Cisco vs Arista: Why to Choose Cisco

If you're in networking, you're likely familiar with the two biggest brands in the field: Cisco and Arista. Cisco has software, hardware, and certifications for every networking need. Arista focuses on data centers and cloud connectivity. They may not have the broad scope of Cisco, but what Arista does, it does well. 

Choosing network gear is a big decision with lasting effects, so it can be challenging to find the best path forward. However, when comparing Cisco vs Arista, the road leads to Cisco. Let's start by discussing Cisco's most visible advantage: its market share.

Cisco: The King of the Market

Cisco's sizable market share is not the result of luck or happenstance. It has proven itself with quality solutions, solid support, and a great community. As of now, Cisco has a market share of around 46% of enterprise networking hardware, far higher than Arista's smaller niche.

Cisco's market share size isn't just good for them—it's good for the consumer, too. A large market share ensures longevity and product support. Believe me, there's nothing worse than securing hardware and software that are no longer supported. A large footprint also means there are plenty of places to turn when things go awry. The smaller the organization, the fewer people will know about your issue.

Acquisitions Driving Innovation

When comparing Cisco vs Arista, Cisco takes the cake with its ability to acquire competitors. These acquisitions play a key role in its continued innovation and success. Cisco gained control of eleven organizations in 2023 alone. One of them was Splunk, a tool used to enhance logging, security, and transparency of complex systems.

Cisco also made inroads into AI by acquiring Armorblox. Armorblox specializes in natural language processing, particularly for email, cloud, and office application security. These are just two of the eleven acquired in a single year, so it's not counting all the other acquisitions they have accomplished. Cisco's acquisitions strengthen its market position. They also establish it as a tech leader in cybersecurity, AI, and network observability.

The Comprehensive Cisco Ecosystem

One of Cisco's biggest selling points is its ability to provide end-to-end solutions. While Arista has quality products for some platforms, it can't match Cisco's variety. Cisco offers VoIP solutions, routers, switches, gateways, and all the necessary software to run and monitor them. 

This holistic offering is invaluable to network engineers. It means there are no worries about interoperability. Verifying product function between two proprietary systems can take a lot of time. Often, compatibility issues arise between disparate software, hardware, and versions thereof. By leveraging Cisco end-to-end, you can avoid these problems entirely. 

Arista offers high-quality, fast switches for cloud networking. However, these may not suit most use cases, especially if the organization is not ready to jump into the clouds yet.

Cloud and Multi-Cloud Capabilities

Cisco has made considerable inroads into all three major cloud solutions: AWS, GCP, and Azure. It has also provided several solutions to make the cloud more accessible and to facilitate hybrid solutions. One of the most notable is its line of SD-WANs. SD-WANs connect remote offices to cloud-hosted apps and make the connection fast and secure. Cisco also secures the cloud with products like Cisco Cloudlock and Cisco Umbrella. 

Cisco's investment in hybrid-cloud solutions differs from Arista's investment in data center operations. For holistic solutions that support both hybrid and cloud solutions, Cisco is your best bet.

Support and Community Features

Anyone who has ever set up a LAN knows how important support can be. That's why one of Cisco's biggest selling points is its customer service. Cisco TAC (Technical Assistance Center) is world-renowned for its 24-hour customer service.

Additionally, Cisco provides Success Teams for enterprise organizations that invest in its products. Success Teams offer their services to maximize the organization's success with their products. While Arista does provide robust customer support, it does not have the same level of service Cisco delivers. 

Vibrant User Community

Cisco has been in the market for a long time, and its community proves it. Cisco has a vibrant and enthusiastic community that is always happy to lend a hand. One of the best places to find these intrepid experts is the Cisco Community Forum. You can find answers here to any questions you have regarding the setup, troubleshooting, or features of a product. In contrast, Arista's smaller user base will make it more difficult to find your issue.

Talent Availability and Certifications

One of Cisco's best features is the myriad certifications it offers. Cisco's many products require their certifications to be equally broad. The global popularity of Cisco certification means employers have a global and verifiable talent pool to select from. Cisco has plenty of certifications ranging from entry-level, like the CCNA, to expert certs like the CCNP.

Arista has certifications like the ACE-A, but they are less marketable than Cisco's. Most employers will be looking for a Cisco cert due to its wide enterprise usage.

Cisco provides a lot of credentialing; check this out for a full list.

When considering competitors, it's also worth exploring why Juniper is a strong option in 2025 particularly in data centers and service provider networks.

Focus on Security

Arista produces secure products, but Cisco goes above and beyond to ensure the integrity of its systems. Cisco offers a comprehensive suite of security solutions designed to protect its ecosystem's hardware, firmware, and applications. One of the notable offerings is Cisco XDR, a cloud-native security platform that unifies and simplifies security across multiple environments. It provides a unified dashboard, threat detection, third-party integration, and more. Cisco XDR, like all of Cisco's other security software, is cutting-edge and invaluable to any enterprise.

If you want to focus on network security, there is no better way than preparing for a Cisco security certificate. Certification provides you with broad knowledge and a verifiable credential for employers. 

Zero-Trust Architecture

Trust is generally a good thing in life, but that is not the case with security. Zero-trust Architecture (ZTA) means giving users the minimum access they need. The principles of ZTA are "never trust, always verify," continuous validation, micro-segmentation, and context-aware access. No one knows this better than Cisco, which integrates this architecture into its apps. One of the most notable is Cisco Duo. Duo provides adaptive MFA. It verifies users' identities and secures access in hybrid environments. 

Cisco also uses ZTA in endpoint security. Endpoint security plays a particularly important role in cloud-based solutions because users access everything via endpoints. To address a wide range of endpoint-centric threats, Cisco offers a product called Cisco Secure Endpoint (CSE). CSE uses machine learning, behavior analytics, and a cloud-native design, which helps it detect odd behaviors and prevent intrusions.

Flexibility for Diverse Industries

Remember that Cisco has a massive amount of community support. That's because Cisco products are used absolutely everywhere. Whether you're in the health industry, military, education, or own a small business, Cisco products have you covered. Arista is great if you're working in a data center or a similar industry.

Cisco is great not only for enterprises but also for SMBs. Cisco provides a plethora of cloud-managed solutions that are both flexible and scalable. One of the most useful is Cisco Meraki, which provides a holistic overview of your entire network infrastructure. It is easy to set up and provides actionable data. Meraki is also used to manage access to the network, providing a one-stop shop for all the hardware you set up. Cisco's interoperability is one of the biggest reasons to pick it over a competitor like Arista and Huawei.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to networking, Cisco is the industry leader for good reason. They are relentlessly innovative, offer stellar customer support, and have stood the test of time. Cisco has a dominant market share, a strong ecosystem and provides end-to-end solutions, from VoIP systems to advanced security tools.

Arista excels in some niche areas, especially in the cloud and data centers. However, it cannot match Cisco's broad, versatile offerings. Cisco is the clear choice for organizations needing a flexible, reliable solution for all networking, security, and cloud needs.

There has never been a better time to level up your networking skills. Cisco provides all the tools you need, from entry-level certifications like CCNA to advanced security credentials. 

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