IBM Aspera is a reliable and efficient solution for file transfers
Updated April 20, 2020

IBM Aspera is a reliable and efficient solution for file transfers

Prathamesh Muzumdar | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with IBM Aspera on Cloud

IBM Aspera has been the most favorable file sharing and cloud transfer solution that my company has used. It is very reliable and efficient when it comes to file sharing and file transfer. My company is in the online retail sector, and we have multiple software that we use and that are a part of our operational model. Some of the software we use deals with sales, logistics, CRM, HR, etc. We require a reliable tool to share files on software installation, and these files also include authentic information that is sensitive and cannot be disclosed to unauthorized personnel. IBM Aspera for us, is the fastest file sharing solution in a highly secured environment. The embedded protocols meet our security standards and speed requirements. Most files that we transfer take a huge amount of space and IBM Aspera allows us to transfer those huge files very quickly. It's a fast-paced transfer tool even when the internet speed is not that high. Aspera makes sharing large size files over the internet very easy.

Pros

  • Very easy to configure, implement, administer, and support. In my company, we don't require a vendor to support Aspera. We have a dedicated team, which does the work for us. This makes it cost-effective.
  • Features include file-sharing options for users outside the organization. This is a great feature especially if you deal with multiple sales vendor who requires restricted access to your software. Aspera allows you to share certain software access files with them.

Cons

  • The biggest issue is with version control, there are frequent requests that come along to update to the latest version. This becomes a challenge if you use Aspera around the clock. Any updates will halt Aspera's use and this can create operational inefficiency.
  • File download with the same file name creates an issue because the system doesn't distinguish between the files. No error message is shown and the file gets downloaded as it is on the desktop.
  • Easy and fast sharing at a medium to low internet speed saves a lot of money on internet costs.
  • Incorporates very well with increased security standards.
My company used Dropbox before we implemented Aspera. When it comes to file security we felt more comfortable in Aspera. The file transfer speed especially uploading and downloading files using Dropbox was very low. We found it not that reliable when it came to file transfer. Aspera, when compared to Dropbox, was very fast and reliable. It saved us a lot on the internet bandwidth, where we could go with a medium to low-speed internet. Another issue with Dropbox is its lack of flexibility in integrations. It is hard to integrate Dropbox with other software this makes file storage a big challenge, you have to manually save the file in the Dropbox.

Do you think IBM Aspera on Cloud delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with IBM Aspera on Cloud's feature set?

Yes

Did IBM Aspera on Cloud live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of IBM Aspera on Cloud go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy IBM Aspera on Cloud again?

Yes

IBM Aspera worked out well for my company. In online retail, you are subjected to huge data storage and a large amount of file sharing. The biggest concern with file sharing is the size of the file and the security standards you have to follow when sharing that file. IBM Aspera was able to fit the needs well. For file transfer it is the fastest tool, we have shared files that exceeded 300 GB, and sometimes more than 500 GB, and Aspera takes less than 5 minutes for the file transfer to happen with a medium-speed internet connection. Another reason we use Aspera is that we have multiple locations around which we share files and it not a hassle to implement and support Aspera on those locations. We support Aspera at our client locations as well, and it is very easy to give clients and vendors access to Aspera. The biggest challenge has been the frequent version updates, installing updates for a company that operates around the clock is a huge challenge. We also found some features missing like search and filtering, and it is very much required for our company that we have those features.

IBM Aspera on Cloud Feature Ratings

IBM Cloud Support and Implementation

IBM Aspera on cloud implementation was done by a third party vendor. The vendor was certified by IBM and was recommended by the IBM sales team. The implementation went well into our budget. Precise timely planning was done by the vendor and our internal IT team for developing and implementing IBM Aspera. There were minor issues that happened with integration, but none of those affected the timeline of delivery. Overall it was very satisfactory service that was provided by the third party vendor. Excellent knowledgeable software engineers were assigned to this implementation. The process was completed in the given timeline, which included development, alpha testing, beta version, and going live.
Yes
The service provided by the authorized vendor was excellent. It was a good collaboration between the vendor IT team and internal IT team. They provided us with a timeline and we verified and approved that timeline. Daily stand ups and weekly meetups were conducted to update the internal team on progress. They were able to deliver all deliverables on time also, they conducted both alpha testing and beta version testing in time. Overall, they were able to complete the implementation in the given timeline.
Advanced - We use advanced level support for IBM Aspera. The main reason is that the load on the Aspera fluctuates depending upon the traffic to the website. During peak seasons and weekends the load is very high. We require advance support to reboot and debug the system during such time. The frequency of transactions also fluctuates and there is always a fear to could crash during such high frequency. We require the support throughout the year and advance level provides us with that service.
We use advance level support for IBM Aspera because we face numerous issues during peak hour transactions. The frequency fluctuates heavily during such time. One good example, is the peak load frequency during thanksgiving sales. The frequency rises and dips with product display. The moment we open up the channel for a discounted product the frequency of transactions on that channel peak out. A year we had site crash because of such high load not the port connection on integration, but also frontend UI crashed. The IBM support team was able to reboot the integration ports with the cloud within fifteen minutes the frontend UI was rebooted by the internal team. This was great work done by the support team.
  • Central Documentation and Learning Hub
  • IBM Cloud Docs
  • Ability to check uptime status for IBM Cloud products
  • IBM Cloud product demos and tutorial videos
Yes, they are useful in many ways. The central documentation and learning hub is useful to train our employees on understanding the IBM Aspera functions and features. This is well supported by IBM Cloud docs where the repository is well structured for use. The IBM support products are also useful. Information on version updates are good to keep oneself updated. The product demos and tutorials gives you a great idea of how new version will provide upgraded service and streamlined features.
The support from IBM is fast and reliable. Very knowledgeable engineers provide you with the support on Aspera. We had a very good experience when opened tickets and we were able to get our issues resolved quickly. Most solutions are provided within a day so you can expect a quick turnaround time. Overall, the support has been very good.

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