Alation Data Catalog vs IBM InfoSphere Information Server comparison

Alation and IBM are both solutions in the Metadata Management category. Alation is ranked #2 with an average rating of 7.4, while IBM is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.0. Alation holds a 16.2% mindshare in MM, compared to IBM’s 4.7% mindshare. Additionally, 76% of Alation users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of IBM users who would recommend it.

Alation Data Catalog

Read 11 Alation Data Catalog reviews

2,207 Views
1,335 Comparison Views

76% willing to recommend

IBM InfoSphere Information ...

Read 7 IBM InfoSphere Information Server reviews

197 Views
162 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Alation Data Catalog

IBM InfoSphere Information ...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Alation Data Catalog and IBM InfoSphere Information Server based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Metadata Management solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Alation Data Catalog vs. IBM InfoSphere Information Server Report (Updated: December 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Alation Data Catalog vs. IBM InfoSphere Information Server

December 2024

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Alation Data Catalog

Ranking in Metadata Management

2nd

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Data Governance (4th)

IBM InfoSphere Information ...

Ranking in Metadata Management

7th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Data Integration (33rd)

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the Metadata Management category, the mindshare of Alation Data Catalog is 16.2%, down from 18.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM InfoSphere Information Server is 4.7%, down from 5.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Metadata Management

Featured Reviews

Brahma Lam

Developer at CVS Health

Has metadata cataloging features but needs changes in domain model

The tool's metadata cataloging is the most valuable feature. The tool's domain model needs to be changed. Alation Data Catalog is stable. The solution is scalable. Alation Data Catalog's deployment is easy. I rate it a nine out of ten. Deployment takes only two to three hours to complete.…

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UmeshKumar1

Business Analyst Team Lead at Accenture

Prompt support, reliable, but lacking scalability

IBM InfoSphere Information Server has multiple tools in that product suite. However, we mainly use it as an integration tool I have been using IBM InfoSphere Information Server for approximately five years. IBM InfoSphere Information Server is stable. IBM InfoSphere Information Server should be…

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"We can customize templates based on our use cases."

"The tool's metadata cataloging is the most valuable feature."

"The solution's most valuable feature is the ALLIE AI feature."

"The solution is used to query MySQL clients and store data and documentation."

"Given the relatively low level of maturity, Alation's most relevant feature at the moment is a user interface that's easy to navigate, which helps us find and understand the data. So while Alation has a lot more functionality, our pain point right now is being able to easily find, understand, and trust the information to use it."

"Alation Data Catalog's best feature is the SQL query publication."

"Alation Data Catalog provides a nice interface for connecting to the database, querying the data, and working on it."

"The most valuable feature is cloud integration."

More Alation Data Catalog pros

"IBM InfoSphere Information Server is stable."

"Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."

"This solution is extremely flexible and scalable."

"The integration with different technologies is the most valuable feature."

Cons

"Data observability within Alation would be incredibly helpful for addressing these challenges"

"Alation Data Catalog does not provide end-to-end data lineage."

"I know that this has been on their roadmap and they're working on it, but as a whole, there's an untapped reservoir of capabilities within their article features that could be used and built upon."

"We have had issues setting up the connectors and getting Alation's support team to resolve issues."

"The product's data governance features need improvement."

"The tool's domain model needs to be changed."

"Although the solution performs far better in terms of data cataloging, its data governance capabilities need improvement."

"It would be good if the tool could show the output from the records while querying."

More Alation Data Catalog cons

"Their technical support needs improvement."

"There are certain shortcomings in the cloud side of the solution, where improvements are required."

"IBM InfoSphere Information Server should be more scalable. It should have the option to change the configuration to run on a single, non-multiple node, or multi-threading processing."

"This solution would benefit from the engine being made more lightweight."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"A three-year agreement is better than a one-year rolling 12-month agreement from a price point of view. I'd recommend looking at a three-year deal because you can't stand up a catalog and produce value in 12 months."

"The platform is moderately expensive compared to the other competitors in the market."

"The solution is a little expensive."

"I don't have all the details on the pricing side, but the solution was more expensive than originally expected."

"The licensing cost of IBM InfoSphere Information Server depends on how many users there are."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

18%

Computer Software Company

10%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

21%

Government

15%

Insurance Company

11%

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Alation Data Catalog?

The platform's most valuable features are workflow automation, automated business metadata tagging, technical metadata tagging, and data integration with data quality tools or platforms.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Alation Data Catalog?

I don't have all the details on the pricing side, but the solution was more expensive than originally expected. On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solut...

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What needs improvement with Alation Data Catalog?

When issues arise, two key concerns arise. First, how can we perform root cause analysis faster? Second, how can we optimize resource allocation, considering the associated costs? Every customer is...

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What do you like most about IBM InfoSphere Information Server?

Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM InfoSphere Information Server?

There are certain shortcomings in the cloud side of the solution, where improvements are required. In our company, we are presently in the process of doing a PoC phase since we have the solution cu...

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What is your primary use case for IBM InfoSphere Information Server?

I use IBM InfoSphere Information Server in retail banking for transformation purposes.

See all answers

Comparisons

Microsoft Purview Data Governance vs Alation Data Catalog

Compared 33% of the time

Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC) vs Alation Data Catalog

Compared 18% of the time

Collibra Governance vs Alation Data Catalog

Compared 13% of the time

Ataccama ONE Platform vs Alation Data Catalog

Compared 4% of the time

Atlan vs Alation Data Catalog

Compared 4% of the time

More Alation Data Catalog Competitors

IBM InfoSphere DataStage vs IBM InfoSphere Information Server

Compared 73% of the time

Qlik Replicate vs IBM InfoSphere Information Server

Compared 10% of the time

Oracle GoldenGate vs IBM InfoSphere Information Server

Compared 8% of the time

IBM Watson Knowledge Catalog vs IBM InfoSphere Information Server

Compared 6% of the time

More IBM InfoSphere Information Server Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Alation Data Catalog

January 2025

Download Alation Data Catalog product report

Buyer's Guide

Data Integration

January 2025

IBM InfoSphere Information Server report

Download IBM InfoSphere Information Server product report

Also Known As

Alation

InfoSphere Information Server, IBM Information Server

Learn More

Alation

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IBM

Overview

Alation pioneered the data catalog market and is now leading its evolution into a platform for a broad range of data intelligence solutions including data search & discovery, data governance, lineage, stewardship, analytics, and digital transformation.

Thanks to its powerful Behavioral Analysis Engine, inbuilt collaboration capabilities, and open interfaces, Alation combines machine learning with human insight to successfully tackle even the most demanding challenges in data and metadata management. With Alation, analysts are empowered to search, query and collaborate on their data to achieve faster, more accurate insights.

Trusted by 400+ enterprises worldwide like Salesforce, Nasdaq, LinkedIn, Finnair, and Cisco.

IBM InfoSphere Information Server is a market-leading data integration platform which includes a family of products that enable you to understand, cleanse, monitor, transform, and deliver data, as well as to collaborate to bridge the gap between business and IT. InfoSphere Information Server provides massively parallel processing (MPP) capabilities to deliver a highly scalable and flexible integration platform that handles a variety of data volumes (big, small, and everything in between).

Sample Customers

Salesforce, Snowflake, Citrix, eBay, TripAdvisor, Albertsons, Nasdaq, Pfizer, LinkedIn, Finnair.

Canadian National Railway Company, Chickasaw Nation Division of Commerce, Swedish Armed Forces, BG RCI, Janata Sahakari Bank Ltd., University of Arizona, Biogrid Australia

Buyer's Guide

Alation Data Catalog vs. IBM InfoSphere Information Server

December 2024

Free Report: Alation Data Catalog vs. IBM InfoSphere Information Server

Find out what your peers are saying about Alation Data Catalog vs. IBM InfoSphere Information Server and other solutions. Updated: December 2024.

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We monitor all Metadata Management reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.