Astera Data Pipeline Builder (Centerprise) vs. Integrate.io

I have only been using Astera Centerprise for about 6 months and I am still learning the ins and out of it. A scenario where it seems to do well is in generating reports from SQL queries that we already had and no longer have to run the reports manually. The SQL Query Source object has been the most useful tool for me thus far. I have yet to fully stress test the server side of Astera Centerprise, but currently there have been some version updates that required me to re-set up all the scheduled jobs that we have. We only have 8 jobs thus far but have plans to expand this into the hundreds and those same updates would require exponential amounts of work.

Incentivized

Integrate.IO or formerly XPlenty can be used for various needs:

• Multiple Sources (Excel, CSV, Text File, Blank File Type, All SQL Type)
• Multiple End Points (All SQL Type)
• Integration to Salesforce Sales Cloud
• Re-using the same package in different platforms which result to less development
• Value for the money

Incentivized

• API integrations vis REST Web Service transformation
• Stored Procedure integration via SQL statement Lookup transformation
• Bulk imports and exports to and from tables
• Data dumps from SQL tables to excel, csv, text files etc...
• EDI Integrations like 810, 856, 940, 945 etc.. via Astera Centerprise Data Integrator plus EDI Connect

• Collecting data from different sources and making these available for BI tools or other IT systems.
• Their support department is really helpful when you are facing issues. Sometimes they refer to their documentation and sometimes they can help you right away.
• Generally I’m really happy with the ease of use. The software just does its job very well and we’re really getting a lot of value from it.

Incentivized

• When purchasing Astera Centerprise you are given options on how you would like to be trained and each option comes with a different price tag. We chose to be trained using online meetings over several days. The training went too fast and it was not always easy to understand until I started using the product.
• I am a person that wants to learn how and why something works so that I can use the knowledge in the future. When contacting the support team they take the problem, create a solution for you and send it back. The solutions always work, but when I get the solution I have to review every field and function to understand how it works so that I can re-create it for another solution I need. I would much rather have the support team explain what I had done incorrectly and what they changed or I would like to find a solution with them instead of having it handed to me.
• Astera uses license keys to allow their customers rights to only the functionality that was purchased. Each user and server has its own key and each key is only good for one year. There have been 2 different times that we received keys that had less functionality that we purchased. It wasn't until it created problems that we noticed and had to request new keys. This year our sales representative made sure she was available when we updated our keys so that if there was a problem she could fix it right away; however, there were not issues this year. I believe this is something they pay closer attention to now.

• It's not always easy to use.
• Debugging can be challenging when error logs lack specificity.
• Interaction between fields or packages is slow.

Incentivized

We've been using Astera Centerprise application for the last 6 years and we've already added EDI connect to it. Both applications are working really well for our enterprise needs so far with no issues, so we'll continue renewing the licenses.

Centerprise is highly usable; however the version we are currently using could be a little more intuitive in some areas though by no means unworkable. I think some of the issues we have have been addressed and solved in the latest version.

In most cases Astera is stable. However, our client experiences the error from time to time. Mostly they are related to cdc file and ServerAdminConfig.xml file.

Incentivized

I think the performance for Astera is great when compare with other similar software.

Incentivized

Support is great! No matter if you need technical assistance or you have general questions about the tool - the support is very responsive and provides solutions quickly. They are available via various channels, which makes it very convenient to get in touch with them (Support portal, direct email contact, LinkedIn).

Incentivized

I found them super cool and helpful in any regarding to implementation.

Incentivized

Astera support provided us implementation/installation tutorial and we were able to perform all the activities. Also one of the support was there to shadow us to make sure the process was smooth with no issues

We looked at continuing to use SSIS as an alternative. Although we own SSIS as part of our SQL licensing, we found that it takes a much higher skill level to create solutions. It also does not have the ability to parse unstructured data the way that Centerprise Data Integrator can. We also looked at Datawatch Monarch as a possibility but found it over-all to be cost-prohibitive. We also looked at a cheaper alternative called SimX but did not have a strong confidence in the product as we evaluated it. We landed on Centerprise Data Integrator as it met all of our business requirements and we know we could leverage it for many uses across our enterprise.

Integrate.io offers more customization options than Datorama, allowing businesses to create their own custom integrations and workflows using their API and SDKs. Integrate.io's pricing model is based on the number of data transactions, which may be more cost-effective for businesses that have a high volume of data.

Incentivized

I think Astera can do multiple things. However, we are not sure what it can do. We only know the basic features. If they can give us some kind of training, then we maybe able to benefit for it. We are planning to use their Azure connection in the future. If they can provide the training for it, it will be wonderful.

Incentivized

• It is tough to say on how Centerprise would have helped us with ROI. Unfortunately our project (after 3 years) was scrapped (put on hold) due to the impromptu purchase of another Crop Insurance company. But with that, Centerprise was huge in getting our warehouse loaded for our BI Team to make important decisions about our policies.

• Faster development with less skill requirements
• Part of long range planning
• Captured the data privacy requirements

Incentivized