Every IT professional I know has worked with Cisco Products at some point, whether it’s switches, routers, or security appliances. In my current role, we’re doing a major refresh of our enterprise network, and the natural inclination from leadership is to stick with Cisco. The argument is that Cisco Products are tried and tested, with decades of proven stability and global recognition.
However, I’m beginning to wonder if sticking exclusively with Cisco Products is the right approach in 2025. Vendors like Juniper, Aruba, and even Ubiquiti have been making big moves in terms of automation, cost savings, and simplified management. Cisco Products are feature-rich, but they’re also complex and often require engineers with specialized certifications to configure and maintain. That adds hidden costs to training and staffing.
So I’d like to ask: are Cisco Products still worth the investment when you factor in not just purchase cost, but also licensing and the skill set required to run them? Or have you started diversifying with other vendors for certain parts of the infrastructure?
I’d especially like to hear from those who have adopted Cisco Meraki or DNA Center. Do these newer Cisco Products really simplify things the way Cisco claims, or do they still come with a learning curve? At the end of the day, are Cisco Products still the “safe bet” for enterprise networking, or is it time to start exploring other options more seriously?
