IBM API Connect and Microsoft Azure API Management are leading contenders in the API management space. IBM API Connect stands out for its advanced API lifecycle management capabilities, making it preferable for enterprises needing extensive system integration. In contrast, Microsoft Azure API Management is more favored for its strong cloud ecosystem integration, especially with other Azure services.
Features: IBM API Connect offers seamless conversion between REST and SOAP, a security gateway, and a customizable developer portal. It also benefits from integration with IBM DataPower, enhancing API transformation capabilities. Microsoft Azure API Management provides robust Azure Active Directory integration, effective access management, and solid support for the API lifecycle within the Azure ecosystem.
Room for Improvement: IBM API Connect could improve in stability, ease of administration, and integration with other software. Users also suggest enhancing the portal customization and documentation. Microsoft Azure API Management needs better third-party integration, improved documentation, and simplification in managing API gateways. Both platforms face challenges with pricing models and multi-tenancy features.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM API Connect supports on-premises, hybrid, and cloud deployments, though users report mixed experiences with technical support and response times. Microsoft Azure API Management focuses on cloud and hybrid deployments with seamless Microsoft ecosystem integration, yet its technical support could be more responsive, needing better documentation for troubleshooting.
Pricing and ROI: IBM API Connect is viewed as expensive and has a complex pricing structure but provides significant ROI through streamlined API management. Microsoft Azure API Management offers competitive pricing for lower tiers but can become expensive at higher configurations. Both platforms deliver substantial operational benefits, yet their pricing strategies and billing transparency require improvements for better customer satisfaction.
Reducing development hours from eighty to four for an API was possible due to reusing existing scripts from DataPower.
Proper configuration of the solution, implementation strategy and correct scaling tier selection are other factors that influence the ROI.
It helps connect all multi-environment applications to a single dashboard and give beautiful reports.
If I am working in AWS and with Azure, I see that Azure is much easier and helps save time while also being able to manage and deploy the API services.
Support is excellent when it comes to APIC.
The documentation from Microsoft helps our company to solve issues on our own.
The initial support engineers are often not qualified.
I logged an incident, and it was resolved promptly within three hours.
With container versions, scaling up or down the gateways deployed into pods is a two to three-minute task for the operations team.
I've worked with multiple tools from an observability perspective, such as Dynatrace, AppDynamics, Splunk, and Elasticsearch, and I find KQL and APIM amazing and filled with useful features.
It handles our current workload well, and I'm optimistic it can scale effectively as our needs grow.
There are no limitations to adding any number of devices.
The runtime engine for the APIC Gateway is still a DataPower component, which has been stable in the industry for about fifteen years.
I can't guarantee its stability or flexibility until all our databases and financial systems are integrated.
Microsoft Azure API Management is very stable.
With high scalability and availability, it supports many users and endpoints without significant issues.
Examples include the lack of connectivity to MQ.
The service is extensive and expensive, and this added flexibility would make it more manageable and less prone to errors.
It's quite expensive, which could be a barrier for some users.
Documentations for the product should include examples of implementation.
Pricing depends on how many instances run across environments.
It's an expensive solution.
However, once you scale up to your full volume, it'll be more expensive.
Microsoft Azure is an expensive solution not for the large enterprises but for medium and small.
It offers significant development efficiency, reducing man-hours from eighty to four when creating APIs.
The platform's most valuable features are its rule-based permissions and comprehensive API lifecycle management capabilities.
The ability to create a subscription model for APIs allows companies to monetize valuable data and share it securely.
The analytics phase of API Management is very beneficial for tracking API usage and identifying suspicious users.
IBM API Connect facilitates API management and integration in the financial sector. Companies use it to expose, secure, and manage APIs for banking, insurance, and fintech, deploying it on-premises, in the cloud, or as a hybrid solution.
IBM API Connect focuses on creating and monetizing APIs while enabling seamless transactions and integration with third-party services. It is vital for compliance with regulations and enhances external communication among institutions. With deployment options suitable for different environments, it supports centralized gateway management, robust security features, and comprehensive API lifecycle management. Users benefit from powerful analytics, user-friendly interfaces, and high performance with capabilities in message transformation and efficient monitoring.
What are the most important features?IBM API Connect is extensively implemented in the financial sector, enabling banking, insurance, and fintech services to manage APIs efficiently. Companies use it to ensure secure transactions, integration with third-party services, and compliance with regulatory standards. Its deployment flexibility accommodates different infrastructure needs, making it suitable for a wide range of financial applications.
Microsoft Azure API Management is essential for managing APIs, facilitating integration, and ensuring secure internal and external communication.
Organizations leverage Microsoft Azure API Management for seamless integration and effective API management. It supports microservices, legacy modernization, and platform orchestration in sectors like healthcare, telecom, and finance. Features such as developer portals and centralized libraries simplify usage. While it showcases strengths in hybrid cloud support and scalability, improvements are suggested in versioning and multi-tenancy.
What key features does it offer?Microsoft Azure API Management aids modernization across healthcare, telecom, and financial services by enabling legacy system updates and facilitating smooth platform orchestration.
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