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Microsegmentation · November 2026 Edition
Akamai Guardicore Segmentation vs Cisco Secure Workload
Three of fourteen models named Akamai Guardicore Segmentation first on the direct prompt; zero named Cisco Secure Workload. Akamai Guardicore Segmentation was named by fourteen of the fourteen models and Cisco Secure Workload by eleven and Akamai Guardicore Segmentation carries 43 labels and Cisco Secure Workload 20, so the shares are not directly comparable.
Named in two categories this edition.
Named in one category this edition.
First-choice share9%2%Of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts, 0 to 100.
Negative rate7%15%Negative labels as a share of the product's labels, 0 to 100.
Rank in category#4#5A position in a field of 8; printed, not drawn.
Labels4320A count; the two differ.
The two percentage rows are drawn on one 0 to 100 track, Akamai Guardicore Segmentation reading right to left. Rank and label count are printed, not drawn.ColorTokens Xshield was named alongside these two in eleven of the fourteen direct answers. ColorTokens Xshield vs Akamai Guardicore Segmentation · ColorTokens Xshield vs Cisco Secure Workload · Zero Networks Segment vs Akamai Guardicore Segmentation
Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts over all fourteen models, for a mid-market B2B company; rank is within the category; every quote names the model and the prompt it came from. Both figures come from the microsegmentation page.
By framing
How many of the fourteen models made each the first choice, per way of asking, and how many argued against it.
Akamai Guardicore SegmentationFirst choices, of fourteen modelsCisco Secure Workload
Direct30
Paraphrase102 against Cisco Secure Workload
Comparative21
Budget-constrained013 against Akamai Guardicore Segmentation · 1 against Cisco Secure Workload
Scale-constrained00
Negative00
Bars are first choices, 0 to 14 each sideModels that argued againstA model can name both, so the two sides of a row do not sum to fourteen.
Across every category in the November 2026 Edition, Akamai Guardicore Segmentation and Cisco Secure Workload were named in the same answer seventy-seven times, of the 158 answers naming Akamai Guardicore Segmentation and the 92 naming Cisco Secure Workload. In those answers Cisco Secure Workload took the first choice one time and Akamai Guardicore Segmentation eight.
Every model, every framing
The eighty-four answers behind the chart above, one cell each: where Akamai Guardicore Segmentation and Cisco Secure Workload stood in it.
| Model | Direct | Paraphrase | Comparative | Budget-constrained | Scale-constrained | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | | |||||
| GPT-5.4 mini | | | | | ||
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | | | | | | |
| Perplexity Sonar | | | ||||
| Grok 4.20 | | | | | | |
| Mistral Small | | | ||||
| DeepSeek V4 Flash | | | | | ||
| Llama 4 Maverick | | | ||||
| Qwen 3.7 Flash | ||||||
| Kimi K2 | | | | |||
| GLM 4.7 FlashX | | |||||
| MiniMax M2.5 | ||||||
| GPT-6 Luna | | | | |||
| Muse Glimmer 30B | | | |
Akamai Guardicore Segmentation Cisco Secure Workload first choice named as an alternative argued againstblank: not namedEach cell is one answer, Akamai Guardicore Segmentation on the left and Cisco Secure Workload on the right.The direct prompt
The plain question, one answer per model, grouped by where Akamai Guardicore Segmentation and Cisco Secure Workload stood in it.
Akamai Guardicore Segmentation first, Cisco Secure Workload an alternative
3 of 14 modelsCisco Secure Workload was named in the answer but not as the choice, or not at all.GPT-5.4 miniAkamai Guardicore Segmentation, Illumio Segmentation alternatives: Zero Networks Segment
Gemini 3.5 FlashAkamai Guardicore Segmentation alternatives: Elisity, Illumio Segmentation, Isovalent/Cilium, Tigera Calico, Zero Networks Segment
GLM 4.7 FlashXAkamai Guardicore Segmentation, ColorTokens Xshield alternatives: Cisco Identity Services Engine, Cisco Secure Workload, Illumio Segmentation, VMware NSX
Neither was the first choice, one was named
4 of 14 modelsThe answer put something else first and named one of the two as an alternative.Perplexity SonarColorTokens Xshield alternatives: Akamai Guardicore Segmentation, Illumio Segmentation, Zero Networks Segment
Grok 4.20ColorTokens Xshield alternatives: Akamai Guardicore Segmentation, Elisity, Zero Networks Segmentation
GPT-6 LunaIllumio Segmentation alternatives: Akamai Guardicore Segmentation, ColorTokens Xshield
Muse Glimmer 30BColorTokens Xshield alternatives: Akamai Guardicore Segmentation, Broadcom, Illumio Segmentation, VMware NSX, Zscaler Private Access
Neither was named
7 of 14 modelsThe answer made no first choice from these two in this category.Claude Haiku 4.5no first choice
Mistral SmallColorTokens Xshield alternatives: Zero Networks Segment
DeepSeek V4 FlashColorTokens Xshield alternatives: Illumio Segmentation
Llama 4 MaverickColorTokens Xshield
Qwen 3.7 FlashColorTokens Xshield alternatives: Illumio Segmentation, Palo Alto Networks, Tigera Calico
Kimi K2Zero Networks Segment alternatives: ColorTokens Xshield
MiniMax M2.5ColorTokens Xshield alternatives: Airlock Microgateway, Faddom, Opinnate Network Security Policy Manager
Bold names in an answer are the products the judge labeled a first choice; a model naming several gives each of them that label. The full answer text for every row is in the record.
By buyer segment
The same question asked on behalf of a different buyer. Each standing is computed within its segment and they are never added together. The figures above are the mid-market standing, which is the one the category orders by.
Small business
Akamai Guardicore Segmentation leads by two points.
Akamai Guardicore Segmentation5%#2 of 11Cisco Secure Workload4%#9 of 11Mid-marketThe figures above
Akamai Guardicore Segmentation leads by seven points.
Akamai Guardicore Segmentation9%#4 of 8Cisco Secure Workload2%#5 of 8Enterprise
Akamai Guardicore Segmentation leads by two points.
Akamai Guardicore Segmentation6%#3 of 8Cisco Secure Workload4%#4 of 8What the models said about Akamai Guardicore Segmentation
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Six of seven in this category shown.
“Instead of paying high six-figure annual licenses for enterprise microsegmentation suites like Illumio or Akamai Guardicore” Gemini 3.5 Flash · budget prompt · soft negative
“often start at tens of thousands of dollars annually ... can strain limited budgets” Grok 4.20 · budget prompt · soft negative
“If You Can Stretch the Budget ... Minimum deal size: ~$40,000” Kimi K2 · budget prompt · soft negative
“I recommend Akamai Guardicore Segmentation (now part of Akamai) as the top choice for east-west network segmentation (microsegmentation).” Grok 4.20 · paraphrase prompt · first choice
“the safest "best overall" microsegmentation choice is usually Illumio or Akamai Guardicore Segmentation” GPT-5.4 mini · direct prompt · first choice
“ColorTokens for rapid deployment and Akamai Guardicore (or Illumio) for deeper visibility and policy management” GLM 4.7 FlashX · direct prompt · first choice
What the models said about Cisco Secure Workload
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Six of seven in this category shown.
“solid for larger or Cisco-centric shops, though it can be more involved than a mid-sized company needs” GPT-5.4 mini · paraphrase prompt · soft negative
“often start at tens of thousands of dollars annually ... can strain limited budgets” Grok 4.20 · budget prompt · soft negative
“it's typically better for larger enterprises” Grok 4.20 · paraphrase prompt · soft negative
“Best for app-aware segmentation with Cisco ecosystem alignment → Cisco Secure Workload” GPT-5.4 mini · comparative prompt · first choice
“Moderate budget: evaluate Cisco Secure Workload” GPT-5.4 mini · budget prompt · first choice
“Best for Cisco-centric organizations: Cisco Secure Workload fits enterprises seeking segmentation integrated with existing Cisco networking” Perplexity Sonar · comparative prompt · alternative
Also compared
ColorTokens Xshield vs Akamai Guardicore SegmentationColorTokens Xshield vs Cisco Secure WorkloadZero Networks Segment vs Akamai Guardicore SegmentationZero Networks Segment vs Cisco Secure WorkloadIllumio Segmentation vs Akamai Guardicore SegmentationIllumio Segmentation vs Cisco Secure WorkloadAll ten head-to-head pages and the full microsegmentation standing
Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category, each against each. The output is the models' output; nothing here is a recommendation by the index.