Location analytics and guest WiFi, on any vendor’s network
Cisco Spaces delivers location intelligence exclusively on Cisco wireless hardware. Purple delivers guest WiFi, a customisable captive portal, footfall and dwell analytics, and marketing automation on the access points you already run - Cisco Meraki, HPE Aruba, Ruckus, Juniper Mist or Ubiquiti UniFi - plus passwordless staff WiFi and enterprise compliance. One platform, not tied to a single hardware vendor.
- Runs on your existing access points - Cisco Meraki, HPE Aruba, Ruckus, Juniper Mist, UniFi
- Footfall, dwell, and repeat-visit analytics across every site in one dashboard
- Guest and staff WiFi in one platform, passwordless WPA2/3-Enterprise for your team
- ISO 27001, GDPR, CCPA, and B Corp certified with 99.999% uptime
Switching from Cisco Spaces?
Book a 30-minute demo and we’ll show you Purple running on your existing Cisco or mixed-vendor hardware, with zero hardware replacement.
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Why enterprise teams move from Cisco Spaces to Purple
Cisco Spaces is locked to Cisco Catalyst and Meraki wireless hardware.
Purple runs on the access points you already own - Cisco Meraki, HPE Aruba, Ruckus, Juniper Mist, or Ubiquiti UniFi - preventing vendor lock-in across multi-site estates.
Cisco Spaces offers limited location-triggered notifications (Engagements app).
Purple includes complete marketing automation - branded captive portals, first-party data capture, and automated email and SMS workflows across 70+ CRM integrations.
Cisco Spaces focuses primarily on indoor location, occupancy, and IoT tracking.
Purple combines footfall and dwell analytics with guest WiFi marketing and passwordless staff access in a single unified dashboard.
Cisco Spaces leaves staff authentication to separate Cisco identity products like ISE.
Purple includes cloud RADIUS for passwordless staff WiFi (WPA2/3-Enterprise) with Entra ID, Okta, and Google Workspace synchronisation.
Cisco Spaces requires complex per-access-point licensing tiers (See, Act, Extend).
Purple provides one transparent cloud subscription that scales across mixed hardware and multi-site environments.
Built for IT, marketing, and operations teams
Purple replaces fragmented network tools with one platform. IT keeps existing access points, marketing gains compliant first-party data, and operations gets clear footfall intelligence.
IT and network engineering
Deploy as a cloud overlay on existing Cisco Meraki, HPE Aruba, Ruckus, Juniper Mist, or UniFi networks with cloud RADIUS staff authentication and ISO 27001 compliance.
Marketing and customer experience
Branded captive portals, automated visitor data collection, and multi-channel marketing campaigns connecting to 70+ CRM and CDP tools.
Venue operations and analytics
Real-time footfall, dwell time, frequency, and cross-site visitor journeys across all locations in one consolidated view.
Security and compliance officers
ISO 27001, GDPR, CCPA, Cyber Essentials, and B Corp certified, with passwordless EAP-TLS 802.1X staff network access.
Why 80,000+ venues choose Purple over single-vendor tools
See what Purple looks like running on your existing Cisco or mixed-vendor hardware.
Feature-by-feature comparison
| Feature | Purple | Cisco Spaces |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor-neutral access point support | ✓Hardware agnostic: Cisco Meraki, HPE Aruba, Ruckus, Juniper Mist, UniFi | ✕Cisco hardware only - Cisco Catalyst and Meraki access points |
| Branded guest WiFi captive portal | ✓Customisable splash page with social, SMS, and email login plus consent capture | ✓Basic Captive Portal app supporting social and email login |
| Footfall, dwell & visitor analytics | ✓Footfall, dwell time, visit frequency, and repeat visitor journey insights | ✓Indoor location, occupancy, and density analytics (Detect and Locate) |
| Marketing automation & CRM integration | ✓Automated email/SMS journeys with 70+ native CRM and CDP integrations | –Engagements app sends location-triggered push notifications only |
| Passwordless staff WiFi (802.1X / Cloud RADIUS) | ✓Built-in Cloud RADIUS with EAP-TLS, iPSK, and SAML/SSO directory sync | ✕Requires separate Cisco identity infrastructure such as Cisco ISE |
| Passpoint / OpenRoaming support | ✓Passpoint (Hotspot 2.0) and WBA OpenRoaming for automatic connection | ✓OpenRoaming app for frictionless network onboarding |
| Multi-tenant / private network isolation (iPSK) | ✓Private isolated network keys for student housing, BTR, and coworking | ✕Not supported |
| Enterprise compliance & certifications | ✓ISO 27001, GDPR, CCPA, Cyber Essentials, and certified B Corp | –General Cisco enterprise compliance; specific guest data certifications unpublished |
Book a 30-minute demo and we’ll map out your seamless migration from Cisco Spaces.
One unified platform for guest WiFi, analytics, and staff access
Purple runs guest and staff WiFi, branded captive portals, footfall analytics, and marketing automation on the access points you already own - across Cisco Meraki, HPE Aruba, Ruckus, Juniper Mist, and Ubiquiti UniFi. Trusted by 80,000+ venues and 350 million users with 99.999% uptime and ISO 27001, GDPR, CCPA, and B Corp certifications. Schedule a 30-minute demo to see Purple on your network.
Frequently asked
Does Purple work with our existing Cisco and Meraki access points?
Yes. Purple integrates directly as a cloud overlay with Cisco Catalyst and Meraki access points, as well as HPE Aruba, Ruckus, Juniper Mist, and Ubiquiti UniFi. You do not need to replace hardware or change your underlying network architecture.
How does Purple compare to Cisco Spaces for marketing and lead generation?
Cisco Spaces focuses primarily on operational location tracking and density analytics. Purple adds branded captive portals, explicit consent data capture, automated email and SMS marketing workflows, and 70+ native CRM connectors (such as Salesforce, HubSpot, and Mailchimp) to generate measurable leads and visitor ROI.
Can Purple handle staff WiFi authentication alongside guest WiFi on Cisco hardware?
Yes. Unlike Cisco Spaces, which requires separate identity management tools like Cisco ISE for staff access, Purple includes built-in Cloud RADIUS supporting passwordless WPA2/3-Enterprise (EAP-TLS), iPSK, and directory sync with Entra ID, Okta, and Google Workspace.
What is involved in migrating from Cisco Spaces to Purple?
Migration is entirely software-based. Purple connects via API or RADIUS configuration in your network controller. Most enterprise deployments go live within 5 to 10 business days without network downtime or on-site hardware changes.
Where Purple beats Cisco Spaces
See the product hub and the industries where teams pick Purple over Cisco Spaces.