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DhivakarSekar - PeerSpot reviewer
Enterprise Software Engineer at Wolters kluwer
Real User
Provides security and is useful for monitoring APAC and API
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature is the security."
  • "In the next release, I would like to get some quality connectors."

What is our primary use case?

App Connect is useful for monitoring APAC and API. It allows us to do analysis based on the dashboards, and it's mostly used for security.

We have almost 10 million transactions per day.

It's a cloud solution.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the security. The agreement relies on DataPower, so if you're calling APIs to publish to the internet, you definitely need the security.

What needs improvement?

In the next release, I would like to get some quality connectors. With the configuration of MuleSoft, they have multiple connectors if you're going with the quicker stuff. There's IBM Professional and IBM Enterprise solution. IBM Professional will have all the connector things, but I'm expecting that to be included on-premise as well.

IBM should be competitive on the third party cloud side of integration so that we can do the development quickly. It would also be very useful for the cost effectiveness of project development.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for almost one year.

Buyer's Guide
IBM App Connect
October 2024
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's scalable.

How are customer service and support?

There is a laptop vulnerability, so we connected with IBM's tech support about that.

How was the initial setup?

The amount of people needed for deployment and maintenance will depend on the project. For example, we are a financial team working as a GBS, Global Business Service. Based on the project, we have two developers and a DBA.

What was our ROI?

We always have ROI when we use IBM products. If you're using multiple products from IBM, you will see ROI. If not, you'll definitely see some variation.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The cost depends upon the consumer. Right now, the cost is within $10,000 per year, based on the transactions. The license depends on if you're a premium partner, platinum partner, or golden partner.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution nine out of ten.

I would definitely recommend this solution to those who are interested in using it. Banks around the world use IBM App Connect.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Project Consultant at a computer software company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Consultant
Top 20
Easy-to-use product with efficient integration features
Pros and Cons
  • "It has an efficient design flow."
  • "More connectors could be available for the product as some of the third-party software doesn't have default connectors."

What is our primary use case?

We use the product mainly for the integration of enterprise applications.

What is most valuable?

The platform's most valuable feature is ease of use. It has an efficient design flow. We can receive or use the resources and integrate them with other software as gateway integrations.

What needs improvement?

More connectors could be available for the product as some of the third-party software doesn't have default connectors.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using IBM App Connect for three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The product's stability itself has been quite reliable. However, we encounter a few issues while shifting to a recognized environment. It wasn't a product issue but a platform issue. Now, a lot of issues have been resolved.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The product's scalability in a containerized environment is notably advantageous. Scaling up or down is straightforward and highly flexible, responding directly to your company's requirements and the continuous environment it operates within. We can easily add up more machines or scale down when needed. In contrast, deploying it as a VM is a slow process.

A team of five developers works on integration within the Android and Firewall systems. Tracking the number of integrations created is not straightforward, but from initial checks, around 20 integration servers are established, handling various integration points or tasks.

How are customer service and support?

Most of my interactions with customer service and support were related to infrastructure queries rather than platform-specific issues. Initially, when we began using the containerization approach, some hidden issues were inherent to this new method, which required support. While I would classify the support as something other than the best, they eventually resolve issues. Quick responses were typical for simpler queries, but resolution could take anywhere from a week to two weeks for more complex or bug-related issues. For these instances, they often needed to escalate the matter to their development team for a comprehensive solution.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

How was the initial setup?

The cloud platform integration's complexity depends on the prior experience working with it. For a beginner, the process would take a lot of work. It is straightforward once one gets familiar with it.

In implementing IBM App Connect, multiple options are available, each with its complexity and steps. You can set it up on a single virtual machine, which is comparatively simpler. Next, deploying it within a Kubernetes environment or as a Docker container requires additional steps for configuration but provides more flexibility. The recommended approach is deploying in OpenShift, which offers advantages but might involve a more comprehensive setup process.

Utilizing pre-existing operators created by IBM significantly simplifies the setup, reducing complexity for implementation. Once set up, developers gain convenient access, enabling them to swiftly create the instances, possibly automating the process with minimal effort. This advantage makes the Kubernetes or OpenShift environment particularly favorable, offering scalability and ease of use for App Connect instances.

Various roles handle different aspects of IBM App Connect deployment and management in organizational settings. For instance, an integration specialist or administrator may focus on IBM App Connect's configuration and management, while developers require access to the environment for development. Additionally, some organizations might have specific roles dedicated to supporting production environments, restricting access accordingly. While in certain scenarios, one person might fulfill multiple roles; larger organizations tend to separate these responsibilities among different individuals or teams to maintain control, security, and proper governance over the deployment and usage of the product.

It is easy to maintain. When IBM releases a new version or features, upgrading to these updates via the new operator is relatively straightforward. It typically involves just a few clicks to upgrade to the latest version. While there are considerations and guidelines to follow during these updates, adhering to these steps makes the process simple and manageable. Overall, with proper adherence to guidelines and instructions, the maintenance, updates, and upgrades within Kubernetes environments are simple and can be handled efficiently.

What was our ROI?

The ROI for the platform at my current customer's site predominantly revolves around long-term usage and centralizing integrations. It proves beneficial in managing critical operations like banking. By avoiding issues from scattered integration points, the time taken to resolve problems has notably decreased, contributing to operational efficiency. However, quantifying the exact financial savings, particularly regarding reduced downtime or post-implementation updates, would require detailed analysis by someone well-versed in the financial aspects.

What other advice do I have?

IBM App Connect is a part of Cloud Pak. Thus, it benefits us with the ease of integration of multiple components. We can overview the integration capabilities as well.

Those using IBM App Connect should opt for a containerized solution rather than a VPN-based one. Containerization offers greater flexibility and can resolve several issues compared to a more traditional VPN setup.

I rate it an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Integrator
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
IBM App Connect
October 2024
Learn what your peers think about IBM App Connect. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2024.
814,649 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Jose-Castillo - PeerSpot reviewer
Product Owner at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Top 10
Stable solution that can be deployed in a container
Pros and Cons
  • "App Connect's best feature is that it can be deployed in a container."
  • "The setup time for App Connect could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

I primarily use App Connect for ETL and managing files in batch operations.

What is most valuable?

App Connect's best feature is that it can be deployed in a container.

What needs improvement?

The setup time for App Connect could be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using App Connect for ten years and the latest version for about a year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

App Connect is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I would rate App Connect's scalability eight out of ten.

How are customer service and support?

We get good technical support from the local IBM, though there's less support for older versions.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is fairly straightforward so long as you have experience with the product and know about containers, but it takes a long time to complete.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Initially, App Connect was quite expensive because the cost was based on the number of processors we used. However, it's now based on containers, which means we can be more specific about our consumption and get a better price.

What other advice do I have?

I would give App Connect a rating of eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
IT Specialist at ICAP
Real User
A highly scalable and user-friendly product that is easy to learn and install
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature is the user-friendliness of the application."
  • "The product should improve its support."

What is our primary use case?

Currently, we are using the product as our central middleware. We are using it to eliminate all point connections and expose data centralized service hub for consumers.

How has it helped my organization?

It has optimized the service consumption of the consumers and improved the performance since it has a limited point-to-point connection between systems.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the user-friendliness of the application. It doesn't require deep technical expertise to consume the features.

What needs improvement?

The product should improve its support. Unlike other products like Microsoft, IBM does not have a community. The solution needs to work on community building.

The product serves its purpose and our future requirements. However, the product can provide additional connectors and database tables without impacting performance.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using this solution since 2020. So, it's almost three and a half years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It would rate the stability a ten out of ten. Once we configure the tool, it works by automation.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is very scalable. I rate the scalability a ten out of ten. Around 10 to 15 people use the product in our organization. We use the product daily. The number of users depends on the volume of the services. When the business grows, the consumption volume will also grow.

How was the initial setup?

I rate the ease of initial setup an eight out of ten. The initial setup is complex if you are not familiar with it. Still, it is straightforward if you study the product and have proper training and knowledge of the development and features.

What about the implementation team?

We use an IBM-authorized partner to do the implementation. It took us around one month to deploy the solution. We don't need more than two people for deployment. It's a long and technical process that the supporting vendors do.

I'm not a technical person who works on the ground level. So I do not have the knowledge to explain the deployment process. We have an agreement with the support partner. They handle the maintenance.

What other advice do I have?

Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Head of ICT division at a energy/utilities company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Top 10
Reliable with good security and user-friendly
Pros and Cons
  • "There is a friendly interface for configuration, and integration is made easy."
  • "When we do a version upgrade of the system, the platform is kind of complicated."

What is our primary use case?

We strategically decided to move all companies' data change with third parties. We control the Enterprise Service Bus platform. We also decided to change over to advanced systems to centralized management since we have several applications. We wanted a single point from which we could exchange data.

What is most valuable?

The security is very good.

It offers excellent reliability.

There is a friendly interface for configuration, and integration is made easy.

It can scale.

The solution is stable and reliable. 

What needs improvement?

We have not used the solution for too long. I haven't noted any issues with the product so far. We're still discovering new features.

When we do a version upgrade of the system, the platform is kind of complicated. It would be ideal if it was easier to manage.

Sometimes we have issues with local support.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for one year or so. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I'd rate the stability nine out of ten. We've never had issues. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable. It's containerized. I'd rate the ability to scale eight or nine out of ten in terms of ease of expansion. 

We only have administrators directly dealing with the solution, as it's for systems, not people. Administrators work with it on a daily basis. 

How are customer service and support?

We have not dealt with technical support as we haven't had any issues. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We did previously use an open-source solution. We switched to ensure business continuity.

How was the initial setup?

We were lucky in that we good advice from local companies, so it was pretty easy for us to implement the product. I would rate the ease of implementation to eight out of ten. Overall, it was a good experience for us.

We're still on-premises with the ability to go hybrid. 

The main deployment of the system or integration was straightforward. It was mainly implemented within two months, however, integration is a continuous process. With every new system or new function, we need to communicate that to the system. It's not possible to just lump everything together into one project. We're always renewing or installing or changing architecture. 

What about the implementation team?

We did get some advice from a local company.

What was our ROI?

You need some time to realize an ROI. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing is moderate. I'd rate the solution five out of ten. The licensing model is not bad. It's flexible. In time, you can allocate your licensing according to your different needs. 

You need some competencies as the licensing can be a bit complex.  

What other advice do I have?

We're customers and end-users. We're using the latest version of the solution. 

I'd advise others to look carefully at licensing. Since it is a bit complex, they need to make sure they have the right licensing in place. You need to understand what you need and expect so that it is helpful for your company.

Over, the solution is not bad. I'd rate the product eight out of ten. The product is okay. However, there are times when we struggle with local support.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Full Stack Developer at Solutions by STC
Real User
Great security features and includes everything that's required for VBI management
Pros and Cons
  • "Provides good security features."
  • "Updates are constantly delayed."

What is our primary use case?

Our company is in Saudi Arabia. We provide end to end solutions to our customers. I'm chief solutions architect.

What is most valuable?

The solution provides a lot of good features, particularly when it comes to security. It also includes everything that's required of a VBI management solution and also as an ESB. The beauty of IBM App Connect is that it provides end-to-end middleware.

What needs improvement?

Updates are constantly delayed and that is something IBM could improve. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been working with this solution for close to two years. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

App Connect is built on OpenShift which is included in the solution so if we need to scale it's much easier and is a strong feature of App Connect.

How are customer service and support?

IBM has a good presence here and the remote support is good. Getting on-site support is more difficult but it's the same with all the products. 

How was the initial setup?

The deployment itself is somehow complicated and not as easy as Apigee or even WSO2 which are very easy to deploy. We have another issue which is that there are not many developers or engineers working with App Connect here in Saudi Arabia. We require two or three engineers to deploy but it's not easy to find certified people. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Licensing costs are expensive, we have a contract for three years. IBM provides good quality solutions and there's a price for that. We pay 200K every year. We haven't had any issues with our customers because they are all enterprise organizations so the cost is not an issue for them. Licensing fees include technical support. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

App Connect is similar to Apigee but is less complicated. Apigee is very good when it comes to VBI management, but it's not an ESB solution. 

What other advice do I have?

Overall, I rate this solution eight out of 10.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
DameerSiddiqui - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Associate Consultant at a tech services company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Reseller
Integrates well, scalable, stable
Pros and Cons
  • "When using IBM stacks, IBM App Connect is suitable and integrates well with other IBM products like WebSphere."
  • "IBM App Connect is scalable. From the administration side, they need to improve the RBAC model, as well as the clustering of this product. It will be good if we can start up the cluster, via IBM Connect Console. Some other products like MuleSoft, are providing this type of administration. MuleSoft is easy to use and user friendly."

What is our primary use case?

This is an integration product. Some of our financial customers, banks, and financial institutions are using IBM App Connect for integration and their services.  We work with the banking clients' transaction processes included in their APIs. We work with payment transactions, cash flow, ATM services, ATM cards, and the Internet banking side.

What is most valuable?

When using IBM stacks, IBM App Connect is suitable and integrates well with other IBM products like WebSphere.  

What needs improvement?

There needs to be an IBM App Connect web console clustering feature. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using IBM App Connect for three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

IBM App Connect is a stable product.  However, they need to be more user friendly.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

IBM App Connect is scalable. From the administration side, they need to improve the RBAC model, as well as the clustering of this product.  It will be good if we can start up the cluster, via IBM Connect Console. Some other products like MuleSoft, are providing this type of administration. MuleSoft is easy to use and user friendly.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The licensing cost for IBM App Connect is very high.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Integrator
PeerSpot user
it_user635436 - PeerSpot reviewer
Development Manager, IT Business Applications at a tech vendor with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
It is reliable and the number of endpoints is valuable. Multiple developers should be able to work in the same project.

What is most valuable?

Its reliability and the large number of endpoints for connectivity are valuable features.

What needs improvement?

I would like the ability for more than one developer to work on the same project (source control/branch merge). If the project has more than one orchestration, you should be able to have different people working on each.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used the product for about nine years (since before Cast Iron was acquired by IBM).

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We are running the HyperV version and have had no problems with stability. Though if not designed well, the projects can definitely run out of resources when processing.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It scales well. We are considering moving to the cloud version, as only one or our endpoints is local and all the others are SaaS endpoints.

How is customer service and technical support?

They give excellent technical support.

How was the initial setup?

It is easy to set up. HyperV has OVF that you deploy to a VMware ESX Server.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

IBM has gone back and forth on licensing for this product. Make sure you get the licensing that lets you have unlimited endpoints; otherwise, you will need to account for each separate endpoint in your licensing costs and adding more automation has a price impact.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We evaluated MuleSoft and Dell Boomi.

What other advice do I have?

Your developers should be well-versed in XML and XSLT. These are behind everything.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
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Download our free IBM App Connect Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: October 2024
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Buyer's Guide
Download our free IBM App Connect Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.