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IBM Cloud Pak for Data vs IBM InfoSphere Information Server comparison

IBM Cloud Pak for Data and IBM InfoSphere Information Server are both solutions in the Data Integration category. IBM Cloud Pak for Data is ranked #26 with an average rating of 7.0, while IBM InfoSphere Information Server is ranked #34 with an average rating of 8.0. IBM Cloud Pak for Data holds a 1.8% mindshare in DI, compared to IBM InfoSphere Information Server’s 0.9% mindshare. Additionally, 86% of IBM Cloud Pak for Data users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of IBM InfoSphere Information Server users who would recommend it.
IBM Cloud Pak for Data
Read 13 IBM Cloud Pak for Data reviews
  • 2,186 Views
  • 2,055 Comparison Views
86% willing to recommend
IBM InfoSphere Information ...
Read 7 IBM InfoSphere Information Server reviews
  • 1,273 Views
  • 1,031 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 19, 2024

IBM InfoSphere Information Server and IBM Cloud Pak for Data compete in the data management and analytics category. IBM Cloud Pak for Data appears to have the upper hand due to its advanced features and data processing capabilities.

Features: IBM InfoSphere Information Server focuses on data integration, governance, and quality management, ensuring high-quality data management. Its suite is comprehensive for these tasks. IBM Cloud Pak for Data provides advanced analytics, machine learning, and AI, supporting a unified data platform for complete data processing and insight solutions. It emphasizes a scalable analytics approach.

Room for Improvement: IBM InfoSphere Information Server could enhance its analytics capabilities and offer more flexibility in AI integration. It might also improve cloud-native adaptability. IBM Cloud Pak for Data could lower its initial costs, optimize its integration with existing systems, and simplify its feature set for ease of use. Improvements in these areas could enhance user experience and accessibility.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM InfoSphere Information Server is valued for its easy deployment and reliable customer service, integrating smoothly with current systems. IBM Cloud Pak for Data supports hybrid cloud deployment, offering scalability across environments and fast service response, which highlights its strength in adaptability.

Pricing and ROI: IBM InfoSphere Information Server provides competitive pricing and a strong ROI, thanks to its efficient data management enhancements. Conversely, IBM Cloud Pak for Data may have a higher initial cost, but it offers significant ROI due to its extensive analytics and AI features, justifying the expense with its technological advancements.

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To learn more, read our detailed IBM Cloud Pak for Data vs. IBM InfoSphere Information Server Report (Updated: September 2025).
Buyer's Guide
IBM Cloud Pak for Data vs. IBM InfoSphere Information Server
September 2025
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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

IBM Cloud Pak for Data
Ranking in Data Integration
26th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
Data Virtualization (3rd)
IBM InfoSphere Information ...
Ranking in Data Integration
34th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
Metadata Management (7th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Data Integration category, the mindshare of IBM Cloud Pak for Data is 1.8%, up from 1.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM InfoSphere Information Server is 0.9%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Data Integration Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
IBM Cloud Pak for Data1.8%
IBM InfoSphere Information Server0.9%
Other97.3%
Data Integration
 

Featured Reviews

Michelle Leslie - PeerSpot reviewer
Starts strong with data management capabilities but needs a demo database
What I would love to see is an end-to-end, almost a training demo database of some sort, where one of the biggest problems with data management is demonstrated. There are so many components to data management, and more often than not, people understand one thing really well. They may understand DataStage and how to move data around, but they do not see the impact of moving data incorrectly. They also do not see the impact of everyone understanding a piece of data in the same way. I would love Cloud Pak to come with a demo database that illustrates the different components of data management in a logical way, so I can see the whole picture instead of just the area I'm specializing in. It would be great if Cloud Pak, from a data modeling point of view, allowed us to import our PDMs, for example. It would be ideal to import and create business terms in Cloud Pak. The PEA would be great to create the technical data. The association between the business and the technical metadata could then be automated by pulling it through from your ACE models. The data modeling component is available in Cloud Pak. Additionally, when it comes to Cloud Pak, even though it has the NextGen DataStage built into it, there is Cloud Pak for data integration as well. Currently, I do not think we have a full enough understanding of how CP4D and CP4I can enhance each other.
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UmeshKumar1 - PeerSpot reviewer
Prompt support, reliable, but lacking scalability
IBM InfoSphere Information Server has multiple tools in that product suite. However, we mainly use it as an integration tool I have been using IBM InfoSphere Information Server for approximately five years. IBM InfoSphere Information Server is stable. IBM InfoSphere Information Server should be…
Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"It is a scalable solution, and we have had no issues with its scalability in our company. I rate the solution's scalability a nine out of ten."
"Cloud Pak is a very, very, very good system."
"Its data preparation capabilities are highly valuable."
"What I found most helpful in IBM Cloud Pak for Data is containerization, which means it's easy to shift and leave in terms of moving to other clouds. That's an advantage of IBM Cloud Pak for Data."
"Cloud Pak's most valuable features are IBM MQ, IBM App Connect, IBM API Connect, and ISPF."
"The most valuable features are data virtualization and reporting."
"IBM Watson Catalog and data pipelines are the most valuable features of the solution."
"You can model the data there, connect the data models with the business processes and create data lineage processes."
More IBM Cloud Pak for Data pros
"This solution is extremely flexible and scalable."
"IBM InfoSphere Information Server is stable."
"The integration with different technologies is the most valuable feature."
"Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
 

Cons

"The interface could improve because sometimes it becomes slow. Sometimes there is a delay between clicks when using the software, which can make the development process slow. It can take a few seconds to complete one action, and then a few more seconds to do the next one."
"The setup cost is very expensive. The cost depends on the pieces of the solution I'm using, how much data I have, and whether it's on the cloud or on-prem."
"The product must improve its performance."
"The solution's catalog searching or map search needs to be improved."
"The tool depends on the control plane, an OpenShift container platform utilized as an orchestration layer...So, we have communicated this issue to IBM and asked if it is feasible to adapt the solution to work on a Kubernetes platform that we support."
"The solution could have more connectors."
"Cloud Pak would be improved with integration with cloud service providers like Cloudera."
"The solution's user experience is an area that has room for improvement."
More IBM Cloud Pak for Data cons
"There are certain shortcomings in the cloud side of the solution, where improvements are required."
"Their technical support needs improvement."
"This solution would benefit from the engine being made more lightweight."
"IBM InfoSphere Information Server should be more scalable. It should have the option to change the configuration to run on a single, non-multiple node, or multi-threading processing."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I don't have the exact licensing cost for IBM Cloud Pak for Data, as my company is still finalizing requirements, including monthly, yearly, and three-year licensing fees. Still, on a scale of one to five, I'd rate it a three because, compared to other vendors, it's more complicated."
"Cloud Pak's cost is a little high."
"For the licensing of the solution, there is a yearly payment that needs to be made. Also, since it is expensive, cost-wise, I rate the solution an eight or nine out of ten."
"IBM Cloud Pak for Data is expensive. If we include the training time and the machine learning, it's expensive. The cost of the execution is more reasonable."
"The solution's pricing is competitive with that of other vendors."
"It's quite expensive."
"I think that this product is too expensive for smaller companies."
"The solution is expensive."
"The licensing cost of IBM InfoSphere Information Server depends on how many users there are."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
29%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
8%
Government
5%
Financial Services Firm
20%
Government
17%
Insurance Company
9%
Healthcare Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business7
Large Enterprise8
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business3
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise3
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Cloud Pak for Data?
The setup cost is very expensive. The cost depends on the pieces of the solution I'm using, how much data I have, and whether it's on the cloud or on-prem.
See all answers
What needs improvement with IBM Cloud Pak for Data?
What I would love to see is an end-to-end, almost a training demo database of some sort, where one of the biggest problems with data management is demonstrated. There are so many components to data...
See all answers
What is your primary use case for IBM Cloud Pak for Data?
My primary use case for Cloud Pak is that I am the reference Data steward for the Africa regions in the banks where I work. My main objective is to capture the reference data in Caltech or Data and...
See all answers
What do you like most about IBM InfoSphere Information Server?
Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
See all answers
What needs improvement with IBM InfoSphere Information Server?
There are certain shortcomings in the cloud side of the solution, where improvements are required. In our company, we are presently in the process of doing a PoC phase since we have the solution cu...
See all answers
What is your primary use case for IBM InfoSphere Information Server?
I use IBM InfoSphere Information Server in retail banking for transformation purposes.
See all answers
 

Comparisons

IBM InfoSphere DataStage vs IBM Cloud Pak for Data Logo
IBM InfoSphere DataStage vs IBM Cloud Pak for Data
Compared 45% of the time
Denodo vs IBM Cloud Pak for Data Logo
Denodo vs IBM Cloud Pak for Data
Compared 13% of the time
Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC) vs IBM Cloud Pak for Data Logo
Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC) vs IBM Cloud Pak for Data
Compared 11% of the time
Palantir Foundry vs IBM Cloud Pak for Data Logo
Palantir Foundry vs IBM Cloud Pak for Data
Compared 9% of the time
More IBM Cloud Pak for Data Competitors
IBM InfoSphere DataStage vs IBM InfoSphere Information Server Logo
IBM InfoSphere DataStage vs IBM InfoSphere Information Server
Compared 37% of the time
Oracle GoldenGate vs IBM InfoSphere Information Server Logo
Oracle GoldenGate vs IBM InfoSphere Information Server
Compared 20% of the time
Qlik Replicate vs IBM InfoSphere Information Server Logo
Qlik Replicate vs IBM InfoSphere Information Server
Compared 11% of the time
IBM Watson Knowledge Catalog vs IBM InfoSphere Information Server Logo
IBM Watson Knowledge Catalog vs IBM InfoSphere Information Server
Compared 8% of the time
IBM InfoSphere Information Governance Catalog vs IBM InfoSphere Information Server Logo
IBM InfoSphere Information Governance Catalog vs IBM InfoSphere Information Server
Compared 7% of the time
More IBM InfoSphere Information Server Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
IBM Cloud Pak for Data
September 2025
IBM Cloud Pak for Data reportDownload IBM Cloud Pak for Data product report
Buyer's Guide
Data Integration
September 2025
IBM InfoSphere Information Server reportDownload IBM InfoSphere Information Server product report
 

Also Known As

Cloud Pak for Data
InfoSphere Information Server, IBM Information Server
 

Overview

IBM Cloud Pak® for Data is a fully-integrated data and AI platform that modernizes how businesses collect, organize and analyze data to infuse AI throughout their organizations. Cloud-native by design, the platform unifies market-leading services spanning the entire analytics lifecycle. From data management, DataOps, governance, business analytics and automated AI, IBM Cloud Pak for Data helps eliminate the need for costly, and often competing, point solutions while providing the information architecture you need to implement AI successfully.

Building on the streamlined hybrid-cloud foundation of Red Hat® OpenShift®, IBM Cloud Pak for Data takes advantage of the underlying resource and infrastructure optimization and management. The solution fully supports multicloud environments such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure, Google Cloud, IBM Cloud™ and private cloud deployments. Find out how IBM Cloud Pak for Data can lower your total cost of ownership and accelerate innovation.

IBM
IBM InfoSphere Information Server is a market-leading data integration platform which includes a family of products that enable you to understand, cleanse, monitor, transform, and deliver data, as well as to collaborate to bridge the gap between business and IT. InfoSphere Information Server provides massively parallel processing (MPP) capabilities to deliver a highly scalable and flexible integration platform that handles a variety of data volumes (big, small, and everything in between).
IBM
 

Sample Customers

Qatar Development Bank, GuideWell, Skanderborg Music Festival
Canadian National Railway Company, Chickasaw Nation Division of Commerce, Swedish Armed Forces, BG RCI, Janata Sahakari Bank Ltd., University of Arizona, Biogrid Australia
Buyer's Guide
IBM Cloud Pak for Data vs. IBM InfoSphere Information Server
September 2025
Free Report: IBM Cloud Pak for Data vs. IBM InfoSphere Information Server
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Cloud Pak for Data vs. IBM InfoSphere Information Server and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
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