Cisco

What is cisco

Cisco is a global provider of networking, security, collaboration and cloud-managed infrastructure. The company sells physical hardware (routers, switches, wireless access points, firewalls), software platforms (network management, security, observability, SD-WAN), and cloud-managed services (Meraki, Webex, Cisco+). Cisco products are used to design, deploy and operate enterprise networks, secure users and devices, enable remote and hybrid collaboration, and connect distributed sites and clouds.

Cisco’s portfolio is organized around core functional domains: campus and branch networking, data center and multicloud infrastructure, security and threat defense, unified communications and collaboration, and management/automation. Many organizations buy Cisco for its broad interoperability across those domains, the depth of enterprise-grade feature sets, and the availability of professional services and partner ecosystems for large-scale deployments.

Typical buyers include telecommunications operators, large enterprises, government agencies, and managed service providers. Cisco also sells bundled subscriptions and perpetual licenses; many products are available as hardware appliances, virtual appliances, or fully cloud-managed services to match different operational models.

Cisco features

Cisco’s product and platform features vary by product family but converge on a set of core capabilities expected in enterprise infrastructure:

• Network infrastructure: high-performance multilayer switches, modular and fixed routers, carrier-class routing, Wi-Fi 6/6E access points, and optical transport equipment.
• Security and threat defense: next-generation firewalls, secure web gateways, intrusion prevention, endpoint detection and response (EDR), cloud access security broker (CASB), identity-based access controls, and zero-trust segmentation.
• Collaboration: cloud and on-premises unified communications, meeting and messaging through Webex, phone systems (UCaaS), contact center solutions, and hybrid meeting room devices.
• Unified management and automation: intent-based networking via Cisco DNA Center, Meraki Dashboard for cloud-managed devices, Meraki APIs, and observability through Cisco AppDynamics and ThousandEyes.
• SD-WAN and cloud connectivity: software-defined WAN with centralized policy, integrated security, and optimized connectivity to public cloud providers.
• Data center and cloud: Nexus switching, UCS servers, hyperconverged infrastructure integrations, Kubernetes integrations and tooling for hybrid/multi-cloud deployments.

Each feature area includes telemetry, role-based access controls, automation hooks, and integrations with identity providers (SSO/SAML), orchestration platforms and SIEM systems. Cisco also offers managed services and support tiers for lifecycle operations and rapid incident response.

What does cisco do?

Cisco provides the hardware, software and services organizations need to build resilient, secure and observable networks. At a base level Cisco products forward packets (routing and switching), provide secure access for users and devices, and enable real-time voice/video collaboration. Higher-level capabilities include policy-driven automation, distributed security policy enforcement, and observability for performance and user experience.

Operationally, Cisco helps teams standardize deployments through templates, centralized dashboards, and APIs that enable integration with ITSM, automation scripts and CI/CD pipelines. This reduces manual configuration, improves consistency across thousands of devices, and enables change auditing and rollback where necessary.

On the security side, Cisco combines perimeter and endpoint controls with cloud-delivered protections and threat intelligence to detect and mitigate attacks. For collaboration, Cisco provides tools for persistent chat, scheduled and ad-hoc meetings, voicemail and contact center functions that integrate with corporate directories and business applications.

Cisco pricing

Cisco offers a wide range of pricing models and plans depending on product family; examples below show common licensing tiers for representative product lines.

• Free Plan: $0/month — limited trial or free-tier developer and community offerings (examples: limited-capacity Webex free accounts, developer sandboxes).
• Starter: $13.50/month per user — entry-level Webex/UCaaS starter tiers for small teams (typical of Webex starter subscriptions, billed monthly or annually).
• Professional: $26.95/month per user — higher-capacity collaboration plans with larger meeting caps and cloud recording.
• Enterprise: Custom pricing (negotiated contracts for large-scale networking, data center, security and managed services) — enterprise deals often include term-based licensing and professional services.

For infrastructure licensing, Cisco commonly sells hardware plus software subscriptions or perpetual licenses. Example device licensing:

• Meraki device license: $125/year per device (typical entry-level annual licensing for cloud-managed Meraki access points, switches or security appliances — actual license types and durations vary).
• Cisco Secure Firewall subscription: $X/month per appliance or throughput tier (enterprise firewall pricing is typically quoted per throughput and feature pack; contact Cisco for exact quotes).

Pricing for large enterprise deployments, data center switches, carrier routing, and managed services is custom and often quoted as annual contracts with multi-year commitments. Check Cisco's product pricing and commercial options for official, up-to-date rates and enterprise procurement routes.

Cisco pricing details and how Cisco charges

Cisco uses multiple pricing models across its portfolio: perpetual licenses, term subscriptions, device-based subscriptions, user-based subscriptions and SaaS per-seat billing. Many cloud-managed products (Meraki, Webex, Cisco+ subscriptions) are sold as annual or multiyear subscriptions with per-device or per-user licensing. Hardware purchases typically require a support contract (Smart Net or similar) for updates and replacement.

Volume discounts, partner-led pricing, and enterprise agreements mean net pricing varies significantly by customer size and procurement channel. Cisco also offers special programs and pricing for education, public sector, and non-profit organizations.

For organizations estimating costs, include hardware acquisition, recurring license fees, support contracts, and professional services for deployment and ongoing operations. Typical budget items to account for include:

• Hardware costs: switch, router, firewall, access point purchases
• Software licenses: per-device, per-user or per-feature subscriptions
• Support contracts: Smart Net, TAC support tiers, firmware maintenance
• Deployment services: professional services, integration work and training
• Ongoing operations: monitoring, cloud subscriptions, bandwidth

For contract-level and volume pricing, engage Cisco sales or certified partners. Use Cisco’s channel partners for consolidated quotes that include integration and managed services.

How much is cisco per month

Cisco starts at $0/month for community and limited free tiers (example: Webex free accounts and developer sandboxes). Entry-level paid collaboration seats and cloud services commonly start in the low tens per user per month when billed monthly, while device-based cloud licensing is typically billed annually.

Monthly invoicing is available for several SaaS subscriptions, but many enterprise customers choose annual or multi-year billing to reduce per-month cost. For networking and security appliances, monthly prices are often derived from annual contracts divided into monthly installments as part of managed services or subscription agreements.

How much is cisco per year

Cisco costs $125/year per device is a representative example for certain Meraki device licenses; many cloud-managed devices and security services are sold as annual subscriptions. Collaboration subscriptions and SaaS plans are normally billed monthly or annually and can be quoted as annual totals per user.

Large enterprise solutions (data center fabrics, carrier-scale routing, advanced security suites) are typically contracted on an annual basis with multi-year support and may total tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars per year depending on scope.

How much is cisco in general

Cisco pricing ranges from $0 (free) to $1,000+/month for enterprise offerings. Small team collaboration can be free or under $30/month per user, Meraki or access-point licensing commonly sits in the $100–$300/year per device range for basic licenses, and complex, high-throughput security or routing solutions have custom pricing that can exceed $1,000/month for a single appliance with support.

Because Cisco’s portfolio spans low-cost SaaS to carrier-grade equipment, organizations should map requirements and request quotes for the specific product families they plan to deploy. For detailed, product-specific pricing consult Cisco’s official pricing resources and authorized partners via Cisco's ordering and pricing information.

What is cisco used for

Cisco is used to build and operate networks that connect users, devices and applications inside corporate campuses, branch locations, data centers and across clouds. Typical usages include:

• Enterprise campus networks: wired and wireless connectivity, access control, telemetry and policy enforcement for office campuses and large facilities.
• Branch connectivity and SD-WAN: centralized policy-driven SD-WAN to simplify management and improve resilience across distributed locations.
• Data center networking: high-density switching, server connectivity, storage networking and overlays for virtualization and containerized workloads.
• Security and compliance: perimeter and internal security controls, threat detection, secure remote access (VPN/Zero Trust), and regulatory compliance controls.
• Collaboration and contact centers: unified communications, video conferencing, persistent messaging and customer service platforms.

Organizations use Cisco to centralize operations, enforce consistent security policy across diverse estates, and obtain vendor support and field services for complex environments. Integrations with cloud providers and third-party monitoring tools make it practical to manage hybrid topologies and deliver consistent user experience.

Pros and cons of cisco

Pros:

• Depth and breadth: Cisco covers nearly every infrastructure and security need — from campus Wi‑Fi to carrier routing and cloud observability — reducing the need for heterogeneous vendors.
• Enterprise features and lifecycle support: mature feature sets, strong documentation, large partner ecosystem and global support (TAC) for mission-critical operations.
• Integration and APIs: well-documented APIs across Meraki, Webex, DNA Center and Nexus platforms enable automation, monitoring and integration with IT workflows.
• Security focus: broad security portfolio with threat intelligence, secure access, and integrated enforcement across network and endpoints.

Cons:

• Cost and complexity: the richness of features and enterprise-grade hardware often come with high acquisition, licensing and support costs and require specialized skills to operate.
• Licensing model complexity: multiple license types, support contracts and long-term commitments can complicate procurement and TCO calculations.
• Vendor lock-in risk: deep integration with Cisco-specific features can make migrations or multi-vendor strategies more difficult without careful planning.
• Overlap across product lines: Cisco’s many product families can overlap in capabilities (for example, Meraki vs. Catalyst with DNA Center), so organizations must align on the preferred management and licensing model.

Cisco free trial

Cisco commonly offers free trials and limited free tiers across its SaaS and cloud-managed products. Examples include free Webex accounts with restricted meeting capacity, Meraki trial licenses for evaluation hardware, and developer sandboxes for APIs such as Webex APIs and Meraki Dashboard API.

Trials generally run for a fixed period (for example, 30 days) and may require registration. For hardware evaluations, Cisco and partners can provide demo units and temporary trial licenses to test management and policy workflows. Enterprise customers can also request proof-of-concept (POC) engagements through Cisco partners and field engineering.

To evaluate a specific Cisco product, check the product page or request a trial through Cisco’s site. For programmatic evaluation, use developer sandboxes and API documentation available on Cisco’s developer portal to test integration workflows.

Is cisco free

Yes, certain Cisco offerings are available for free. Cisco provides free-tier Webex accounts, developer sandboxes, and community editions for some software tools. However, most enterprise-grade products and full-featured services require paid licenses, subscriptions and support contracts for production use.

Free tiers are suitable for small teams, testing and development, but production deployments typically require paid plans to access advanced features, higher capacities and professional support.

Cisco API

Cisco exposes APIs across many product lines to support automation, integration and custom workflows. Notable API surfaces include:

• Meraki Dashboard API: RESTful endpoints to manage networks, devices, configurations, and telemetry for cloud-managed Meraki devices. Commonly used for automated provisioning, license reporting, and inventory management.
• Webex REST APIs: APIs for messaging, meetings, calling, and Webex devices allowing programmatic meeting creation, user management, message posting, recordings retrieval and bot integration.
• Cisco DNA Center API: northbound APIs to automate network provisioning, policy deployment, topology queries and assurance telemetry within intent-based network environments.
• Cisco SecureX and Umbrella APIs: interfaces to query threat intelligence, investigation results, and to automate security policy orchestration across products.
• IOS-XE/NX-OS programmability: CLI, NETCONF/YANG, RESTCONF and gNMI interfaces on Cisco platforms for configuration management, telemetry and configuration validation.

APIs typically offer OAuth2-based authentication, role-based access controls, rate limits and SDKs in popular languages. Cisco’s developer portals provide reference docs, code samples and sandbox environments. For production integrations, ensure you follow best practices around credential storage, rate-limiting, and change management.

10 Cisco alternatives

When evaluating Cisco, consider alternatives that focus on networking, security, or collaboration depending on the requirement. Below are ten alternatives spanning commercial and open-source vendors.

Paid alternatives to cisco

• Juniper Networks — Enterprise and carrier routing and switching with a focus on programmable fabrics and Contrail SDN solutions.
• Aruba Networks (HPE Aruba) — Campus and branch networking with Aruba Central for cloud management and ClearPass for secure access control.
• Fortinet — Security-first vendor with NGFWs, SD-WAN and integrated security fabric suited for converged networking and security use cases.
• Palo Alto Networks — Next-generation firewalls, cloud security and Prisma SASE platform for secure access and threat prevention.
• VMware (VeloCloud & NSX) — SD-WAN (VeloCloud) and data center network virtualization (NSX) with integrations into VMware’s virtualization stack.
• Cisco Webex competitors: Zoom — Cloud meeting and webinar platform with global meeting infrastructure and integrations.
• Microsoft Teams — Collaboration and communications tightly integrated with Microsoft 365 applications and identity.
• AWS Networking Services — Cloud-native networking and security services for organizations standardizing on AWS.
• Arista Networks — High-performance data center switching and routing with a strong focus on telemetry and programmability.
• Ubiquiti — Cost-effective networking gear and cloud-managed controllers for SMB and distributed retail environments.

Open source alternatives to cisco

• OpenWrt — Open-source Linux-based operating system for embedded devices (APs/routers) used in edge and SMB scenarios for custom routing and wireless firmware.
• pfSense — Open-source firewall and router distribution suitable for SMBs and lab environments as a firewall, VPN endpoint and basic routing platform.
• OpenVPN / WireGuard — Open-source VPN technologies for secure remote access and site-to-site tunnels, often used as lower-cost alternatives for VPN services.
• FRRouting (FRR) — Open-source routing stack providing BGP/OSPF/RIP/ISIS for whitebox switching and routing projects in data centers and service providers.
• Prometheus + Grafana (with exporters) — Open-source observability stack for network and systems telemetry, often combined with SNMP/NetFlow exporters to monitor infrastructure.

Frequently asked questions about Cisco

What is Cisco used for?

Cisco is used to build and operate enterprise and carrier networks, secure users and devices, and provide unified communications. Organizations deploy Cisco for campus switching and Wi‑Fi, SD‑WAN connectivity, data center fabrics, security enforcement, and cloud collaboration services like Webex.

Does Cisco offer cloud-managed networking?

Yes, Cisco offers cloud-managed networking through Meraki and Cisco+ services. Meraki Dashboard provides centralized cloud management for switches, access points and security appliances, while other Cisco cloud services offer SaaS subscriptions and cloud-delivered security.

How much does Cisco cost per user or device?

Cisco pricing varies by product; some services start at $0/month while device licenses commonly run around $125/year per device for Meraki. Collaboration seats often cost tens of dollars per user per month and enterprise network/security solutions are custom-quoted based on scale and features.

Is there a free version of Cisco software?

Yes, Cisco provides free-tier Webex accounts and developer sandboxes. These free options are suitable for small teams and testing; production deployments generally require paid subscriptions and support contracts.

Can Cisco equipment be automated via APIs?

Yes, Cisco provides RESTful and model-driven APIs across Meraki, DNA Center, Webex, and platform OSes. APIs enable provisioning, telemetry collection, policy orchestration and integration with ITSM and automation platforms.

What are common Cisco security products?

Cisco offers a broad security portfolio including Secure Firewall, Umbrella (secure internet gateway), Secure Endpoint (EDR), and Secure Access/Zero Trust solutions. These components integrate with threat intelligence and orchestration tools for coordinated defense.

Does Cisco integrate with cloud providers?

Yes, Cisco integrates with major cloud providers for hybrid connectivity and observability. Solutions include cloud on-ramps, SD‑WAN cloud egress integrations, and cloud-native security add-ons for AWS, Azure and Google Cloud.

How does Cisco support software upgrades and warranties?

Cisco supports products with support contracts like Smart Net and subscription-based maintenance, providing updates, replacement services and TAC assistance. Support tiers determine response times, entitlements and update access.

Is Cisco suitable for small businesses?

Yes, Cisco offers products for small businesses through Meraki, small business switches and simplified collaboration licenses. However, smaller organizations may also consider more cost-focused vendors depending on budget and management preferences.

Where can I get Cisco documentation and developer resources?

Cisco provides extensive product documentation, developer portals and API references on its official site. Use the Cisco developer portal and product pages to access guides, SDKs and sandbox environments for testing integrations.

cisco careers

Cisco careers span engineering, sales, product management, support and professional services. Positions frequently include network engineering, software development, security research, cloud operations, solutions architecture and customer success roles. Cisco publishes openings, internship programs and campus recruiting information on its corporate careers site and often lists region-specific roles for field engineering and partner enablement.

cisco affiliate

Cisco works through a global partner ecosystem that includes resellers, systems integrators and managed service providers. Many partners participate in referral and partner programs that include co-marketing, lead sharing and commission structures. Organizations interested in affiliate or partnership opportunities should consult Cisco’s partner program pages for requirements, competencies and certification tracks.

Where to find cisco reviews

To evaluate Cisco, review independent analyst reports, peer review sites and case studies. Useful sources include industry analyst research, customer reviews on technology comparison sites, and technical community forums. For product-specific feedback, search for reviews of Cisco Meraki, Cisco Webex, Cisco Secure Firewall and Cisco DNA Center to see real-world operational experiences and performance notes.