IBM B2B Cloud Services vs. Zimbra by Synacor

We have just started to use IBM B2B Cloud Services within our department. We were looking for a cloud-based solution to manage all of our partner's B2B processes within a single interface. We did not want to have to go through the hassle of managing any sort of solution ourselves; thus, we came to the conclusion that a cloud-based solution would work best for our department. So far, we have found that the product has been reliable, and not having to worry about maintenance and patch cycles is always a good thing.

Incentivized

Zimbra is great for an email system for a medium or large organization with appropriate IT staffing. The system is easy to use for end-users, and has a fantastic web interface. Unfortunately, it is overly complex, when considering staffing requirements and price, when compared with Office 365 or Google Apps for smaller organizations. For other education customers, it is hard to compete with Microsoft and Google providing their services for "Free" now though

Incentivized

• Document process management
• Transition services, including planning, design, project management and testing
• Translation, community and visibility service
• Trading partner community support

Incentivized

• Filter emails with specific information required.
• Very good storage capacity.
• Has a mobile version and another web.
• It has a friendly and modern graphic interface.
• It is compatible with all operating systems.

• Can't rely on huge data sets
• Organizations is huge, it's tough to handle
• Limited feature sets

Incentivized

• Zimbra's mobile application leaves much to be desired; it is its weakest point.
• This forces the use of third-party applications on smartphones, which only offer a more or less complete integration with the ActiveSync protocol.
• Zimbra allows for an on-premise scenario, which is not for everyone, especially considering that the trend nowadays is to outsource email; in any case, it also offers this alternative.
• The cost of Zimbra as a SaaS solution comes too close to that of more widely adopted competing options.
• Zimbra lacks a robust integrated chat system, which its competitors offer.
• It lacks AI integration.

Incentivized

The web usability of the solution is adequate, with all functions integrated into a single interface. However, it is important to note that in the desktop environment, it lacks its own application and relies on ActiveSync synchronization with reference solutions like Outlook or Thunderbird. Some features, such as the briefcase, will be excluded. The same happens on smartphones.It is also common for competing solutions to include integrated chat or video call tools, which Zimbra lacks. These shortcomings are among the most frequently requested by users.

Incentivized

Overall, we were satisfied with the implementation. We perhaps should have spent more time consulting with Zimbra or others regarding best practices but as we got to know the system better we were able to make changes relatively easily after the fact.

Incentivized

IBM B2B Cloud Services stands out among the competition with its solid performance, wealth of features, and multiple platform compatibility. While it can be more expensive than competitive services, its core components are powerful enough to work with multiple levels of marketing campaigns and outreach efforts. The service works well among different levels of clients and can be utilized better across different viewing devices

Incentivized

Zimbra is a significantly cheaper option than one of the Microsoft solutions, such as Exchange. It is able to run in a free environment, as it is in the case of Linux. It offers the advantages of a powerful mail manager, such as indexed searches and the integration of contacts and notes, all in one platform. It is constantly updated and the operation of its connection in mobile equipment is remarkable and very efficient. Additionally, it is able to easily integrate with Outlook solutions with its connector, which brings all the benefits of Zimbra to the user under the interface known as "mail manager." So far, I have been using Zimbra for several years and I have not missed my previous work platforms.

Incentivized

• We feel that IBM B2B Cloud Services will drive down our maintenance costs because my group is no longer responsible for patching and maintaining infrastructure.
• High availability of IBM B2B Cloud Services will allow us to have a greater up time with less downtime.
• Having a single platform where all B2B integrations are shown and presented in a single interface will allow us to quickly and effectively manage those integrations and see which ones are really needed. A single view will provide instant visibility into any sort of problems that may arise as well.

Incentivized

• Zimbra is a cheaper email service than other similar platforms and in my point of view offers better features, that's why the company migrated services to this platform several years ago and without a doubt, it has been the best investment.
• Zimbra has a more user-friendly interface for employees, this has improved response times to external customers of the company.
• The implementation of Zimbra in the company motivated the IT engineering department to make improvements in open source to adapt it to the needs of the company.

Incentivized