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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    IBM Apptio

    Score8.5 out of 10
    N/AThe IBM Apptio platform is a technology business management solution that enables organizations to make better decisions about technology investments. It connects technology spend to business value so organizations can adapt to changing market conditions.N/A

    Microsoft BI (MSBI)

    Score8.4 out of 10
    N/AMicrosoft BI is a business intelligence product used for data analysis and generating reports on server-based data. It features unlimited data analysis capacity with its reporting engine, SQL Server Reporting Services alongside ETL, master data management, and data cleansing.

    $14

    per month per user

    Pricing
    IBM ApptioMicrosoft BI (MSBI)
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    Power BI Pro
    $14
    per month per user
    Power BI Premium
    $24
    per month per user
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    IBM ApptioMicrosoft BI (MSBI)
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoYes
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    YesNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeRequiredNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    IBM ApptioMicrosoft BI (MSBI)
    Considered Both Products
    Apptio an IBM Company
    Chose IBM Apptio
    n/a
    Incentivized
    Microsoft
    Chose Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    Microsoft BI is a great tool when it comes to various integration with line of business applications and its own ecosystem which contains office applications widely used all over the world. Hence, it is well suited for organizations that are complex and have global foot-print. …
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    98%
    Would buy again
    249 Answers
    100%
    Would buy again
    15 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    98%
    Delivers good value for the price
    196 Answers
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    15 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    97%
    Happy with the feature set
    246 Answers
    100%
    Happy with the feature set
    15 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    94%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    145 Answers
    100%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    13 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    84%
    Implementation went as expected
    156 Answers
    100%
    Implementation went as expected
    11 Answers
    Features
    IBM ApptioMicrosoft BI (MSBI)
    BI Standard Reporting
    Comparison of BI Standard Reporting features of IBM Apptio and Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    Feature
    IBM Apptio
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    8.9
    53 Ratings
    9% above category average
    Pixel Perfect reports00 Ratings8.446 Ratings
    Customizable dashboards00 Ratings9.653 Ratings
    Report Formatting Templates00 Ratings8.951 Ratings
    Ad-hoc Reporting
    Comparison of Ad-hoc Reporting features of IBM Apptio and Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    Feature
    IBM Apptio
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    8.4
    53 Ratings
    5% above category average
    Drill-down analysis00 Ratings8.448 Ratings
    Formatting capabilities00 Ratings8.253 Ratings
    Integration with R or other statistical packages00 Ratings8.342 Ratings
    Report sharing and collaboration00 Ratings8.953 Ratings
    Report Output and Scheduling
    Comparison of Report Output and Scheduling features of IBM Apptio and Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    Feature
    IBM Apptio
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    8.5
    52 Ratings
    3% above category average
    Publish to Web00 Ratings9.348 Ratings
    Publish to PDF00 Ratings9.148 Ratings
    Report Versioning00 Ratings7.344 Ratings
    Report Delivery Scheduling00 Ratings8.447 Ratings
    Delivery to Remote Servers00 Ratings8.426 Ratings
    Data Discovery and Visualization
    Comparison of Data Discovery and Visualization features of IBM Apptio and Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    Feature
    IBM Apptio
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    8.6
    52 Ratings
    7% above category average
    Pre-built visualization formats (heatmaps, scatter plots etc.)00 Ratings9.651 Ratings
    Location Analytics / Geographic Visualization00 Ratings8.648 Ratings
    Predictive Analytics00 Ratings7.745 Ratings
    Pattern Recognition and Data Mining00 Ratings8.66 Ratings
    Access Control and Security
    Comparison of Access Control and Security features of IBM Apptio and Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    Feature
    IBM Apptio
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    9.3
    53 Ratings
    9% above category average
    Multi-User Support (named login)00 Ratings9.449 Ratings
    Role-Based Security Model00 Ratings9.347 Ratings
    Multiple Access Permission Levels (Create, Read, Delete)00 Ratings8.849 Ratings
    Report-Level Access Control00 Ratings9.36 Ratings
    Single Sign-On (SSO)00 Ratings9.431 Ratings
    Mobile Capabilities
    Comparison of Mobile Capabilities features of IBM Apptio and Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    Feature
    IBM Apptio
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    8.0
    42 Ratings
    3% above category average
    Responsive Design for Web Access00 Ratings8.139 Ratings
    Mobile Application00 Ratings8.030 Ratings
    Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile00 Ratings7.739 Ratings
    Application Program Interfaces (APIs) / Embedding
    Comparison of Application Program Interfaces (APIs) / Embedding features of IBM Apptio and Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    Feature
    IBM Apptio
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    8.4
    24 Ratings
    8% above category average
    REST API00 Ratings9.221 Ratings
    Javascript API00 Ratings8.821 Ratings
    iFrames00 Ratings8.820 Ratings
    Java API00 Ratings8.618 Ratings
    Themeable User Interface (UI)00 Ratings8.021 Ratings
    Customizable Platform (Open Source)00 Ratings7.119 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    IBM ApptioMicrosoft BI (MSBI)
    Small Businesses
    No answers on this topic
    Cyfe
    Score4 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    No answers on this topic
    Zendesk Explore
    Score8.1 out of 10
    Enterprises
    No answers on this topic
    Sisense
    Score6.7 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    IBM ApptioMicrosoft BI (MSBI)
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.7
    (221 ratings)
    8.9
    (77 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    8.8
    (23 ratings)
    8.0
    (25 ratings)
    Usability
    7.2
    (48 ratings)
    8.9
    (19 ratings)
    Availability
    9.1
    (3 ratings)
    9.5
    (2 ratings)
    Performance
    8.2
    (3 ratings)
    7.0
    (2 ratings)
    Support Rating
    8.7
    (196 ratings)
    8.9
    (15 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    9.1
    (2 ratings)
    6.9
    (3 ratings)
    Online Training
    5.5
    (3 ratings)
    8.5
    (2 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    7.3
    (3 ratings)
    9.6
    (7 ratings)
    Configurability
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    Data Sharing and Collaboration
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.5
    (42 ratings)
    Data Sources
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.4
    (41 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    7.3
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    IBM ApptioMicrosoft BI (MSBI)
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Apptio an IBM Company
    We use IBM Apptio exclusively for application TCO reporting. It compiles data from different sources then export to Excel to customize report for the user. Our intention is to start a TCO dashboard within IBM Apptio, so Excel is no longer required and leadership can drill down. We are also trying to fully automate our cloud billing.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    Microsoft BI has a lot of features and is a very powerful tool, especially if you have folks on your team that know how to utilize all of its capabilities. To truly unlock all that it can do, it does require people to have a deep understanding of its capabilities. That's where the software really shines. If you are looking for a simpler, more basic reporting tool, there are other programs available that do not require such a steep learning curve.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Apptio an IBM Company
    • Does very well at handling complex allocations and automation. Also great at bringing in data automatically, manipulating that data, and allowing you to feed that data into a complex model. So all the behind-the-scenes stuff works really well. It's also pretty good at visualization. It has some similar capabilities like a Power BI and Tableau, but generally provides most of the visualization technology that somebody would need with the tool.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    • Comparatively easy to use compared to other data analytics solutions, collaborating with other colleagues on data work is simple.
    • Using Visual Studio for database, ETL, reporting, and analytics development save time and money.
    • Transfer of data from one application to another via Excel and comparison of data attributes between applications
    • Dashboard functionality, as well as Python support, are available, allowing you to add additional charts and graphs.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Apptio an IBM Company
    • For Validation purpose, if possible, enable the JavaScript code so we can the hide the Tab based on current period and more validation we can perform on client side.
    • Sometimes we are faced the data load issue
    • Improvement the performance tunning
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    • MSBI designs can work on increasing data processing capabilities enough to handle the huge datasets etc.
    • It would be a lot better if it is a little low on cost.
    • it needs to create opportunities little more than they do regarding customization of some very unique visualization effects
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Apptio an IBM Company
    We absolutely love it at the State of Kansas. It is very user-friendly, which helps us explain the information to those who are not as into the budgets. We consult out with Marysville, and they are super helpful in helping us with the behind the scenes stuff, like creating new tabs and uploading the reports for us to filter through. It is very simple to use and that helps us be able to teach others in our department how to use it properly.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    Microsoft BI is fundamental to our suite of BI applications. That being said, Northcraft Analytics is focused on delighting our customers, so if the underlying factors of our decision change, we would choose to re-write our BI applications on a different stack. Luckily, mathematics are the fundamental IP of our technology... and is portable across all BI platforms for the foreseeable future.
    Read full review
    Usability
    Apptio an IBM Company
    We use this currently where I work and we have the consultant Maryville helping us with our Apptio reports and data. I originally used Apptio a few years back and since then I have switched employment, and I was able to talk to the leadership team about what we did at my previous job, and now we are building the reports here at my new place of employment
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    The Microsoft BI tools have great usability for both developers and end users alike. For developers familiar with Visual Studio, there is little learning curve. For those not, the single Visual Studio IDE means not having to learn separate tools for each component. For end-users, the web interface for SSRS is simple to navigate with intuitive controls. For ad-hoc analysis, Excel can connect directly to SSAS and provide a pivot table like experience which is familiar to many users. For database development, there is beginning to be some confusion, as there are now three tool choices (VS, SSMS, Azure Data Studio) for developers. I would like to see Azure Data Studio become the superset of SSMS and eventually supplant it.
    Incentivized
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    Reliability and Availability
    Apptio an IBM Company
    Excellent, so far. SaaS-based...assuming effective data links and connectivity
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    The product has been reliable.
    Read full review
    Performance
    Apptio an IBM Company
    No issues that i know of
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) can drag at times. We created two report servers and placed them under an F5 load balancer. This configuration has worked well. We have seen sluggish performance at times due to the Windows Firewall.
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    Apptio an IBM Company
    I have not been directly involved with the post sales support team. However, that team has provided training materials and recommended practices that have been very helpful in coming up to speed on how to more fully use the product. My understanding from both vendor management and our upline stakeholders is that our relationship with Apptio is strong.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    MSBI natively has a site that allows you to vote on user enhancements and bug fixes. This allows the largest nagging issues to float to the top and the development team can prioritize accordingly. As mentioned earlier, the large community base of MSBI developers assist technical resources in handling technical questions.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    In-Person Training
    Apptio an IBM Company
    Was awesome to have been taught by legendary Debbie Hagan for Cost Transparency in person. Her knowledge is extensive and she is an excellent trainer. Her years of experience really shined.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    This training was more directed toward what the product was capable of rather than actual programming.
    Read full review
    Online Training
    Apptio an IBM Company
    The all talented training organization crosses all the T's and dots all the I's. I am constantly learning and often refer to training documentation for post training real life issues.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    I have used on-line training from Microsoft and from Pragmatic Works. I would recommend Pragmatic Works as the best way to get up to speed quickly, and then use the Microsoft on-line training to deep dive into specific features that you need to get depth with.
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    Implementation Rating
    Apptio an IBM Company
    Well, so far. Apptio Consulting covered specific model architecting areas particularly. Most of the heavy lifting is being done in-house with support from Apptio as it relates to tool impacts and needs. Some administrative tasks were redundant
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    Microsoft
    We are a consulting firm and as such our best resources are always billing on client projects. Our internal implementation has weaknesses, but that's true for any company like ours. My rating is based on the product's ease of implementation.
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    Alternatives Considered
    Apptio an IBM Company
    So we've used Proven Optics, which is an add-on to ServiceNow. Well at least use it with certain customers and Nicus. Nicus is probably the biggest competitor of Apptio. The trouble with Nicus is their SQL-based ingestion process. It's a little bit more difficult. So the reason why you'd go with Apptio is that it's very easy and very intuitive to bring in new data sources and being able to model a lot of the data once it's already in the system doesn't require a lot of coding experience.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    We have used the built in ConnectWise Manager reports and custom reports. The reports provide static data. PowerBI shows us live data we can drill down into and easily adjust parameters. It's much more useful than a static PDF report.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    Apptio an IBM Company
    I was not part of this process
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    Scalability
    Apptio an IBM Company
    I would say it has the capabilities to span across multiple departments, though i am not as familiar with all the capabilities.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    Return on Investment
    Apptio an IBM Company
    • It's delivered on a lot of those, especially the relationship between IT and financing that relationship's been a bit of a rollercoaster on that journey. We've come out the other end of it, and we're all friends now, which is a good thing. So they've accepted the Apptio output and are much more involved in providing the data and helping to use the tool, which is excellent. I think one of the downsides that are probably not talked about enough is the fact that, um, once you have trained and delivered a TMB skillset within your organization, they become very good at that. So if you've got any high-performing members in that team, they become extremely valuable elsewhere. And we've unfortunately suffered the case whereby one of our highest performers was immediately then poached and went off elsewhere for a much better opportunity. So we applaud that for them, but it's really hard to train other people. It's really hard to take them up to speed, and you have to sort of go through those picks and troughs every time. So that's just life, you know.
    Incentivized
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    Microsoft
    • As a SaaS provider we see being able to provide self-service BI to our client users as a competitive advantage. In fact the MSSQL enabled BI is a contributing factor to many winning RFPs we have done for prospective client organisations.
    • However MSSQL BI requires extensive knowledge and skills to design and develop data warehouses & data models as a foundation to support business analysts and users to interrogate data effectively and efficiently. Often times we find having strong in-house MSSQL expertise is a bless.
    Incentivized
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    ScreenShots

    IBM Apptio Screenshots

    Screenshot of Industry BenchmarksScreenshot of Planning OverviewScreenshot of Billing - Main ViewScreenshot of Costing - Control OpEx and Cut CostsScreenshot of Spend Analytics