Azure API Management vs. IBM App Connect

APIM is useful for the standard scenarios:

1) Securing your back-end APIs - If you have a legacy back-end web service that has a basic authentication scheme, you can add some additional security by placing APIM in front, and requiring subscription keys. Leverage your existing firewall to ensure only your APIM instance can communicate with your back-end API, and you've basically added a layer of protection.

2) Lift and shift - there are always going to be clients that don't want to update their clients to use a newer API; in some cases you can make a newer API look like an older one by implementing some complex policies in APIM. You can also do the opposite, making older APIs look new, such as making an XML back-end accept both JSON and XML.

3) Centralizing your APIs - if you've acquired another company and want to make their API set look as if it's a part of the larger whole, APIM is an easy way to provide a consistent front-end interface for developers.

Incentivized

IBM App Connect Enterprise is well-suited for high-volume enterprise systems that demand robust scalability and high reliability. It excels at hybrid connectivity by easily integrating various on-premises systems using its extensive catalog of connectors. It is also ideal for workflows that require a balance between efficient low-code and the incorporation of complex, custom Java logic. On the other hand, the platform is less appropriate in scenarios requiring high development autonomy, as installation and configuration at the server level is excessively complex, creating a strong dependency on other infrastructure teams. It is also not ideal if detailed traceability and monitoring of workflows must be seamlessly managed within the tool itself, as this is difficult to manage directly in ACE. IBM App Connect Enterprise está bien adaptado para sistemas empresariales de alto volumen que exigen una escalabilidad robusta y alta confiabilidad. Sobresale en la conectividad híbrida al integrar fácilmente diversos sistemas locales (on-premises) utilizando su amplio catálogo de conectores. Además, es ideal para flujos que requieren un equilibrio entre el low-code eficiente y la incorporación de lógica Java compleja y personalizada. Por otro lado, la plataforma es menos apropiada en escenarios donde se requiere una alta autonomía de desarrollo, debido a que la instalación y configuración a nivel de servidor es excesivamente compleja , lo cual crea una fuerte dependencia de otros equipos de infraestructura. Tampoco es ideal si la trazabilidad detallada y el monitoreo de los flujos deben gestionarse sin problemas dentro de la propia herramienta, ya que esto resulta difícil de manejar directamente en ACE. Parts of this review were originally written in Spanish and have been translated into English using a third-party translation tool. While we strive for accuracy, some nuances or meanings may not be perfectly captured.

Incentivized

• Easy commissioning of APIs.
• Great policies to control access.
• Easy mock services for testing.

Incentivized

• Just the ability to display and consume data through a single dashboard makes this a great application for our business purposes.
• With the ability to consume their exposed API, data validation and manipulation becomes a breeze.

Incentivized

• Lack of robustness is a bit of an issue. Several other providers offer more options and capabilities, but then, they are lacking in interface ease.
• As with anything Azure, pricing is really hard to stay on top of. I always find that you really don’t know what you’re paying for until you get the bill. Having an excellent Azure Administrator can help resolve that.
• Integrating with app services outside of Azure can be a challenge, or at least much more challenging than just using Azure App Services.

Incentivized

• modernization made easy, when a modernized project is created by importing a java code.
• more pre-built connectors
• watsonx code assistance for ESQL capability.

It is the best on-premise application to cloud integration in the market. I guess IBM is planning to integrate IBM App Connect with the IBM API Connect solution.

Incentivized

You can do some really powerful things with this system. The overall design is an attempt to make configurable some of the routine tasks/common functionality, but allow for development/customization of the core of the application.

Incentivized

Usually, the IBM Ops team provides a resolution or a response for 80% of defects raised in my project. There is one which has been open on their end for more than 3 months. With literally no response even after multiple follow-ups.

Incentivized

Azure APIM vs Amazon API Gateway:

1) Azure APIM was a complete package that included a developer portal.

2) We are very Microsoft centric - so the Microsoft product suite aligned very well with our business needs.

3) It was faster and easier to stand up Azure APIM for testing than it was for the Amazon API Gateway.

Incentivized

IBM App Connect started as MQSeries Integrator (MQSI) more than 20 years ago. In the IT environment, this is like an eternity. And this allowed a lot of customer experience and needs to be embedded in the product. Without it becoming a legacy application. The changes done in the latest version are preparing it for a Cloud/containers world without losing the previously learned knowledge.

• We can always think of positive ROI impact on business
• It helps to easily facilitate the design, deployment, and maintenance of our APIs

• We never implemented Cast Iron in production. When compared to five competing products in the iPaaS space it didn't make it past the first few test scenarios we threw at it.

Incentivized