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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    IBM Planning Analytics

    Score8.5 out of 10
    N/AIBM Planning Analytics, powered by IBM TM1®, is an integrated planning solution designed to promote collaboration across the organization and help keep pace with the speed of modern business. With its calculation engine, this enterprise performance management solution is designed to help users move beyond the limits of spreadsheets, automating the planning process to drive faster, more accurate results. Use it to unify data sources into one single repository, enabling users to build…

    $825

    per month 5 users

    Microsoft Azure

    Score8.5 out of 10
    N/AMicrosoft Azure is a cloud computing platform and infrastructure for building, deploying, and managing applications and services through a global network of Microsoft-managed datacenters.

    $29

    per month

    Pricing
    IBM Planning AnalyticsMicrosoft Azure
    Editions & Modules
    Essentials
    $825
    per month 5 users
    Standard
    $1,650
    per month 10 users
    Developer
    $29
    per month
    Standard
    $100
    per month
    Professional Direct
    $1000
    per month
    Basic
    Free
    per month
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    IBM Planning AnalyticsMicrosoft Azure
    Free Trial
    YesYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    YesYes
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    YesNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeOptionalNo setup fee
    Additional Details—The free tier lets users have access to a variety of services free for 12 months with limited usage after making an Azure account.
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    IBM Planning AnalyticsMicrosoft Azure
    Considered Both Products
    IBM
    Chose IBM Planning Analytics
    IBM Planning Analytics with Watson is much more flexible and scalable in comparison. IBM PAW is the clear winner for our organization's successful planning and analysis needs.
    Incentivized
    Microsoft
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    99%
    Would buy again
    128 Answers
    92%
    Would buy again
    34 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    97%
    Delivers good value for the price
    114 Answers
    94%
    Delivers good value for the price
    31 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    97%
    Happy with the feature set
    125 Answers
    95%
    Happy with the feature set
    35 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    97%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    89 Answers
    89%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    24 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    93%
    Implementation went as expected
    104 Answers
    94%
    Implementation went as expected
    34 Answers
    Features
    IBM Planning AnalyticsMicrosoft Azure
    BI Standard Reporting
    Comparison of BI Standard Reporting features of IBM Planning Analytics and Microsoft Azure
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    7.6
    116 Ratings
    1% above category average
    Microsoft Azure
    -
    Ratings
    Pixel Perfect reports7.6102 Ratings00 Ratings
    Customizable dashboards7.7116 Ratings00 Ratings
    Report Formatting Templates7.5109 Ratings00 Ratings
    Ad-hoc Reporting
    Comparison of Ad-hoc Reporting features of IBM Planning Analytics and Microsoft Azure
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    8.0
    122 Ratings
    3% above category average
    Microsoft Azure
    -
    Ratings
    Drill-down analysis8.5119 Ratings00 Ratings
    Formatting capabilities7.9120 Ratings00 Ratings
    Integration with R or other statistical packages7.992 Ratings00 Ratings
    Report sharing and collaboration7.8118 Ratings00 Ratings
    Report Output and Scheduling
    Comparison of Report Output and Scheduling features of IBM Planning Analytics and Microsoft Azure
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    8.1
    116 Ratings
    2% above category average
    Microsoft Azure
    -
    Ratings
    Publish to Web7.9109 Ratings00 Ratings
    Publish to PDF8.2109 Ratings00 Ratings
    Report Versioning8.3106 Ratings00 Ratings
    Report Delivery Scheduling8.298 Ratings00 Ratings
    Data Discovery and Visualization
    Comparison of Data Discovery and Visualization features of IBM Planning Analytics and Microsoft Azure
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    7.5
    117 Ratings
    2% above category average
    Microsoft Azure
    -
    Ratings
    Pre-built visualization formats (heatmaps, scatter plots etc.)8.1117 Ratings00 Ratings
    Location Analytics / Geographic Visualization7.7109 Ratings00 Ratings
    Predictive Analytics7.8107 Ratings00 Ratings
    Pattern Recognition and Data Mining6.638 Ratings00 Ratings
    Access Control and Security
    Comparison of Access Control and Security features of IBM Planning Analytics and Microsoft Azure
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    8.0
    122 Ratings
    5% below category average
    Microsoft Azure
    -
    Ratings
    Multi-User Support (named login)8.1120 Ratings00 Ratings
    Role-Based Security Model7.7121 Ratings00 Ratings
    Multiple Access Permission Levels (Create, Read, Delete)8.0122 Ratings00 Ratings
    Report-Level Access Control7.549 Ratings00 Ratings
    Single Sign-On (SSO)8.4114 Ratings00 Ratings
    Mobile Capabilities
    Comparison of Mobile Capabilities features of IBM Planning Analytics and Microsoft Azure
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    7.6
    105 Ratings
    4% above category average
    Microsoft Azure
    -
    Ratings
    Responsive Design for Web Access7.7102 Ratings00 Ratings
    Mobile Application7.666 Ratings00 Ratings
    Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile6.676 Ratings00 Ratings
    Budgeting, Planning, and Forecasting
    Comparison of Budgeting, Planning, and Forecasting features of IBM Planning Analytics and Microsoft Azure
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    8.4
    131 Ratings
    4% above category average
    Microsoft Azure
    -
    Ratings
    Long-term financial planning8.0127 Ratings00 Ratings
    Financial budgeting8.4130 Ratings00 Ratings
    Forecasting8.7130 Ratings00 Ratings
    Scenario modeling8.6129 Ratings00 Ratings
    Management reporting8.6129 Ratings00 Ratings
    Consolidation and Close
    Comparison of Consolidation and Close features of IBM Planning Analytics and Microsoft Azure
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    8.5
    122 Ratings
    9% above category average
    Microsoft Azure
    -
    Ratings
    Financial data consolidation9.1118 Ratings00 Ratings
    Journal entries and reports9.2108 Ratings00 Ratings
    Multi-currency management8.5110 Ratings00 Ratings
    Intercompany Eliminations8.4107 Ratings00 Ratings
    Minority Ownership8.6101 Ratings00 Ratings
    Local and consolidated reporting7.8114 Ratings00 Ratings
    Detailed Audit Trails8.1115 Ratings00 Ratings
    Financial Reporting and Compliance
    Comparison of Financial Reporting and Compliance features of IBM Planning Analytics and Microsoft Azure
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    8.8
    123 Ratings
    8% above category average
    Microsoft Azure
    -
    Ratings
    Financial Statement Reporting8.2119 Ratings00 Ratings
    Management Reporting8.7120 Ratings00 Ratings
    Excel-based Reporting9.4122 Ratings00 Ratings
    Automated board and financial reporting9.1111 Ratings00 Ratings
    XBRL support for regulatory filing8.680 Ratings00 Ratings
    Analytics and Reporting
    Comparison of Analytics and Reporting features of IBM Planning Analytics and Microsoft Azure
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    8.4
    125 Ratings
    11% above category average
    Microsoft Azure
    -
    Ratings
    Personalized dashboards8.7124 Ratings00 Ratings
    Color-coded scorecards8.4119 Ratings00 Ratings
    KPIs8.1122 Ratings00 Ratings
    Cost and profitability analysis8.2120 Ratings00 Ratings
    Key Performance Indicator setting8.5119 Ratings00 Ratings
    Benchmarking with external data8.590 Ratings00 Ratings
    Integration
    Comparison of Integration features of IBM Planning Analytics and Microsoft Azure
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    8.7
    123 Ratings
    7% above category average
    Microsoft Azure
    -
    Ratings
    Flat file integration8.7120 Ratings00 Ratings
    Excel data integration9.0120 Ratings00 Ratings
    Direct links to 3rd-party data sources8.6112 Ratings00 Ratings
    Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)
    Comparison of Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) features of IBM Planning Analytics and Microsoft Azure
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft Azure
    8.4
    27 Ratings
    2% above category average
    Service-level Agreement (SLA) uptime00 Ratings8.126 Ratings
    Dynamic scaling00 Ratings8.725 Ratings
    Elastic load balancing00 Ratings8.624 Ratings
    Pre-configured templates00 Ratings8.225 Ratings
    Monitoring tools00 Ratings8.326 Ratings
    Pre-defined machine images00 Ratings8.424 Ratings
    Operating system support00 Ratings8.926 Ratings
    Security controls00 Ratings8.626 Ratings
    Automation00 Ratings8.224 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    IBM Planning AnalyticsMicrosoft Azure
    Small Businesses
    No answers on this topic
    IBM Cloud Object Storage
    Score9 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Centage
    Score9.4 out of 10
    IBM Cloud Bare Metal Servers
    Score8.7 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Performance Management
    Score7.2 out of 10
    SAP on IBM Cloud
    Score9 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    IBM Planning AnalyticsMicrosoft Azure
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.0
    (132 ratings)
    8.7
    (96 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.1
    (5 ratings)
    10.0
    (17 ratings)
    Usability
    7.8
    (69 ratings)
    8.3
    (36 ratings)
    Availability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    6.8
    (2 ratings)
    Support Rating
    7.3
    (93 ratings)
    9.0
    (27 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.0
    (2 ratings)
    Data Sharing and Collaboration
    9.0
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Data Sources
    9.0
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    IBM Planning AnalyticsMicrosoft Azure
    Likelihood to Recommend
    IBM
    Ideal for large organization with complex multi-dimensional data, large budgets and dedicated administrator support. The performance of the TM1 data base is unmatched. The PAW and PAX options providing planners to work in both Excel and workspace environment. Higher Implementation efforts due to the greenfield implementations. Visualization features are not up to the mark.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    Azure is particularly well suited for enterprise environments with existing Microsoft investments, those that require robust compliance features, and organizations that need hybrid cloud capabilities that bridge on-premises and cloud infrastructure. In my opinion, Azure is less appropriate for cost-sensitive startups or small businesses without dedicated cloud expertise and scenarios requiring edge computing use cases with limited connectivity. Azure offers comprehensive solutions for most business needs but can feel like there is a higher learning curve than other cloud-based providers, depending on the product and use case.
    Read full review
    Pros
    IBM
    • Handle very large data volumes.
    • Scale to a large number of users.
    • Not having to compromise on business complexity.
    • It can be run by business users.
    • Availability of highly qualified consultants to support businesses.
    • REST API allows for an open eco system and a variety of solutions to extend the product.
    • Vast integration possibilities.
    • AI-infused engine with IBM Watson.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    • Microsoft Azure is highly scalable and flexible. You can quickly scale up or down additional resources and computing power.
    • You have no longer upfront investments for hardware. You only pay for the use of your computing power, storage space, or services.
    • The uptime that can be achieved and guaranteed is very important for our company. This includes the rapid maintenance for security updates that are mostly carried out by Microsoft.
    • The wide range of capabilities of services that are possible in Microsoft Azure. You can practically put or create anything in Microsoft Azure.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    IBM
    • sometimes it is hard to produce pixel perfect reports from the Web UI. I know it is not made for this, but still, it'll be great
    • getting in e.g. an Excel file just by drag and drop, and the AI should "understand" what the data is all around
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    • The cost of resources is difficult to determine, technical documentation is frequently out of date, and documentation and mapping capabilities are lacking.
    • The documentation needs to be improved, and some advanced configuration options require research and experimentation.
    • Microsoft's licensing scheme is too complex for the average user, and Azure SQL syntax is too different from traditional SQL.
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    IBM
    Since IBM Cognos Express is suitable only for medium data warehouse environment, we are not sure if this tool solves the long term need as the business keeps growing rapidly. So its a 50/50 ratio to renew Express license. But having said that, the components of IBM Cognos Express are also available in other Cognos BI suites like Cognos 10.x version. So we will probably upgrade our environment to IBM Cognos 10.x which comes with more new features.
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    Moving to Azure was and still is an organizational strategy and not simply changing vendors. Our product roadmap revolved around Azure as we are in the business of humanitarian relief and Azure and Microsoft play an important part in quickly and efficiently serving all of the world. Migration and investment in Azure should be considered as an overall strategy of an organization and communicated companywide.
    Read full review
    Usability
    IBM
    IBM Planning Analytics is generally good in terms of functionalities. It can be used reduce time for budget planning, resource planning, demand forecasting, etc. The performance of IBM Planning Analytics is acceptable, but user interface can be improved. It would be good to see new features that allow users to customise the dashboard.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    As Microsoft Azure is [doing a] really good with PaaS. The need of a market is to have [a] combo of PaaS and IaaS. While AWS is making [an] exceptionally well blend of both of them, Azure needs to work more on DevOps and Automation stuff. Apart from that, I would recommend Azure as a great platform for cloud services as scale.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    IBM
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft
    It has proven to be unreliable in our production environment and services become unavailable without proper notification to system administrators
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    IBM
    IBM support has been very quick to respond and handle the very few issues we've had. We've had a third-party who partners with IBM to be our consulting team which has helped greatly reduce the need for us to contact IBM directly. I highly recommend researching and selecting a well-respected partner to help with an implementation as well as ongoing support as needed.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    We were running Windows Server and Active Directory, so [Microsoft] Azure was a seamless transition. We ran into a few, if any support issues, however, the availability of Microsoft Azure's support team was more than willing and able to guide us through the process. They even proposed solutions to issues we had not even thought of!
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    IBM
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft
    As I have mentioned before the issue with my Oracle Mismatch Version issues that have put a delay on moving one of my platforms will justify my 7 rating.
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    IBM
    For strong technical teams and flexibility IBM Planning Analytics is the way to go. For quicker adoption and less technical teams Anaplan is the best option. If consolidation, financials, and moving from legacy tools are main focus than OneStream will be a really good choice. If deeply invested into SAP already than the SAP BPC will be the best fit to maintain the investment.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    As I continue to evaluate the "big three" cloud providers for our clients, I make the following distinctions, though this gap continues to close. AWS is more granular, and inherently powerful in the configuration options compared to [Microsoft] Azure. It is a "developer" platform for cloud. However, Azure PowerShell is helping close this gap. Google Cloud is the leading containerization platform, largely thanks to it building kubernetes from the ground up. Azure containerization is getting better at having the same storage/deployment options.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    IBM
    • Automate direct data connections to multiple data sources
    • One secured version of the the truth (for data and formulas)
    • Ability to scale to much more detailed planning with option to create predictive forecasts at detail
    • Business user friendly with powerful Excel integration
    • Very flexible and powerful modeling, can handle custom modeling needs at scale
    • Can make the same data available across finance and ops, but at the level of details and timeline that makes sense for them
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    • For about 2 years we didn't have to do anything with our production VMs, the system ran without a hitch, which meant our engineers could focus on features rather than infrastructure.
    • DNS management was very easy in Azure, which made it easy to upgrade our cluster with zero downtime.
    • Azure Web UI was easy to work with and navigate, which meant our senior engineers and DevOps team could work with Azure without formal training.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    IBM Planning Analytics Screenshots

    Screenshot of Workflow managementScreenshot of Income statementScreenshot of Margin analysisScreenshot of Metrics managementScreenshot of Income statementScreenshot of Expense analysis