BackBox
BackBox is a network automation platform that provides automated backup, recovery, and security compliance for multi-vendor network and security devices to ensure your infrastructure remains resilient and secure.
Riverbed SteelHead
Riverbed SteelHead is a network optimization solution that accelerates application performance and reduces bandwidth consumption across hybrid cloud environments to ensure your distributed teams stay productive and connected.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | BackBox | Riverbed SteelHead |
|---|---|---|
| Website | backbox.com | riverbed.com |
| Pricing Model | Custom | Custom |
| Starting Price | Custom Pricing | Custom Pricing |
| FREE Trial | ✓ 30 days free trial | ✓ 0 days free trial |
| Free Plan | ✘ No free plan | ✘ No free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2009 | 2002 |
| Headquarters | Dallas, USA | San Francisco, USA |
Overview
BackBox
BackBox is a dedicated network automation platform designed to simplify the way you manage and secure your network infrastructure. Instead of manually logging into individual switches, firewalls, and routers, you can automate complex tasks across your entire multi-vendor environment from a single interface. The platform focuses on three core pillars: automated backups, seamless recovery, and continuous security compliance.
You can use the software to schedule regular configuration backups and verify their integrity automatically, ensuring you always have a working restore point. It also helps you identify vulnerabilities and misconfigurations by comparing your live settings against industry benchmarks like CIS or NIST. Whether you are managing a small corporate network or a massive enterprise deployment, BackBox helps you reduce human error and minimize downtime during critical outages.
Riverbed SteelHead
Riverbed SteelHead helps you overcome network latency and bandwidth constraints that slow down your business applications. Whether your tools live in a private data center, a public cloud, or are delivered as SaaS, this platform uses advanced data reduction and transport streamlining to make your apps run faster. You can significantly reduce the time it takes to transfer large files and sync data across long distances.
The software gives you deep visibility into how your applications are performing and how your bandwidth is being used. You can prioritize business-critical traffic over less important data, ensuring your most vital operations always have the resources they need. It is designed for mid-market and enterprise organizations with multiple branch offices or a significant remote workforce that relies on consistent network speed.
Overview
BackBox Features
- Automated Backups Schedule automated configuration backups for over 1800 different device types to ensure your data is always protected.
- One-Click Recovery Restore your network devices to a previous working state with a single click to minimize downtime during outages.
- Compliance Auditing Scan your network configurations against security benchmarks to identify and remediate vulnerabilities before they are exploited.
- OS Updates Push operating system updates and patches across multiple devices simultaneously to keep your entire infrastructure current.
- Custom Automation Create your own automation scripts using a visual builder or Python to handle unique tasks specific to your environment.
- Inventory Management Maintain a real-time, dynamic inventory of every device on your network including serial numbers, licenses, and hardware details.
Riverbed SteelHead Features
- Data Streamlining. Reduce your bandwidth consumption by up to 99% by only sending new or changed data across your network.
- Transport Streamlining. Minimize the impact of high latency by reducing the number of round trips required for data to travel.
- Application Streamlining. Accelerate specific protocols like HTTP, FTP, and SMB to ensure your web and file applications respond instantly.
- SaaS Acceleration. Speed up popular tools like Microsoft 365, Salesforce, and ServiceNow by optimizing the path to the cloud.
- Path Selection. Direct your traffic over the most efficient path available, whether it is MPLS, internet, or a satellite link.
- Centralized Management. Control your entire optimization deployment from a single console to simplify configuration and reporting across all sites.
Pricing Comparison
BackBox Pricing
Riverbed SteelHead Pricing
Pros & Cons
BackBox
Pros
- Supports a massive library of multi-vendor network devices
- Automated backup verification ensures your files aren't corrupted
- Significantly reduces time spent on manual configuration changes
- Responsive technical support team with deep networking expertise
Cons
- Initial setup requires time to configure device credentials
- Advanced custom scripting has a steeper learning curve
- Pricing is not transparent on the official website
Riverbed SteelHead
Pros
- Drastically reduces file transfer times for remote offices
- Significantly lowers monthly bandwidth costs for expensive links
- Reliable performance for critical enterprise applications
- Excellent visibility into network traffic patterns
Cons
- Initial hardware or licensing costs are relatively high
- Requires technical expertise for complex initial configurations
- Encrypted traffic requires additional steps to optimize effectively