Confluent vs Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC) comparison

Confluent is an enterprise-ready, full-scale streaming platform that enhances Apache Kafka. 

Confluent has integrated cutting-edge features that are designed to enhance these tasks: 

• Speed up application development and connectivity
• Enable transformations through stream processing
• Streamline business operations at scale
• Adhere to strict architectural standards

Confluent is a more complete distribution of Kafka in that it enhances the integration possibilities of Kafka by introducing tools for managing and optimizing Kafka clusters while providing methods for making sure the streams are secure. Confluent supports publish-and-subscribe as well as the storing and processing of data within the streams. Kafka is easier to operate and build thanks to Confluent.

Confluent's software is available in three different varieties: 

1. A free, open-source streaming platform that makes it simple to start using real-time data streams
2. An enterprise-grade version of the product with more administrative, ops, and monitoring tools
3. A premium cloud-based version.

Confluent Advantage Features

Confluent has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:

• Multi-language
  
  
  • Clients: C++, Python, Go, and .NET
  • REST proxy: Can connect to Kafka from any connected network device
  • Admin REST APIs: RESTful interface for performing administrator operations

• Pre-built ecosystem
  
  
  • Connectors: More than 100 supported connectors, including S3, Elastic, HDFS, JDBC
  • MQTT proxy: Gain access to Kafka from MQTT gateways and devices
  • Schema registry: Centralized database to guarantee data compatibility

• Streaming database
  
  
  • ksqlDB: Materialized views and real-time stream processing

• GUI management 
  
  
  • Control panel: GUI for scalable Kafka management and monitoring
  • Health+: Smart alerts and cloud-based control centers

• DevOps automation that is flexible
  
  
  • Confluent for Kubernetes: Complete API to deploy on Kubernetes
  • Automated Ansible deployment on non-containerized environments

• Dynamic performance 
  
  
  • Self-balancing clusters: Automated partition re-balancing across brokers in the cluster
  • Tiered storage: Older Kafka data offloading to object storage with transparent access

• Security that is enterprise-grade 
  
  
  • Role-based access control: Granular user/group access authorization
  • Audit logs that are structured: Logs of user actions kept in dedicated Kafka topics
  • Secret protection: Sensitive information is encrypted

• Global resilience
  
  
  • Linking clusters: A real-time, highly reliable, and consistent bridge across on-premises and cloud environments
  • Multiple-region clusters: Single Kafka cluster with automated client failover distributed across multiple data centers
  • Replicator: Asynchronous replication that is based on the Kafka Connect framework

• Support
  
  
  • Round the clock enterprise support from Kafka experts

Reviews from Real Users

Confluent stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Two major ones are its robust enterprise support and its open source option. PeerSpot users take note of the advantages of these features in their reviews: 

Ravi B., a solutions architect at a tech services company, writes of the solution, “KSQL is a valuable feature, as is the Kafka Connect framework for connecting to the various source systems where you need not write the code. We get great support from Confluent because we're using the enterprise version and whenever there's a problem, they support us with fine-tuning and finding the root cause.”

Amit S., an IT consultant, notes, “The biggest benefit is that it is open source. You have the flexibility of opting or not opting for enterprise support, even though the tool itself is open source.” He adds, “The second benefit is it's very modern and built on Java and Scala. You can extend the features very well, and it doesn't take a lot of effort to do so.”

Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC) is a robust platform used by banks, financial institutions, and health sector organizations for data management, governance, and compliance.

IDMC provides comprehensive tools for data discovery, profiling, masking, and transformation. It supports Salesforce integration, real-time data streaming, and scalable data management solutions. Health organizations manage national product catalogs while financial entities focus on data protection and regulatory compliance. Its intuitive interface, flexible features, and robust tools make it valuable across sectors, though enhancements in data integration and human workflow are being sought.

What are the most important features?

• Data discovery: Facilitates identifying and understanding data sources.
• Data profiling: Analyzes old databases for data quality.
• Data and platform masking: Ensures data protection.
• Salesforce integration: Seamless connectivity with Salesforce.
• Mastering data: Centralizing and standardizing data.
• UI intuitiveness: User-friendly interface.
• Feature map flexibility: Adapts to user needs.
• Business glossary creation: Defines business terms.
• Data lineage: Tracks data flow and transformations.
• Automation: Streamlines data processes.
• Enterprise data cataloging: Organizes extensive data assets.
• Scalability: Supports expanding data requirements.
• Easy setup: Quick deployment process.
• Bulk upload: Efficiently handles large data volumes.
• Customizable data management: Tailors data solutions.
• Real-time data streaming: Manages live data streams.
• Integration with Hadoop and NoSQL: Connects with big data platforms.

What benefits and ROI should be considered?

• Regulatory compliance: Ensures adherence to regulations.
• Data protection: Safeguards sensitive information.
• Enhanced data quality: Improves accuracy and reliability.
• Centralized data: Consolidates data for better management.
• Process automation: Reduces manual tasks and errors.

Banks and financial institutions use IDMC for data masking, transformation, and compliance, while health sector organizations leverage it for national product catalogs. Industry applications focus on automating business processes, centralizing data, and managing data catalogs to meet regulatory demands and ensure data protection.