Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance vs ObserverLIVE comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Cisco and Viavi Solutions are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Cisco is ranked #45 with an average rating of 8.0, while Viavi Solutions is ranked #100. Cisco holds a 0.8% mindshare in NMS, compared to Viavi Solutions’s 0.3% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution.

Cisco Provider Connectivity...

Read 24 Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance reviews

6,817 Views
3,818 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

ObserverLIVE

Read 1 ObserverLIVE review

1,277 Views
1,264 Comparison Views

0% willing to recommend

Cisco Provider Connectivity...

ObserverLIVE

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance and ObserverLIVE based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Zabbix, Datadog, SolarWinds and others in Network Monitoring Software.

To learn more, read our detailed Network Monitoring Software Report (Updated: October 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Network Monitoring Software

October 2026

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Helped 917,433 peers since 2012

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 Provider Connectivity...

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

45th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability (41st)

ObserverLIVE

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

100th

Average Rating

0.0

Reviews Sentiment

8.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2026, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance is 0.8%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of ObserverLIVE is 0.3%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Monitoring Software Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance	0.8%
ObserverLIVE	0.3%
Other	98.9%

Network Monitoring Software

Featured Reviews

Pifu Lin

Senior System Engineer at DYNASAFE TECHNOLOGIES PTE. LTD.

Addresses connectivity issues with real-time monitoring while offering good local support

I had prepared for COC and the client. I work as a vendor for a client using Flow Mount for network performance monitoring. I focus on resolving client-side issues related to Packy Performance and quality use. This involves addressing network device issues, specifically Cisco network devices One…

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MOHAMEDABDELAZIM

IT manager at Mannai

Seamless packet analysis, deep visibility, and end-to-end network monitoring

We have experience with the VIAVI solutions, specifically the ObserverLIVE platform, which we use for network performance monitoring VIAVI helps by providing deep visibility on packet analysis end-to-end, which assists in identifying issues quickly and efficiently. VIAVI is very strong when it…

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"APM analysis is much faster than traditional root cause analysis of application problems."

"One valuable feature we have is real-time monitoring for connection issues."

"For us, the most valuable feature is something called TWAMP that allows for real-time traffic in a way that is 10 times lighter than things like SolarWinds. It's in the sub-milliseconds of accuracy, and you can divide tasks so that you can literally see things like the tagging for Quality of Service. That had been incorrect with the carrier, but there was no way on this planet you'd be able to tell a carrier that they're wrong. I have dozens of scenarios where we found "No, that's not right," and got it resolved instantly."

"Thanks to Skylight we have a tool for this kind of investigation and it has reduced our mean time to respond by at least 50 percent."

"If [the problem] is something related to HTTP or VoIP, then I can have a quick look into the protocols, a process which gives me some good ideas..."

"Performance Vision saves time diagnosing performance problems and anticipates where investment is needed by pointing to the infrastructure limitations."

"Customer Service: Very good. Technical Support: Excellent and responsive."

"Skylight is not used on a daily basis, but when it's used it usually helps to fix a problem pretty fast."

More Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance pros

"VIAVI is very strong when it comes to packet analysis, especially with SDN, ACI, and Cx."

Cons

"Human resource costs can be high when dealing with connection issues."

"If you want a new version, you go to the website. The hardest part is finding the link, where is that .bin file? Sometimes it's pretty hidden in a document... it's hidden in the release notes or in another file somewhere. And it's usually not on the first page either."

"For the PVX, they are in the process of getting the results to export to cloud and SaaS for analytics. They told me that this will happen later this year. Right now, for the most part, I create that data myself."

"So scalability, at the moment, is pretty bad for us now, because our modus operandi have totally shifted."

"The licensing of the virtual pollers is problematic because they are attached to the physical ESX on which they are installed."

"Because of the policies in Vietnam, we cannot connect the system to the Accedian cloud. It would be good if Accedian could provide a local cloud. In the next release, I would like them to focus on improving and adding more reporting features. This will help the operations teams."

"It's a bit slow. When I execute a query, something general with a short timeframe that covers one month, for instance, and I do not specify the IP source or IP destination, it can take ages because it has to query the whole database."

"Embed a warning system to a mailbox when it exceeds the threshold for use of bandwidth over a given period of time."

More Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance cons

"VIAVI needs to include a Simple Network Monitoring Protocol (SNMP) for end-to-end monitoring solutions."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is cheaper than other competing products, which is better for our budgets."

"We understand there's a significant cost difference, but have yet to investigate fully."

"The pricing of Accedian Skylight is really good. The sensors are low cost. Their model to analytics for sensors is by license, endpoint, or session. With the probes for their analytics, if they get deployed virtually, they are free. The licensing is only based on flows. So, you can effectively deploy probes everywhere in your network. Then, if you want to look at a specific type of traffic, you can enter into it with a very low cost license. You can just use things like spam ports, mirrors, TAPs, and aggregators to optimize what sort of traffic you send to these analysis tools. Then, if you want to start looking at more, you can up your licensed as you go. You are not getting forced into expensive appliances or subscription models."

"It's not for free, clearly. But on the other hand, it offers very interesting functionality. We pay around €100,000."

"The solution was previously well-regarded, but after being acquired by Accedian, the prices have significantly increased. This has made it challenging to sell the product due to its high cost. It is an expensive solution."

"The price is competitive overall, depending on the type of customer."

"If you look into Riverbed, it's a licensing nightmare. You need to pay for every type of analysis... If you don't look into licensing, Riverbed and SolarWinds are pretty comparable. But if you look into licensing it would not be smart to go for either of them. On the pure, bare-metal basis, it's the same. But when you get the bare metal and a few basic licenses, then you need all those other licenses just to be sure that there's no issue... One of the great things about Skylight is you have them all, and you actually need them all."

"It provides value and the cost is not huge."

More Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance pricing and cost advice

Information not available

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Outsourcing Company

13%

Construction Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

11%

Financial Services Firm

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	14
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	9

No data available

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Accedian Skylight?

Human resource costs can be high when dealing with connection issues. I require more tools to file and resolve these issues efficiently.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Accedian Skylight?

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Accedian Skylight?

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.

See all answers

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Comparisons

Dynatrace vs Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance

Compared 5% of the time

DX SaaS vs Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance

Compared 5% of the time

Splunk AppDynamics vs Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance

Compared 4% of the time

SolarWinds NPM vs Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance

Compared 3% of the time

Zabbix vs Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance

Compared 2% of the time

More Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance Competitors

NetMon vs ObserverLIVE

Compared 15% of the time

Zabbix vs ObserverLIVE

Compared 11% of the time

Opsview vs ObserverLIVE

Compared 9% of the time

BhaiFi vs ObserverLIVE

Compared 9% of the time

SolarWinds NPM vs ObserverLIVE

Compared 8% of the time

More ObserverLIVE Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance

October 2026

Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance report

Download Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance product report

Buyer's Guide

Network Monitoring Software

October 2026

Download ObserverLIVE product report

Also Known As

Accedian Skylight, Accedian SkyLIGHT PVX, SkyLIGHT PVX, SecurActive, Performance Vision

No data available

Overview

Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance is known for its user-friendly approach to network analysis and performance monitoring. It excels in real-time diagnostics, helping organizations quickly resolve network issues and optimize performance effortlessly.

Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance focuses on comprehensive network troubleshooting and performance monitoring, assisting in identifying bottlenecks and analyzing applications. Real-time data collection and evaluation ensure IT infrastructure efficiency. With active monitoring of latency, jitter, and throughput, users maintain smooth operations across multiple sites and applications. While highly effective, improvements in data handling, protocol support, and dashboard aesthetics are suggested to enhance user experience.

What are the key features of Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance?

Flow Matrices: Advanced analysis of network paths and traffic distribution.
SQL and DNS Analysis: In-depth insights into database and domain queries for troubleshooting.
Bandwidth Assessment: Evaluation of network capacity and utilization for performance optimization.
Real-time TWAMP Monitoring: Tracks network performance using Two-Way Active Measurement Protocol.
Application Performance Modules: Monitors the performance of various applications and services.
Customizable Dashboards: Personalized views for tracking critical network metrics and trends.
PCAP Capturing: Detailed packet analysis using tools like Wireshark for deeper insights.

What benefits and ROI should users look for in reviews?

Ease of Use: Intuitive design allowing users to swiftly diagnose network issues.
Comprehensive Monitoring: Enhanced visibility of network activity for better control.
Performance Efficiency: Optimization of throughput, reducing downtimes and improving service delivery.
Cost-Effectiveness: Balances features and functionality with competitive pricing for better ROI.

In industries such as telecommunications and finance, where network reliability is crucial, Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance offers critical network performance insights. It supports high-demand environments by providing data-driven decisions, ensuring infrastructures handle increased loads efficiently.

Cisco

ObserverLIVE is a technology solution designed to enhance performance monitoring. It is tailored for users seeking advanced analytics and real-time insights to optimize their operations effectively.

ObserverLIVE offers comprehensive functionalities to address complex monitoring needs. It provides users with access to in-depth analytics that deliver actionable insights in real-time, helping organizations improve responsiveness and resource allocation. By utilizing cutting-edge monitoring capabilities, ObserverLIVE empowers teams to make informed decisions, leading to better operational performance and efficiency.

What are the key features of ObserverLIVE?

Real-Time Analytics: Provides immediate insights and data analysis for proactive management.
Customizable Dashboards: Allows users to personalize their view to better focus on critical metrics.
Scalability: Easily adapts to different user requirements, accommodating growth and changing needs.
Data Visualization: Offers vivid graphic presentations of data for easier interpretation and decision-making.

What benefits and ROI should users consider?

Improved Decision-Making: Facilitates informed choices with accurate, up-to-date information.
Operational Efficiency: Enhances overall processes, potentially reducing costs and improving resource use.
Greater Flexibility: Provides adaptable monitoring to meet specific workload demands.
Enhanced Resource Allocation: Streamlines asset management, supporting optimal deployment.

ObserverLIVE is implemented across various industries, providing tailored solutions that cater specifically to their monitoring needs. In manufacturing, it aids in optimizing production processes, while in healthcare, it ensures streamlined patient data monitoring. In financial services, ObserverLIVE offers rigorous data oversight, essential for compliance and risk management. Its versatile application across these fields demonstrates its adaptability and effectiveness in enhancing operational insights and driving efficiency improvements.

Viavi Solutions

Sample Customers

T-Systems, Thomson Reuters, Bordeaux Metropole, CGI, Citadelle Regional Hospital Center, Lorraine Institute of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Groupe BPCE, Group S, Splitpoint, Horus-Net, Audatex, Indexis, Province de Liège, EASI, Spie Batignolles, Faymonville

Exmark Manufacturing, Foskor, US Deptartment of Veteran Affairs

Buyer's Guide

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October 2026

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