Item: IBM API Connect
Rating: 10
Author: Angus Bagchee

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

API Connect is the main API gateway instrument we utilize for majority of our APIs. It provides discoverability, security, reuse and scalability we need with our interfaces. While the setup time is a bit high, it offers a consistent pipeline for our services. It allows us to provide the level of authentication and authorization, even in a hybrid environment.

Pros and Cons

Security - well integrated with both AAD, Okta and TDS
Reliability - ensures services are scaling well with load balancing
Consistency - Allowed for a standardized way to host services across various platforms and tech stacks

Steep learning curve - not sure why all IBM docs avoid pictures in their help documentation. Instead, everything is painfully described in words. Use pictures. Use short videos.
Templates for repeatable API configurations will help speed up adoption.

Return on Investment

Consistent API lifecycle management
Works smoothly with multiple user authentication mechanisms
Expensive, leading us to look for alternate ways of hosting services.

Usability

Documentation is dry and devoid of any pictures with loads of words and jargon endemic to IBM. This makes it very hard to adopt and step learning curve. Use pictures, not words, flow/sequence/state diagrams instead of wordy thesis to describe things. Not sure why IBM has this issue with their documentation - it is as if we’re still living in the times where “man pages” need to spit out just words on a green screen terminal. Hope IBM gets to use this feedback - use generative AI to fix and update documentation.

API Security

Very effective and for a while the best solution you can get.

However, over time, there have been other products that are lean, lot less expensive and provide better/easier way to manage API lifecycle. Open source products also allow the user community to expand, making it easier to get resources that are well versed with API management tool. IBM products are becoming esoteric and unnecessarily limits the talent pool.

Alternatives Considered

MuleSoft Anypoint Platform, Kong Gateway Community (Open Source) and Apigee

IBM API CONNECT competitors have the following advantages:

Cost advantage
Better user pool
Better documentation
Easier onboarding

Trans are constantly evaluating if they can avoid vendor lock-in with IBM.

Key Insights

Do you think IBM API Connect delivers good value for the price?

Are you happy with IBM API Connect's feature set?

Yes

Did IBM API Connect live up to sales and marketing promises?

I wasn't involved with the selection/purchase process

Did implementation of IBM API Connect go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy IBM API Connect again?

Other Software Used

Azure API Management, MuleSoft Anypoint Platform, Kong Gateway Community (Open Source)

Likelihood to Recommend

While there are competing products (like Mulesoft, Apigee), IBM API Connect offers all the pieces you will need for their lifecycle maintenance.

It is not a good fit for just a handful of API. Leaner solutions are starting to look more attractive in this space (like Kong). It is a bit too much work and expensive compared to competitors.

IBM API Connect is better but comes at a cost

Overall Satisfaction with IBM API Connect