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Practice Head - Advanced Analytics & Cloud at a computer software company with 201-500 employees
Reseller
Simple to install, with automatic updates and good community support
Pros and Cons
  • "It has all the advantages of the Cloud in that you can use it without worrying about infrastructure, upkeep, or upgrades."

    What is our primary use case?

    We are resellers.

    What is most valuable?

    It has all the advantages of the Cloud in that you can use it without worrying about infrastructure, upkeep, or upgrades. Informatica is in charge of all those things. Additionally, the SLA on the cloud is better.

    What needs improvement?

    Not all transformations are supported, unlike PowerCenter. However, I'm confident that they will include this in the roadmap.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have over 15 years of experience working with Informatica tools, and we have worked with Informatica Cloud Data Integration in the last 12 months.

    Buyer's Guide
    Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC)
    September 2024
    Learn what your peers think about Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC). Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: September 2024.
    802,829 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    How was the initial setup?

    The installation is simple because it is on the cloud.

    It is dependent on the number of jobs you have and so on. However, from a skill set standpoint, you only need one person to maintain this solution. You can also play a developer or administrator role. These are fairly straightforward roles with a lot of community support.

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

    I'm not sure about the most recent pricing trends, but I don't believe it's significantly different from PowerCenter. I believe it is nearly the same.

    What other advice do I have?

    It is dependent on the requirements. If the transformation requirements are not too complex, I believe they can use the Cloud. However, if they have too many application systems to connect to, or too many databases, and require richer transformation capabilities, they can use PowerCenter.

    We have a partnership with Informatica.

    I would Informatica Cloud Data Integration an eight out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Public Cloud
    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
    PeerSpot user
    MDM Technical Architect at a energy/utilities company with 1,001-5,000 employees
    Real User
    A complete master data management solution with a useful fuzzy matching feature
    Pros and Cons
    • "I like the number of options that are presented with Informatica, fuzzy matching, and your screen."
    • "They have too many diversified products. If you don't know Informatica, it's very confusing and feels very idiotic."

    What is most valuable?

    I like the number of options that are presented with Informatica, fuzzy matching, and your screen. I feel the screen or the configuration is pretty easy and pretty straightforward. To learn or to ramp up is also pretty straightforward.

    What needs improvement?

    They have too many diversified products. If you don't know Informatica, it's very confusing and feels very idiotic. If you want data quality, they have one tool. For management, they have another tool. If you say MBM, they have a tool, and they have another tool to get something up. From a split tools perspective, it's confusing for a new user and somebody who doesn't understand Informatica. 

    They say they provide support, but it's not easy for somebody reading and didn't use Informatica before. The price could also be better.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've been using Informatica MDM for 12 years. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It's pretty stable.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Scalability depends on what you choose and how we will do it. If you don't know things, things get complicated.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    It starts pretty well, but it takes time. I would give technical support only a six or seven out of 10. I won't say it's like "wow" kind of stuff.

    How was the initial setup?

    I have been using it for a long time, so it's pretty straightforward for us. I don't know if it was complex earlier. What we're doing is technically complex, and there's always room for improvement. 

    What about the implementation team?

    We implemented it. You need two or three people to install it, then it's easy, and one person can maintain it.

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

    It's pretty high for us. It's more on the higher side, like low to middle high.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would tell new users that even though you feel it's pricey, there are a lot of options that come by default. They have to understand that they have to choose somebody who understands the product very well.

    On a scale from one to ten, I would give Informatica MDM an eight.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Buyer's Guide
    Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC)
    September 2024
    Learn what your peers think about Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC). Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: September 2024.
    802,829 professionals have used our research since 2012.
    it_user528747 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Senior Consulting Partner at GINNOVATES
    Real User
    I recommend reviewing and assessing the volume of data you will incorporate into the MDM, because the pricing seems to be based on row count used at the MDM Entities you built.

    What is most valuable?

    The flexibility to interact with many different sources and targets like Oracle, MySQL , Flat Files, Informix, SAP thru PowerExchange, applying different transformations that you can configure in an intuitive way, gives both business and IT teams the opportunity to track the data lineage and also to provide value to the data workflows you create, integrated to feed the MDM solution together with Data Quality processes.

    How has it helped my organization?

    The portability to use your integration flows into MDM and Data Quality helps to improve the data stewardship and also provides value for the metadata management you can take advantage of to document your business rules while interacting with different business data.

    What needs improvement?

    The product ranking we provide is 8 out of 10 -- because there are parts of connectivity with SAP Non-Unicode that are not supported by Informatica, since they only provide connectors to write on SAP Unicode. Then, we had to develop and enable the connectivity to write into SAP Non-Unicode.

    Mainly, MDM requires improvement when you need to migrate your version to a later one -- because it is very difficult and takes a lot of time to convert the processes you have already developed and implemented on a previous version, and can cause a need to rework the processes.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We've been using the Informatica Solution for Data Integration and Data Quality for 12 years. We've been using MDM for seven years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    Sometimes the IDD console connectivity.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The difference between components and functionality from one version to the immediate latest one.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    It is good, however response time is always depending on the support contract you acquire.

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

    SAP MDG. At that point in time, it was not prepared to provide flexible integration and data quality process to generate a 360 view.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup was kind of complex while polishing the business requirements to be translated into technical flows.

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

    I recommend reviewing and assessing the volume of data you will incorporate into the MDM, because the pricing seems to be based on row count used at the MDM Entities you built.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    Yes -- SAP MDG and IBM MDM .

    What other advice do I have?

    First, you need to assess the status quo of data integration and data quality at your organization, then, after you settle these strategies and implement the solutions, it is advisable to go for MDM.

    If you do it the other way around, it will cause a lot of headaches and will cost you many more resources, time, and overall creditability to generate value beyond just results.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    it_user628038 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Senior Manager Global Business Services at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
    Consultant
    It has no complex software nor does the startup need to be installed. It is easy to share with others.

    What is most valuable?

    It is a cloud-based solution. This means it has no complex software nor does the startup need to be installed. However, a cloud agent is required.

    How has it helped my organization?

    Like most cloud-based solutions, it is easy to share with others. For example, let's say I am working on a site and decide to hand-off to another team member. He can essentially pick up where I left off, provided that he has the same set of files.

    What needs improvement?

    Informatica goes down for maintenance quite a lot due to the upgrades. They also need to improve their security. As an administrator, I could very easily make connections to other people's machines through their agent without their knowledge.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have used this solution for two years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    There were no stability issues.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    There is a slowdown when using the mapping feature. This may be due to the processor's speed or may be a result of the complexity of the browser.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    I would give the technical support a rating of 9/10. They are very good, once they are aware of the issues. However, sometimes we need to fill out multiple help desk tickets and give them reminders in order to get an active response.

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

    We are partners with a number of different companies. This is the first cloud-based solution. It serves the client's needs well, as the solution is not overly complex, such as during replication between different databases or systems.

    How was the initial setup?

    The setup was very straightforward. Once the agent is installed, you can then be up and running.

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

    We work with Informatica to establish the pricing and licensing fees. I personally have not sold this product to clients, but I have been involved with presales and demos.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    We chose to be Informatica partners, so we just ended up with this version.

    What other advice do I have?

    Understand the needs of your organization. I strongly advise an understanding of the Informatica PowerCenter, so as to achieve the full effectiveness of this tool.

    For simple replication, it works well. However, there are some other free tools that can also do the trick of replication just as nicely.

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: We are Informatica Partners.
    PeerSpot user
    Mark Bielz - PeerSpot reviewer
    Principal Delivery Lead at Arq group
    Real User
    Top 5Leaderboard
    Data extraction process could be easier and requires a feature to provide data streaming insights
    Pros and Cons
    • "The product seems stable enough."
    • "It is more complicated to extract data using the product compared to Visio. The system could display the details on the screen."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use the product for building static and automatic data lineages.

    What needs improvement?

    It is more complicated to extract data using the product compared to Visio. The system could display the details on the screen. Additionally, they should add AI features and the capability to provide data streaming insights.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We have been using Informatica Enterprise Data Catalog for two and a half years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The product seems stable enough.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    We have 30 Informatica Enterprise Data Catalog users in our organization.

    How was the initial setup?

    The product requires maintenance.

    What other advice do I have?

    I advise others to understand their business use cases. I rate Informatica Enterprise Data Catalog a three 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
    Marko Stajcer - PeerSpot reviewer
    Delivery director at Poslovna Inteligencija
    Real User
    Top 5Leaderboard
    User-friendly tool supporting connectivity with different devices
    Pros and Cons
    • "It is one of the best tools available for data integration."
    • "The cloud version could be better in terms of pricing."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use Informatica Cloud Data Integration for data integration and building data pipelines.

    What is most valuable?

    It is one of the best tools available for data integration.

    What needs improvement?

    Though it is a robust tool, the cloud version could be better in terms of pricing. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It is a stable solution.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    It is a scalable product and works better than other cloud solutions. It is extensively used by 15 users in our organization. We have plans to increase the usage.

    How are customer service and support?

    The product's technical support team is helpful and responsive.

    How was the initial setup?

    The product's deployment process is easy. It requires two system engineers to support our consultant in setting up the environment. They have to consider how to connect it to an ecosystem of other tools, databases, and data sources.

    What was our ROI?

    The product generates a return on investment. It speeds up the development process.

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

    The product is highly-priced.

    What other advice do I have?

    I recommend Informatica Cloud Data Integration to others. It is user-friendly and supports connectivity to almost all devices. It has great technical support services as well.

    I rate it an eight out of ten.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Data Analytics Director at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
    Real User
    Versatile, robust, and great for large-scale organizations
    Pros and Cons
    • "The product is scalable and excellent for enterprise-level organizations."
    • "Cost-wise, it could be better."

    What is our primary use case?

    We primarily use the solution for data integration, management, and more recently, data cataloging in the lineage.

    What is most valuable?

    It's great as a unified enterprise data management platform. It's useful for cross-platform functionality.

    The solution is stable.

    The product is scalable and excellent for enterprise-level organizations.

    Technical support has been good.

    What needs improvement?

    Cost-wise, it could be better. Informatica has a bit steep upfront cost. Upfront, it requires upfront investments. Many models of Informatica still require licenses. I would really like to see Informatica moving more and more into pay as you go model, so to move completely from CapEx to OpEx.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've personally used the solution for many years. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The product is stable. They've been on the market for many years. They're key industry players.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Everything is scalable nowadays,

    Normally, I wouldn't offer Informatica for small clients - small or medium enterprises. It's an enterprise-grade solution. We are talking about many, many users.

    How are customer service and support?

    I have some experience with technical support and found them to be good enough.

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

    We've used a combination of different solutions.

    Informatica is really versatile, robust solution. That said, there are competitors on different levels for Informatica. For example, for MDM, master data management, Prophecy, would be good, for example.

    How was the initial setup?

    Normally, if you implement a complex solution, not only the data integration model of Informatica, like PowerCenter, and more of a complex solution, like an enterprise data management platform, it's a multifaceted, multi-phase approach.

    The deployment depends on the client's requirements, however, normally, I would say it's something that we would be planning for as a baseline for around one year, or maybe 10 to 12 months.

    The deployment itself is never on-premises. It's public cloud mostly. Informatica can be deployed on Azure, on Amazon, and on the Informatica cloud as well.

    Maintenance can be really straightforward if it's only one model like data integration. Maybe a few guys would handle it. However, if it's a complex enterprise-level implementation, again, enterprise data management platform with multiple components, multiple integrations between them and with the legacy stack on the premises, off-premises, then it's a big, and maintenance can require ten to 12 people. 

    What about the implementation team?

    We are an integrator for Informatica. We can help clients deploy it.

    What was our ROI?

    I'm not measuring ROI due to the specifics of my job. With what I'm doing, I'm not measuring ROI.

    What other advice do I have?

    I work as a director in a consulting company. We don't implement it. We implement it for our clients. We don't implement it internally.

    I recommended the solution only for particular use cases. For example, let's say if you have a simple use case just simply integrating data, it would probably not be my first choice, Informatica. However, if it's an enterprise-grade implementation of a data platform, a data management platform for creating data from A to Z, then this is a perfect option.

    I'd give the solution a solid none out of ten rating.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Public Cloud
    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partners
    PeerSpot user
    Lead Developer at Cognizant
    Real User
    Offers good structure and platform masking features but data discovery needs improvement
    Pros and Cons
    • "The most valuable features are the structure masking and platform masking."
    • "The data discovery isn't that good yet for Salesforce. We have another tool that we use for this. It may be a problem because Salesforce on the cloud."

    What is our primary use case?

    We have a lot of applications with different functionality. We use Informatica mainly for sensitivity tests. 

    What is most valuable?

    The most valuable features are the structure masking and platform masking. 

    I also like that for Salesforce integration we can use Informatica Cloud. For on-premise, normally we do the SQL server database.

    What needs improvement?

    I don't see where it has much room for improvement. 

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been working with this solution for the last two years. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    We have a team of 10 users on-premise. Their roles are doing the initial analysis for identification.

    We don't currently have plans to increase usage. 

    What other advice do I have?

    I would rate it a seven out of ten. 

    It's not a perfect ten because the data discovery isn't that good yet for Salesforce. We have another tool that we use for this. It may be a problem because Salesforce on the cloud. 

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Hybrid Cloud
    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
    PeerSpot user
    reviewer966045 - PeerSpot reviewer
    reviewer966045Data Scientist at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
    Real User

    We are using data discovery for on prem databases (Oracle, Microsoft sql, and DB2) and it is working really fine.
    I guess the secret is in tuning and adjusting the data and metadata patterns.

    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC) Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
    Updated: September 2024
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC) Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.