Orchestrator's most important features?In finance, Aruba Orchestrator helps manage SD-WAN for branch connectivity and cost savings. In healthcare, it optimizes connections for data access across multiple locations. Retailers use it to streamline their network's connectivity, while educational institutions benefit from enhanced application performance and reporting capabilities.
Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms provide flexible, cost-effective SD-WAN integration. They offer centralized management and robust performance for analytics, telemetry, and supporting large deployments while ensuring seamless Cisco ISE compatibility.
Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms are essential for SD-WAN architectures, serving as main routers and gateways across remote sites, facilitating secure WAN and cloud connectivity with advanced routing tasks. They accommodate both internal and external routing, VPN tunnel creation, and integrate application-aware security features. Managed remotely through vManage, they provide centralized visibility and performance analytics. While already cost-effective, enhanced AI, improved firewall management, and better documentation are areas for potential growth in these platforms.
What are the standout features of Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms?Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms are widely implemented in industries requiring reliable and secure edge-to-core connections. Telecom enterprises use them for enhancing network capabilities, while financial services leverage their high throughput for secure data management. Healthcare organizations value the robust performance and centralized management to support telemedicine and secure patient data exchange, ensuring compliance with industry regulations.
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