If it’s been a few years since you’ve looked into the latest Cisco networking solutions, you may not be familiar with the relatively new feature they’re promoting — DNA Center.
DNA Center is Cisco’s latest network management platform. To use it, you’ll configure an appliance within your network and set up licenses for the components you want it to monitor.
At The KR Group, we’ve started talking about it as we discuss Cisco’s Catalyst 9000 switches with customers and colleagues. This family of switches requires you to purchase licensing; however, you have the choice whether or not you buy the appliance and use DNA Center’s features.
The question we’ve received most often is if DNA Center is worth the investment.
Even if it’s mandatory to purchase the licenses with the networking device you’re interested in, should you invest the time and money into fully integrating DNA Center?
The short answer is yes if you have a medium or large network footprint. So if that describes you, what would DNA Center do in your environment?
- Optimize the user experience
- Integrate security throughout the platform and network
- Automated processes
- Simplify new deployments
- Centralize the management of your network
As Cisco puts it, DNA Center helps you tackle your immediate challenges and prepare for the future. As a result, DNA Center can become a critical component of your IT, from protecting you against external threats to creating a more straightforward network management pathway.
Optimized User Experience
Traditionally, an IT administrator has to manage switches, routers, and wireless separately. Not only does this take time, but it makes it difficult to see the big picture of your network health.
With DNA Center, you have visibility into the various segments of your network and how they’re performing, giving you insight into modifications you might make to improve your users’ experience.
Integrated Security
No matter how small your IT environment is, security is critical. 
But, once you’re at 400 devices — or even 40 — keeping tabs on security upgrades and performance of your switches, access points, routers, etc., becomes cumbersome. If something falls through the cracks and creates a vulnerability, the result can be detrimental to your network, IT environment, or even your entire business.
However, with DNA Center, you’ll have a list of all connected devices and information on their security status. So, you can quickly see if there is a suspected risk instead of manually combing through your network or waiting for endpoint protection to detect a threat.
Automated Process
When it comes to saving time and adding simplicity, automation is a crucial component.
One of the most apparent benefits of Cisco DNA Center is how it allows you to automate different processes from workflows to deployments.
This means you and your staff get a little bit of time back to focus on value-added projects. Additionally, having automated networking processes means fewer opportunities for human errors and subsequent security gaps and vulnerabilities.
Simple Deployments
With the ability to automate some of the duties for network management, you can ultimately simplify how much work it takes to deploy and then manage your network devices.
Keep in mind that Cisco DNA Center doesn’t mean you don’t need to understand networking essentials. It just reduces the time you’ll spend doing these activities.
One of the best examples of DNA Center’s simplification is IT administrators deploying new network devices in satellite office locations.
With the appropriate configurations, you don’t even need to physically be at the new building for deployment. Instead, you can request maintenance to mount or install devices and remotely configure them through DNA Center.
Centralized Management
With DNA Center, you can view information about every network device’s performance and health without changing views. Your network components rely on each other to work well, and DNA Center allows you to manage them that way.
When you have this type of visibility, you can identify and address performance issues before someone complains there is a problem.
Should You Use Cisco DNA Center?
Ultimately, DNA Center eliminates or streamlines some of the tedious processes of networking to give IT administrators and users a better experience.
As an IT administrator, you can improve security, streamline upgrades, and even simplify new deployments. You’re also monitoring and managing all of your integrated network devices through a single tool so that you can spend more time on other essential tasks.
So how do you know if this is for you?
If you feel bogged down in the mundane work of monitoring and maintaining your IT environment, want better visibility, or are looking to reduce opportunities for human error, DNA Center has benefits for you.
At this point, you should have a general idea if this solution is something your business could benefit from. Next, check out Cisco’s free infographic for more detailed information on what DNA Center would look like in your network.