I use Software AG Apama on a cruise ship, where I need to process a lot of real-time events since it is used within the casino of a cruise to allow a person to place the order and then to ensure that it reaches the right set of people so that the orders get served properly. I use Software AG Apama if I want to send out some promotional notifications to all the people who are on board the cruise ship. In the cruise ship in which I work, Software AG Apama can be helpful for notification and raising alert features. On the cruise ship where the employees use Software AG Apama, we have set various rules, so if any rule meets the set expectations, then some alerts and notifications are sent across the cruise ship.
A tool to send out promotional notifications that need to improve areas, like deployment and maintenance
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of the solution is the ability that it provides its users to handle different kinds of rules.
What needs improvement?
Software AG Apama should support offline scenarios as it may not always be possible to stay connected with the cloud. The solution should be deployed on an on-premises model, and it should be able to handle offline scenarios. If certain rules are set in Software AG Apama, then it should be able to execute them without being connected to an open internet source.
With Software AG Apama, one may face challenges since it is difficult to find people with the right skill set to operate it. The solution also makes use of a proprietary programming language that is hard to trace in the market. It is better to go with the new options available in the market since Software AG Apama has become an old product.
The ease of development and maintenance should be enhanced, but it is difficult due to the use of the proprietary programming language in the product.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have experience with Software AG Apama for more than ten years. I don't remember the version of the solution.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution runs fine for my company. Stability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is a scalable solution.
Considering the number of cruise ships that use Software AG Apama, I can say that the tool has around 4,00,000 to 5,00,000 users.
How was the initial setup?
Though I was not involved in the setup phase of Software AG Apama, I am presently involved in the process of replacing Software AG Apama with another tool since if any maintenance or changes are to be made in the tool, which may include the application of new rules in the product, then it becomes a pretty complex task.
The solution is deployed on a hybrid model, but I believe that it should support on-premises deployment so that it can sync the data with our company's head office. When the cruise ship is in the sea, it should operate in an on-premises or offline mode.
What about the implementation team?
As my company got Software AG Apama from a vendor, we raised an RFP to connect with the vendor and followed their suggestions. My company requires that the software be deployed in both an on-shore site and at our headquarters.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
A commercial license is required to operate Software AG Apama.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Though we use Software AG Apama in our company currently, it has become an old platform and has started giving us some problems because of which we need to evaluate or consider the other options available in the market, like Streamlit and AWS Kinesis Data Stream. Basically, my company wants to evaluate the platforms that can be considered as a suitable replacement for Software AG Apama.
My company wants to replace Software AG Apama with a solution for which we can get people with the right skill sets to use it. My company wants a solution that can support the tool on an on-premises model and support offline scenarios and data handling. The new solution that we want in our company should be easy to use and operate, and people should be able to access the interface with ease.
My company will connect with the right set of vendors, who we think can provide our company with the best replacement for Software AG Apama, and depending on their recommendation, we will check how many technical people are required for the deployment process of the new product in our company. My company may also seek help from the vendor with the deployment phase of the new product in our company. The aforementioned process will be planned and executed in the upcoming weeks.
What other advice do I have?
If you need a tool that works in offline scenarios and can be deployed on an on-premises model, then Software AG Apama may work. The concern with Software AG Apama is that there are not many skilled people since Apama functions on a proprietary programming language, and it can be hard to find skilled people to operate it, which is a challenge with the PAM. If you want a tool deployed on the cloud nowadays, you can go with Apache Flink, Kafka, or Kinesis, which are a set of tools for which there are plenty of talented people available to operate or use them.
I rate the overall tool a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
