What is our primary use case?
The primary use case associated with the product is that it helps enable integrations and expose them to the front-end channels. Our company is in the process of evaluating products which can seamlessly integrate with our head office and back office systems. Also, my company has to do you with some use cases associated with the front-end part. Basically, my company is probably planning to extend the services and products in our channels.
What is most valuable?
In terms of API management, the product offers ease of API creation while exposing it as another thing. The product is also very compatible. My company is trying to create an API catalog for different services, and I think for it you need a product which offers seamless API creation and exposing capabilities.
What needs improvement?
With GenAI coming into the picture, it can be used to focus on specific setups and use cases. If you want to have an end-to-end solution, more AI infusion into the product will be beneficial. For example, when it comes to an industry-based solution, and someone approaches our company and states that they want to focus on healthcare or some financial services, we have some specific end-to-end solutions where Anypoint can be used as a backbone. If you are able to enable some AI on top of the functionalities provided by the product, it would be beneficial for users. The inclusion of GenAI in the tool can be good since it is an area that is currently unavailable in the solution. Mule Anypoint Platform can serve as a backbone when trying to build up an end-to-end solution using AI.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Mule Anypoint Platform for a year.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I think it is a scalable product, but my company has not been going for a large implementation or where there was a need to scale up. To be honest, my company has not tried out the scalability features offered by the product.
The product can be recommended to companies that are mid-sized to large-sized. As my company has not had the opportunity to test out the scalability features of the product, it won't be appropriate for me to comment on whether the product would be suitable for large enterprises, but I believe that for mid-sized enterprises, the product should be good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
My company works with an iPaaS platform like Dell Boomi. My company also uses TIBCO along with Google Apigee API Management. In the past, my company has used a product named Kong for API management and integration.
In terms of the advantages offered by Dell Boomi over Mule Anypoint Platform, I would say that it offers out-of-the-box connectors for different systems, including SAP systems, Salesforce systems, and other tools like CRM systems and ERP systems. I think Dell Boomi comes with a set of connectors, which are already in the form of a plug-and-play process. If the connectors are there, you just need to point out the source data, and in some cases, the source can be in a Salesforce system. If you ask me about Dell Boomi, it offers more in terms of its abilities related to connectors, which you can seamlessly connect to Salesforce, PeopleSoft, or any other systems. The aforementioned area consists of the details associated with Dell Boomi and the areas where it offers a differentiator.
How was the initial setup?
The product's initial setup phase is straightforward.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The product's price seems to be competent in comparison to other products in the market. I don't think that prices are the issue associated with the solution since most of the other products are offered at a similar price point, so I don't see any difference in terms of cost or pricing.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
There are multiple ways in which my company is trying to evaluate some products in the market against Mule Anypoint Platform. Google Apigee API Management is one of the products my company is considering against Mule Anypoint Platform.
When evaluating other products in the market, my company wants to be as product agnostic as possible, so in this context, I am looking at different and specific use cases that can be dealt with Mule Anypoint Platform. Some other tools may be useful in other cases. My company is trying to bring in a product-agnostic solution so t that if tomorrow a customer wants to use a tool, we need to have a clear and deep understanding of each of multiple products so that we can, when conceptualizing the solution, we will consider the best platforms based on the use cases. From a consulting standpoint, finding multiple products is a way of looking at things while not necessarily comparing a solution to another one and stating that it is a tool we want to use. It is more of an agnostic solution that we want to develop.
What other advice do I have?
Speaking about whether the product has significantly improved our company's data exchange processes, I would say that at this point in time, we are trying to deal with the concerns associated with the front-end part. For me, seamless exposure is what I was looking for in a product, and so my company is still evaluating multiple solutions apart from Mule Anypoint Platform.
The platform's cloud integration capabilities are good.
In the current scenario, most of the products have to be on the cloud for multiple reasons. It is not only Mule Anypoint Platform but also other platforms that seamlessly integrate with the cloud services. My company was also looking at Dell Boomi for cloud integration since my company wants to use an iPaaS solution. Mule Anypoint Platform's cloud integration is fine and does not have any issues.
Rather than as a data transformation tool, it is more about the seamless connectivity that the product of the head office and back office systems provides, as well as the clear exposure of APIs the solution provides. The aforementioned features of the product will translate to fast time to market, so I can see how fast I can seamlessly integrate and expose. It is beneficial to my business agility, where you can seamlessly connect and expose. If I want to roll out new products and services, the benefits from the time spent on the market because of the seamless access will crop up.
Considering the factors associated with product-agnostic solutions, I would recommend the Mule Anypoint Platform to other people, especially if it matches their use cases. When it comes to some use cases, like Salesforce-specific use cases or SAP-specific use cases, we can have a look at different platforms.
I rate the overall tool an eight and a half out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner