Kiteworks vs Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct comparison

Kiteworks and IBM are both solutions in the Managed File Transfer (MFT) category. Kiteworks is ranked #7 with an average rating of 9.0, while IBM is ranked #9 with an average rating of 6.7. Kiteworks holds a 8.4% mindshare in MFT, compared to IBM’s 8.4% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Kiteworks users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 66% of IBM users who would recommend it.

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Kiteworks and Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Managed File Transfer (MFT) solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Kiteworks vs. Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct Report (Updated: October 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Kiteworks vs. Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct

October 2024

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Categories and Ranking

Aspera Managed File Transfer

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2024, in the Managed File Transfer (MFT) category, the mindshare of Aspera Managed File Transfer is 3.4%, up from 2.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Kiteworks is 8.4%, up from 4.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct is 8.4%, down from 9.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Managed File Transfer (MFT)

Featured Reviews

Michele Illiano

Head of Division at Innovery

Mar 23, 2022

Beneficial quick protocol, powerful, but limited use cases

Aspera Managed File Transfer should be packaged into another solution. Explaining to customers you need to have multiple solutions from multiple vendors for their use cases can get complicated for them to understand. The best way to propose a suite is to have an integrated suite where the customer could choose to license part of it. This solution could be one solution not two choices between 10 or 12 different solutions. The main feature of Aspera Managed File Transfer is the communication protocol, which is fast. There are a lot of different clients that are offering features related to these fast protocols. It's possible to create one unique suite that can handle this base protocol. It will be quite easy to propose to the customers.

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Sukkanta Banerjee

Senior Software Engineer at Wipro Limited

Dec 1, 2022

Two-factor authentication and .ZIP format make large file transfers very secure

The most valuable feature is the ability to send a large file of 30 GB in size and more. In Outlook and other email applications, you cannot send files that are larger than 20 MB. But with Kiteworks, 30 GB is transferable by default and, with the proper approval, a file of up to 100 GB can be sent. It makes file transfer very easy and smooth. Also, only the .ZIP format is supported because it is a very secure mode of file transfer, and that is why it is recommended. It also has built-in antivirus, so if it detects any malware it will quarantine the file and it won't be delivered. This is really important to keep the service up and running in a proper and secure manner. With people working from home, the data needs to be checked to see what kind of data is being sent. It has a two-factor authentication mechanism. For example, if a person with a particular domain is using Kiteworks and sends a file to a party outside of his domain, that external party has to go through two-factor authentication. The receiver gets a link that takes them to the setup of a temporary account, which will be valid for three days. The recipient will also receive a customized password separately. Only after all these steps will they be able to access the file. That access is only available to a person with the mail ID to which the file was sent. In addition, admins can see who is sending sensitive content, what that content is, and to whom it is being sent, and can track emails. One week of good training will give a user complete knowledge for using the solution. The system is very easy to use. You just click on "Compose," attach a file, and send it. It's very easy compared to Outlook or Teams. It's quite simple, even for someone logging in for the first time. It is very smooth and easy to send files.

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Sumit Mundik

Application Development Senior Analyst at Accenture

Aug 2, 2024

Has good file transfer speed, but licensing cost is too high

The initial setup of the solution is not straightforward because it's not GUI-based. If you are installing the solution on a UNIX server, you should have a basic understanding of UNIX. You should know how to go from one directory to another, what the config files are, how to edit those files, and how to get the backup of those files. You need a little technical knowledge for it. The developers working on the solution are very costly for the organization. Also, the complexity of having this kind of setup is very difficult. This solution is only used by giant financial companies like BNY Mellon, Barclays, and JPMorgan Chase. They cannot replace the solution because they have several files transferred internally using it. It is very difficult and cost-consuming for them to change, migrate, or upgrade their system. That's the reason they are not able to do it very easily.

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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

"Good user interface and ability to set up multiple file transfer jobs."

"Aspera Managed File Transfer is an optimal solution for customers who want to transfer large files to remote sites with lower bandwidth and in less time."

"The main feature of Aspera Managed File Transfer is that it's an incredibly fast protocol, you can use all the bandwidth available. If I need to send large amounts of data this is the fastest protocol on the market. I have been using it for some minor projects and it is very powerful."

"The benefits that Kiteworks has provided to its customers in terms of data sovereignty."

"The most valuable aspect of Kiteworks is undoubtedly the private content network. This feature is particularly beneficial for us. Furthermore, it serves as a centralized platform that enables us to track and manage our information exchange."

"I like Kiteworks or Accellion because it's continuously upgraded. I also know that it probably works with a lot of clients."

"The solution removes the limitations with file attachment size that is found with regular email."

"The most valuable feature is the ability to allow end-users to manage their own information and data with minimal administration. That's the best feature from my perspective."

"The most valuable feature is the ability to send a large file of 30 GB in size and more. In Outlook and other email applications, you cannot send files that are larger than 20 MB. But with Kiteworks, 30 GB is transferable by default and, with the proper approval, a file of up to 100 GB can be sent. It makes file transfer very easy and smooth."

"We can see when people are sending things. We can definitely see who is sending to whom. From the administrative logs, we can see who is sending to an outside entity, and those logs are retained for quite a while."

"We could see whether the customer with whom we shared a file had downloaded it, which was not available with GitHub."

More Kiteworks pros

"Security is the most valuable feature of this product."

"Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct is a solution that is on the market for a very long time. There is an integrator that has been developed and evolves every year. On the roadmap, there is always a new integration. For example, it's one of the solutions in the market that out of the box can handle EBICS protocol. The file processing is done very well. By default, there are a lot of configurations that can be customized."

"The most valuable feature of Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct is its flexibility with encryption."

"The Security Plus feature of this solution is excellent, and allows you to send encrypted files very securely to remote destinations."

"The solution's file transfer speed is quite high."

"The product has been very stable."

"The most valuable feature is that it provides 100% reliability for file transmission. It ensures that files get delivered in a secure manner. When you use Connect:Direct, your file 100% gets delivered to the next delivery location. If the log shows that a file got delivered, it will have all the transmitted data without truncation or other data issues."

"Offers secure file transfers with a fast and efficient protocol for very large files."

More Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct pros

Cons

"Aspera Managed File Transfer should be packaged into another solution. Explaining to customers you need to have multiple solutions from multiple vendors for their use cases can get complicated for them to understand."

"Deployment is complex and it was difficult to get support."

"The solution's pricing is high and should be reduced."

"File location could be improved."

"There is no offboarding process for end-users in Kiteworks. It's a manual process. There is no automated syncing with LDAP and checking to see if the account is still active. It's a manual process to get people out of here, which isn't the best way."

"Kiteworks could benefit from enhancing the proposal knowledge base section, specifically regarding the type of work involved. Currently, the knowledge base seems insufficiently dedicated to this topic, making it challenging for new users to access the relevant administrative law. Improving the visual aids and providing clearer explanations could alleviate this issue."

"The one feature, which I have also requested directly to Kiteworks, is to have a scheduled upgrade function. Currently, one of my engineers logs in after hours for the upgrade. We're a hospital, and we're 24/7, but the primary users are seven to five. So, we log in the early evening just to push a button to tell it to do the update. It would be nice if that could be very easily scheduled."

"There are always issues when there are bugs or upgrades. The challenge with upgrading is getting more storage from the customer. Every time we have a new version, it requires additional storage. This means that the customer would need to procure more storage for their server, which they don't like because it means additional cost to them. So, I think my request would be that the version upgrades don't require any significant storage requirement."

"It would be nice if Kiteworks could provide a free version of the platform so that it could be used for a certain number of file transfers. We could be charged a fee if we exceeded the number of allotted file transfers."

"In my experience, their technical support can be a little slow."

"It could be more stable. In the next release, it would be better if it was more stable with improved performance."

More Kiteworks cons

"User interface is not user friendly."

"The user interface could be more user-friendly."

"They have File Agent, which is an additional utility and a component of Connect:Direct, for automated file transmission. In that utility, there is some issue with the file name. There is a limitation on the file name, and that is being fixed by IBM."

"This solution cannot be deployed on a root_squash NFS, which limits superuser privileges."

"The user interface needs to be improved."

"Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct could improve by adding some of the functionality that some other vendors have. For example, GoAnywhere has call agents, which are small clients that can be installed on the endpoints and can be handled by the central point on the server. If I want to do this with the IBM solution, I have to sell a lot of account addresses. The price could be unprofitable for the customer. There is some small functionality that could be implemented and could be easily done to improve this solution."

"The initial setup could be simpler and better."

"The resources required for this tool are costly and not easily available in the market."

More Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Aspera Managed File Transfer is not an inexpensive solution. I am not aware of many competitors to determine how affordable the price is overall."

"It is not really expensive. I mean, to me it's obviously expensive, but it's worth it."

"The license management is changing and confusing. If I could make one change to it, it would be better license management through the API."

"The solution is very expensive because we are buying with Malaysian Ringgit and it's sold in US dollars."

"They changed it midstream. We were being charged a certain flat rate for SFTP traffic. For whatever reason, at the beginning of the year, our pricing changed, and we are now being charged more for using a feature of the product than we were when we first bought it. That has been our experience with billing. It turned out to be more expensive than when we started with it."

"I believe it's a little costly, but given the faith that we put into it from a security perspective to maintain the integrity of our patient information that is being transferred through this system, that's a small price to pay. So, on the surface, it might look like a lot of money, but depending on the need for security, which is where we feel it shines, it's okay price-wise."

"The price of Kiteworks is reasonable."

"The price and licensing of Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct is expensive."

"Annual licensing fee."

"The solution's licensing cost is too high."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

19%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Insurance Company

Computer Software Company

Government

13%

Financial Services Firm

13%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

46%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Aspera Managed File Transfer?

Aspera Managed File Transfer is an optimal solution for customers who want to transfer large files to remote sites wi...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Aspera Managed File Transfer?

The solution's pricing calculation needs revision to be more competitive

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Aspera Managed File Transfer?

Aspera Managed File Transfer has superior technology. Overall, I rate Aspera Managed File Transfer a nine out of ten.

See all answers

What is Kiteworks?

Kiteworks is a secured file sharing platform that enables users to collaborate with different parties across a robust...

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What do you like most about Kiteworks?

The benefits that Kiteworks has provided to its customers in terms of data sovereignty.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Kiteworks?

There is room for improvement in terms of support. My team always faces challenges in accessing fast resolution for t...

See all answers

What do you like most about Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct?

Automation is the most valuable feature.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct?

Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct is an expensive platform.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct?

The package that IBM delivers does not come with many premade tools or templates. This means we have to create a lot ...

See all answers

Comparisons

IBM Sterling File Gateway vs Aspera Managed File Transfer

Compared 72% of the time

Axway AMPLIFY Managed File Transfer vs Aspera Managed File Transfer

Compared 8% of the time

Fortra's Globalscape WAFS vs Aspera Managed File Transfer

Compared 6% of the time

More Aspera Managed File Transfer Competitors

MOVEit vs Kiteworks

Compared 15% of the time

SharePoint vs Kiteworks

Compared 12% of the time

Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT vs Kiteworks

Compared 10% of the time

Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense vs Kiteworks

Compared 7% of the time

FileCloud vs Kiteworks

Compared 6% of the time

More Kiteworks Competitors

IBM Sterling File Gateway vs Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct

Compared 29% of the time

Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT vs Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct

Compared 8% of the time

BMC Control-M Managed File Transfer vs Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct

Compared 7% of the time

Axway AMPLIFY Managed File Transfer vs Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct

Compared 7% of the time

Control-M vs Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct

Compared 4% of the time

More Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Managed File Transfer (MFT)

October 2024

Download Aspera Managed File Transfer product report

Buyer's Guide

Kiteworks

November 2024

Download Kiteworks product report

Buyer's Guide

Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct

October 2024

Download Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct product report

Also Known As

No data available

Accellion

No data available

Learn More

IBM

Kiteworks

IBM

Overview

IBM Aspera takes a different approach to tackling the challenges of big data movement over global WANs. Rather than optimize or accelerate data transfer, Aspera eliminates underlying bottlenecks by using its proprietary fasp technology that fully utilizes available network bandwidth to maximize speed and quickly scale up with no theoretical limit. Using fasp, transfers are secure end-to-end and are largely unaffected by file size, transfer distance, or network conditions, making transfer times up to 100Xs faster than TCP-based protocols.

IBM Aspera offers SaaS, on-prem, and hybrid solutions to meet the needs of modernizing infrastructures. All solutions offer robust security and compliance, intuitive file sharing, workflow automation, central administration, and real-time visibility. Quickly and easily initiate transfers across hybrid infrastructures, including support for cloud-to-cloud transfers. IBM Aspera offers unmatched transfer speeds, end-to-end security, reliability, and exceptional bandwidth control.

Kiteworks empowers organizations to effectively manage risk in every send, share, receive, and save of sensitive content over numerous communications channels: email, file sharing, managed file transfer, APIs, and web forms. The Kiteworks platform unifies, tracks, controls, and secures sensitive content moving within, into, and out of an organization, significantly improving risk management and ensuring regulatory compliance.

IBM's Sterling Connect:Direct is a software product that offers security-hardened, point-to-point file transfers to reduce reliance on insecure File Transfer Protocol (FTP) transmissions. It is designed for high-volume file distribution within and between businesses. The solution guarantees more reliable file movement, from batch integration and movement of large images or catalogs to synchronization with distant sites. Sterling Connect:Direct also enables hybrid cloud deployment through certified containers, allowing for simple and consistent deployment lifecycle management.

Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct Features

Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:

Performance capabilities such as extraordinary scalability and low latency.

Automated, dependable file transmission that permits unattended, round-the-clock operations.

Designed to run on a variety of operating systems, including Microsoft Windows, UNIX, Linux, IBM z/OS, OpenVMS, i5/OS, and HP NonStop.

Advanced security features with cutting-edge encryption to meet regulatory and industry standards.

IBM certified containers for Sterling Connect:Direct are enterprise-grade, secure product editions that are scalable, secure, easy to install, and manage update and rollback processes. They also have integrated common software services for consistent deployment lifecycle management.
Boosts transfer speed for large files over high-speed networks by up to four times the previous speed while reducing latency.
Gives existing FTP transfers the ability to retry, checkpoint, and compress existing transfers.
Supports a variety of network protocols, including TCP/IP, Systems Network Architecture (SNA), and an optional high-speed add-on based on Aspera FASP technology.

Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct Benefits

There are many benefits to implementing Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:

High performance: Takes care of your most demanding workloads, including multi-gigabyte files to large volumes of small files.

Reliable file delivery: To help ensure predictable, assured file delivery, it offers automated scheduling, checkpoint restart, and automatic recovery.

Secure transmission of files: Maintains the confidentiality of customer information and supports regulatory compliance measures.

Speed up patching and installation: By deploying your solution with a certified container that contains all necessary components, you can drastically cut installation and patch time from hours to minutes.

Reviews from Real Users

Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Two major ones are its robust file processing and its security for file transfers. PeerSpot users take note of the advantages of these features in their reviews:

Michele I., Business Unit Manager at Innovery, writes of the solution, “The file processing is done very well. By default, there are a lot of configurations that can be customized. Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct is one of the stronger MFT solutions in the market, it is available in each type of installation, and offers SaaS, PaaS, YaaS, on-premise.”

Camilo M., Pre-sales Engineer at Dell EMC, mentions, “It's a great tool because it offers secure file transfers and it has a fast and efficient protocol for very large files.”

Sample Customers

Gwinnett County Public Schools, Evonik, Voith, BITMARCK, Oracle

United States Securities and Exchange Commission, National Health Service, Husch Blackwell LLP, NYC Health + Hospitals, Viatris, MITRE Corporation, Chubb, Kraft Heinz, KPMG, Kohler, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Purdue Pharma, AVL

HZMO, Bank of Communications

Buyer's Guide

Kiteworks vs. Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct

October 2024

Free Report: Kiteworks vs. Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct

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