FortiManager Centralized Security Management (Max 500 managed devices)

Fortinet FortiManager is primarily used in the government, education, and oil and gas sectors.

Fortinet FortiManager includes important monitoring, analytics, and AIOps technology with a license.

I have utilized the centralized policy management with Fortinet FortiManager. The centralized policy management helps with the creation of policies because it is easy to monitor and facilitates installation.

I use Fortinet FortiManager's automation features for monitoring, which is very important for company use.

The benefits I see from using Fortinet FortiManager are very important for the company because it uses tools for monitoring, for EI, and for predictive faults.

The logging and reporting capabilities of Fortinet FortiManager are very important because they are for utilization, for dashboards, and for reports for clients.

Fortinet FortiManager can improve, but there is not much to mention. The improvements are very few, mostly in the production area. It would be nice to have a virtual appliance as well.

Fortinet support is very good, and I rate it on a scale of one to ten. The support is very complete, the people are very good, and they are very attentive. I would score their support a ten.

Positive

I used a different solution before Fortinet FortiManager. The experience with Fortinet FortiManager is very different with respect to Cisco because Fortinet has a very advanced developer in security and is recognized as a Gartner leader in security, making it better than Cisco.

I have experience with Fortinet FortiManager. Fortinet FortiManager is very well-known to me.

I have experience with Fortinet FortiManager, particularly in architecture and design, not technical, and I think it is a good solution.

I use Fortinet FortiManager along with AWS and Azure as cloud providers.

My thoughts on the pricing of Fortinet FortiManager are that the calling is the...

We purchased Fortinet FortiManager through two forms: the FortiManager appliance, which consists of physical servers, and we also bought it in the AWS Marketplace and other areas.

My overall rating for Fortinet FortiManager is seven.

Using Fortinet FortiManager in AWS is different than working on the Google Cloud platform. In previous roles, it was primarily hosted in environments as well as on-prem. Fortinet FortiManager is for centralized management for multiple FortiGate firewalls across various sites. I use it to push consistent security policies and firewall rules across distributed networks efficiently. I also monitor device health and configuration centrally to quickly identify and troubleshoot issues. I have supported network automation by using scripts and policy packages to streamline repetitive tasks. In AWS, Fortinet FortiManager helps ensure our cloud deployed FortiGates stay in sync with our security posture and compliance needs, especially when scaling across multiple VPCs or accounts.

One of my favorite features in Fortinet FortiManager is the centralized policy and device management. Being able to push consistent firewall rules and configuration changes across multiple FortiGates saves a ton of time and reduces errors compared to managing each device individually. I also appreciate the automation capabilities, such as the ability to schedule firmware upgrades or run scripts across devices, which helps with the maintenance windows and reduces manual work.

Another aspect that stands out is the visibility and compliance reporting. With Fortinet FortiManager's dashboards and logs, it made it easier to track configuration drift and audit changes, which is critical in regulated environments. The combination of automation and scalability makes Fortinet FortiManager really effective for our work.

Fortinet FortiManager ensures our cloud deployed FortiGates stay in sync with our security posture and compliance needs, especially when scaling across multiple VPCs or accounts.

There are some aspects that Fortinet FortiManager could improve upon. The user interface can feel clunky, especially for more complex tasks such as managing large-scale policy packages or custom scripts. This occasionally slows down the workflow for admins who are new to the platform.

Another challenge is device synchronization as well as policy push delays. At times, changes do not propagate immediately, which can create confusion during critical updates or troubleshooting. These issues are relatively minor in comparison to the benefits Fortinet FortiManager provides, but improvements in these areas could enhance the user experience and operational efficiency.

I have been using Fortinet FortiManager for two to three years overall.

I have contacted the technical support for Fortinet FortiManager multiple times, particularly when dealing with advanced scripting or automation features. Their support team has generally been responsive and helpful, especially for complex use cases and troubleshooting unexpected behaviors in policy automation. More advanced scripting topics can require digging into Fortinet's forums for a knowledge base, as official documentation is not always comprehensive. The support experience has been positive overall.

My experience with Fortinet FortiManager has been reliable, especially when deployed on appropriate hardware or well-resourced virtual environments. It handles managing dozens of FortiGate devices without significant lag or downtime. Performance can be impacted if the appliance is undersized for the environment or if there is a large volume of logs. Proper sizing and regular maintenance, including database cleanup and firmware updates, help maintain smooth operation for day-to-day network management.

Fortinet FortiManager is a robust platform that meets the need for growing networks. Whether managing a handful of FortiGate devices or a hundred across multiple sites, it provides centralized control that simplifies administration. It can group devices, apply policy packages, and automate configurations and changes, making the managed complexity easier as the network expands. The platform also supports multi-tenant management, which is especially useful for MSP environments. Planning is key, so proper initiation, design, and resource allocation ensure you do not run into performance bottlenecks as you scale.

I would rate Fortinet FortiManager technical support a solid seven to eight out of ten. They are generally knowledgeable and responsive, especially for cases escalated to the engineering teams. Their support portal and documentation are helpful, but sometimes the initial triage can take longer than expected, depending on the complexity of the issue. There can also be delays in getting deep technical answers for more advanced features, but overall, their support team provides solid assistance.

I have used and gained exposure with Cisco Firepower Management Center. Compared to Fortinet FortiManager, it stands out for its tight integration with the broader Fortinet Security Fabric, which simplifies managing multiple security products in one place. It is generally easier to deploy and manage in smaller to mid-sized environments. Cisco Firepower offers more visibility and advanced analytics features, providing deep integration for network traffic analysis. Each has its own strengths, depending on the environment scale. Fortinet FortiManager hits a good balance between usability and centralized control, especially in Fortinet-heavy networks.

The initial install for Fortinet FortiManager is straightforward, especially if you are familiar with Fortinet devices and architectures. The setup process involves deploying the Fortinet FortiManager appliance, either virtual or physical, as well as configuring the network settings and connecting it to your FortiGate devices. It becomes more challenging during the initial policy import and device discovery, especially in larger, complex environments with numerous firewalls and different configurations. Planning device groups and admin roles ahead of time makes a significant difference in smoothing out that phase. Once the baseline is configured, ongoing management becomes much easier, thanks to the centralized controls. It is a manageable process that benefits from good documentation, so with the right strategy, implementation should be successful.

Fortinet FortiManager requires applying regular firmware and software updates to ensure you have the latest security patches and feature improvements. You also need to monitor its health, checking logs, storage usage, and connectivity with managed devices to catch synchronization issues early. Occasionally, you might need to troubleshoot or reestablish communication with FortiGate devices if the policies do not push correctly. In larger environments, scheduled maintenance windows are important for performing backups of configuration and system state, as well as upgrading Fortinet FortiManager without impacting device management. While it automates many tasks, it still requires active administration to maintain optimal performance and security.

The pricing depends on what you are trying to implement. While I do not manage procurement directly, based on my experience and industry feedback, Fortinet's pricing is competitive and aligned with the benefits of the features they offer. Their licensing model can sometimes be complex, especially when factoring in additional modules such as Advanced Threat Protection or FortiCare support and cloud services. The value received, especially from having an integrated security fabric and centralized management tools such as Fortinet FortiManager, often justifies the cost. However, budgeting and pricing always depends on the specific deployment size and feature set. Fortinet provides a strong ROI for organizations focused on comprehensive security.

I rate Fortinet FortiManager an 8 out of 10. I am a customer of Fortinet FortiManager. I am okay with my name and the company name to be with the review, and I am also okay with Fortinet contacting me about this review. I am fine with the legal statements that need to be read.