Thinking About Switching Network Monitoring Platforms? Here’s What You Need to Know

If you’re reading this, chances are your current network monitoring solution isn’t quite cutting it anymore—or maybe it’s cutting too deep into your budget.

With recent private equity investments in major players like SolarWinds and Paessler, we’re seeing a wave of changes across the industry. These firms are known for driving growth, but also for restructuring pricing models and streamlining product portfolios. Translation? If you’re a customer, you might be facing steep renewal hikes or reduced support for the features you actually use.

So, if you're considering a switch, you're not alone. And you're not wrong.

Here are some of the most common reasons we hear from customers who are exploring new platforms:

• Price hikes without added value: Some vendors are increasing renewal costs by up to 300%.
• Lack of innovation: Legacy platforms often lag behind in adopting AI, automation, and cloud-native capabilities.
• Vendor lock-in: Deep integrations can make switching hard, but staying might be harder on your budget and flexibility.
• Security concerns: With evolving threats, outdated platforms may not offer the visibility or protection you need.
• Poor support or slow updates: If your vendor isn’t keeping up, your network—and your team—could suffer.

1. Map Your Monitoring Scope

Before migrating, clearly define what needs to be monitored—devices, services, cloud assets, and endpoints. This ensures your new platform can handle your full environment without gaps or overkill.

2. Validate Compatibility and Integrations

Check that the new solution supports your existing infrastructure, protocols (SNMP, WMI, NetFlow, etc.), and integrates with your critical tools (SIEM, ticketing, cloud providers). Avoid surprises post-deployment.

3. Plan for Data Portability

Ensure you can export historical data and configurations from your current system and import them into the new one. Look for platforms that support open standards, APIs, and flexible data ingestion.

4. Test Performance and Scalability

Run a pilot to assess how the new platform handles your network load, alerting logic, and reporting needs. Make sure it scales with your growth—especially if you're hybrid or cloud-heavy.

The network monitoring landscape is shifting. With private equity firms backing major vendors, we expect more consolidation, more pricing changes, and—hopefully—more innovation. But for many customers, that also means re-evaluating their options.

If you’re feeling the pressure, now might be the perfect time to explore a platform that’s built for today’s hybrid environments, offers predictable pricing, and puts customer success first.

OpenNMS is built to meet those needs. Whether you're monitoring thousands of devices across multiple sites or managing a hybrid cloud infrastructure, OpenNMS offers scalable, open-source solutions with powerful automation, deep visibility, and flexible integrations. With transparent pricing and a commitment to community-driven innovation, OpenNMS helps you stay in control—without vendor lock-in or surprise renewals.

We’re here to help you navigate that journey. Contact us to learn more.