IBM Transformation Extender enables seamless data integration across different platforms, making it ideal for businesses requiring flexibility in handling diverse data formats and systems.
| Product | Mindshare (%) |
|---|---|
| IBM Transformation Extender | 2.2% |
| SEEBURGER Business Integration Suite | 10.4% |
| IBM Sterling B2B Integration Services | 9.7% |
| Other | 77.7% |
IBM Transformation Extender is widely utilized for its robust data transformation capabilities, offering support for complex data models and real-time processing. It plays a crucial role in streamlining data workflows, enhancing efficiency in data exchange, and supporting interoperability among disparate systems. Businesses leverage its ability to handle high-volume data exchanges, ensuring precise and timely data transformation. The adaptability provided by this tool is vital for organizations undergoing digital transformation, optimizing both efficiency and accuracy in data management processes.
What are the key features of IBM Transformation Extender?IBM Transformation Extender is crucial in industries like healthcare, finance, and retail, enabling efficient data transfer and integration across systems. In healthcare, it supports compliance with data standards by accurately handling patient information. Financial services utilize its capabilities to manage data exchanges in regulatory reporting, while in retail, it enhances supply chain operations by integrating data from multiple sources, ensuring smooth operational flow.
IBM Transformation Extender was previously known as WebSphere Transformation Extender.
DHL International
| Author info | Rating | Review Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Lead Developer at a insurance company with 1,001-5,000 employees | 4.0 | We use this solution for mapping diverse data formats to our mainframe, appreciating its stability and scalability. We find it converts formats well, but our primary need is for more mature and extensive API support, as the current API is limited. |
| Integration Architect at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees | 4.0 | Having used this product for four years, I value its excellent any-to-any data transformation and industry standard support. Setup is easy and it's stable, though I'd improve mapping rule readability. |
| Support with 10,001+ employees | 4.0 | I value this product's flexibility, stability, and IBM integration. It's easy to use, and customer service is good. My only struggle is with upgrades, stemming from our overly complex application rather than the product itself. |
| Solutions Manager at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees | 4.0 | I find the WTX suite unique, flexible, and highly stable for conversion and integration across various industries, handling enormous volumes with no issues. My main concern is IBM's lack of marketing and awareness for this powerful product. |
We use the mapping tools. We use the solution for mapping. It maps to our data format and then we insert it to the mainframe.
Different trading partners have different file sets. It is very difficult to map their data format into our format. This is a nice tool which converts one format of data to another format.
We want to see more API support from Transformation Extender. Right now, there is a lack of API support. It has an API that we always use; we use Java to call the Extender, the maps, with the external API. That API is limited. It's not mature. That's where I'm looking for improvements.
The stability is nice. We like it.
The scalability is nice.
We have stand-by vendors. We use OpenLogix and another consulting firm. When we have any issues, they are the point of contact instead of IBM.
Before this solution, we used Sybase with manual transfers, and then we moved to ITX.
I was involved in the installation and it was straightforward. They came and they installed it. They gave the knowledge transfer, we maintained it, and we implemented on top of that.
Before choosing this product, we did not evaluate other options. We directly chose IBM.
When choosing a vendor, we look for the one that is the most technically oriented.
Any-to-any transformations are possible with this product. This is one of the very rare products that supports transformation of data from any format to any other format on the planet. In addition, it also provides plugins/packages for industry data standards like HIPAA, SWIFT, HL7, etc.
Development of transformations is easier and quicker.
My clients are able to easily embrace various industry standard data formats enabling them to support their customers who exchange data in different formats.
Readability of mapping rules should be improved.
I have been using it for four years.
We have not really had any stability issues.
I rate technical support 7 on a scale of 1-10.
We were using XSLT programming to a point where we had to transform COBOL Copybook-formatted data to XML and vice versa. That’s when we evaluated IBM WebSphere Transformation Extender and started using it due to its extensive support for various data formats.
Setup is easy and straightforward. It’s all about clicking the Next button.
I never got a chance to work on pricing and licensing; however, if we already have IBM products in use, then IBM can offer us better prices/discounts.
We evaluated Contivo.
I do not see any issues with this product, so there’s nothing much I can comment.
The most valuable features are the multiple capabilities that it provides. We use it in a couple of our applications. It's pretty flexible. It's quick to code in, so that also makes a difference.
We use a lot of IBM products, so it's well integrated within the IBM infrastructure. We've got ELAs with IBM, so it's easy in terms of the support. It works out well and it's pretty stable.
Things are working fine, except for the upgrade part. We are having some struggles with upgrading the product. The product isn't complex, but the application that we developed is pretty complex. We've used too many things in there, so we would like to simplify it. Thus, there is stress on the upgrade.
The product is pretty stable.
In terms of scalability, I don't know yet. We're currently working on going to the next version.
We have not used much of technical support. However, whenever we did contact them, it was good. We have had a good relationship with them.
Our older solution was legacy-based, so we were looking for something different.
We did not look at other vendors because we have other IBM products.
When we do look at vendors, the most important criteria are their approachability and definitely in terms of the support that they provide. It shouldn't be expensive, so obviously cost is also an important factor.
It's easy to use. I don't think we use it very widely, but it's a critical component. As long as the upgrade goes smoothly, I'll be fine.
Don't utilize multiple products. We could have simplified our application by just using the Extender portion along with a few other components, but we just used way too many components in there. That just makes it a little more complex. I'm sure we could have simplified it a lot more. The integration part is good.
The whole WTX suite is the most valuable to me. Every single feature of this product is unique, highly flexible, and scalable for the user's needs. Some examples are:
I used this product in one of the top five global banks, where the application was built on the WTX suite. This suite was acting as a payment engine connecting the front-end and back-end applications. The amount of volume that it handled was enormous.
This application was one of the highly critical applications in handling almost all of the Asia-Pacific and Middle East volumes and a part of Europe's volume, as well.
The software itself is easy to code, design, and deploy. It was very stable and we never hit any outages during my experience.
The product has all capabilities that is required for conversion/translation that can run in distributed environment. One thing, missing is marketing and awareness among the industry to use this product.
IBM should bring awareness and promote this product across various domains and key industry players. Create Demo or animation video where this product has been implemented and the benefits it has brought in. I would like to see this product where ever there is a conversion and integration required between 2 different applications. This is one product which can be used in all Domain verticals, be it Banking, Healthcare, Logistics, Insurance, ecommerce, airlines etc...
If we can bring in the standard libraries/classes available in Java, it would be great.
I would like to see this product wherever there is a conversion and integration required between two different applications. Somehow, marketing is missing this aspect of this product.
I have used this solution for more than seven years.
I have not had any stability issues with the versions that I have used.
I have not had any scalability issues with the versions that I have used.
As long as we can provide the information that IBM is looking for, they will definitely come back with the solution. Sometimes they provide interim fixes to deploy into our environment.
The framework of the application requires a bit of thought in order to run the launcher in an automated way. Once we know what we are doing, it is easy to design and deploy.
For corporations, it is really worth the price that they pay for it.
I would recommend that IBM offer this product for the Fintech/startups with a different pricing model.
They have to really think of promoting this product in the universities, so as to build a strong professional community. As we can see, there are not many quality developers available in the market, unless it is Java technology.
We did evaluate a couple of other products.
I would strongly advise you to get experienced architects who have used this product extensively in other industries.
The WTX suite is a powerful conversion tool that doesn’t consume many resources.
