IBM Workload Automation vs JAMS comparison

IBM and Fortra are both solutions in the Workload Automation category. IBM is ranked #12 with an average rating of 7.8, while Fortra is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.6. IBM holds a 7.2% mindshare in WA, compared to Fortra’s 1.7% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of Fortra users who would recommend it.

IBM Workload Automation

Read 32 IBM Workload Automation reviews

3,686 Views
2,420 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

JAMS

Read 34 JAMS reviews

1,797 Views
494 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

IBM Workload Automation

JAMS

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

IBM Workload Automation and JAMS are competitors in job scheduling and workload management. IBM Workload Automation is advantageous due to its extensive integrations and global scalability, while JAMS is favored for its robust automation capabilities.

Features: IBM Workload Automation stands out with customizable workflows, global scalability, and predictive alerting. It offers robust environment management suitable for complex IT setups. JAMS excels in cross-platform scheduling, extensive API support, and managed file transfers, catering to sophisticated automation and scheduling needs.

Room for Improvement: IBM Workload Automation could benefit from more streamlined training resources and enhanced user interface customization. Additionally, integration processes could be simplified. JAMS might improve by expanding integration capabilities with popular third-party applications and offering more intuitive setup guides. Enhancing its documentation could further assist users during deployment.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM Workload Automation provides comprehensive deployment support and detailed documentation, aiding integration in complex environments. It receives positive feedback for customer service responsiveness. JAMS offers straightforward deployment, requiring fewer IT resources, making it ideal for businesses with limited staff, and is supported by a responsive team.

Pricing and ROI: IBM Workload Automation generally requires a higher initial investment but offers substantial ROI through extensive features and scalability. In contrast, JAMS appeals to organizations seeking straightforward job scheduling without needing extensive integration, promising swift ROI with lower upfront costs.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM Workload Automation vs. JAMS Report (Updated: March 2025).

Buyer's Guide

IBM Workload Automation vs. JAMS

March 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 Workload Automation

Ranking in Workload Automation

12th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

JAMS

Ranking in Workload Automation

5th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Workload Automation category, the mindshare of IBM Workload Automation is 7.2%, down from 8.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of JAMS is 1.7%, up from 1.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Workload Automation

Featured Reviews

Ilhami Arikan

Cloud Services Automation Technologies Manager at Garanti Teknoloji

With an easy setup phase in place, agent-based installation can be done in minutes

Sometimes we have issues with the solution's stability. So, stability can be improved. Reporting and visibility of the solution need improvement. These days, we need more visibility. We need to access the logs and databases easily. You need to keep track of the running number of logs, like which ones are executed, completed, etc. So if there would be a good reporting dashboard, then it would be good. There's room for improvement in the solution since it is a challenging thing when we want to use the solution's technology with our new technologies. For example, if we need to use TWS on our OpenShift platform, the solution's API is not capable enough. So the product itself needs to be aligned with new technologies.

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Rob Grafrath

VP, Enterprise Systems at Capio

We can scale up our organization's scheduling and automation without having to add staff to the department

The biggest area with room for improvement is the area that my organization benefits the most from using JAMS, and that is in custom execution methods. I happen to have a very good C# developer. Ever since we got JAMS, he has spent a lot of time talking to JAMS developers, researching the JAMS libraries, and creating custom execution methods. He's gotten very good at it. He is now able to create them and maintain them very easily, but that was hard-won knowledge. If I ever lose this developer, I would be hard-pressed to find anyone who could create JAMS custom execution methods as well as he can since there really isn't all that much help, such as documentation or information, available on how to create custom execution methods. I really think that they could benefit greatly by being much more transparent about C# development, maybe by making a JAMS cookbook or a developer portal where they could throw ideas at each other. One of my complaints with the marketing around JAMS is that it says things like, "It integrates with Teams". They talk about integrating with a lot of things, but marketing doesn't tell you that they are talking about JAMS running PowerShell jobs. Since PowerShell can automate things like SharePoint and Teams, that is how marketing gets away with saying it has so many integrations. JAMS doesn't have as many built-in integrations as they advertise. I think they should build more of them, and improve on the ones they have built.

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

"Jobs can be triggered in multiple nodes."

"The initial setup is easy."

"The most important feature is the creation of folders. It's a really great feature because you can organize the process with naming conventions."

"Jobs can be triggered in multiple nodes."

"The project we worked on involved the running of nearly 24,000 job instances in a single day, so I would say that the solution is stable."

"The technical support is great, the product is easy-to-use, and it is stable."

"It offers features like MDM and a Windows workstation, although there are some technical dependencies. It is more user-friendly and also includes failover and failback capabilities. While both systems offer high availability, Control-M's high availability is superior to AWS's."

"The support from Cisco is very good. I was with them as a company for 40 years"

More IBM Workload Automation pros

"I like how you can add new execution methods on the fly. It isn't overly complex to add Python script support to an execution method in the JAMS system. The scheduling is excellent. You can schedule a maintenance window and take that resource unit out of everything. It halts all of the jobs."

"Our company is based on data. Everything we do is data-driven, so it has been very valuable having one place where we can process all of the data and do batch schedules with chunks of data."

"JAMS is easier to use and cheaper than our previous solution. The installation is more straightforward, and JAMS has a graphical user interface, so it's more accessible."

"Fortra's JAMS helped us centralize job management across our platforms and applications. This is critical because we schedule tasks across multiple applications and operating systems, using triggers and start dates to coordinate their execution."

"We looked at other companies, like VisualCron, that were cheaper, but one of the main sticking points was the fact that they wouldn't have provided a central location for us to monitor across all servers. That was one of the biggest selling points of JAMS."

"The feature or capability to import a job is most valuable. We can import an existing job from different platforms, and all the configurations get migrated as well without modifying the code, job schedule, etc."

"While I appreciate the other features, the agent stands out for its ease of installation and configuration for JAMS monitoring."

"Being able to create a series of chained jobs, which are basically linked jobs is valuable."

More JAMS pros

Cons

"Slow down on the releases a bit. I fully understand that IWA functionality is increasing at an amazing rate, but trying to keep up with the upgrades is rough."

"It should support other schedulers that aren't IBM products."

"It would be helpful to have a mobile app that could be used to follow the job schedule."

"The solution's installation could be improved because the customers have to do it all the time."

"There should be more custom documentation, specifically around Java APIs. There should also be more training. In terms of features, we are currently using only 50% of its features. We don't use all features that are available, but there is always room for improvement in all of the tools."

"Scalability-wise, it can be a little bit challenging."

"It is missing some features and can improve in areas where the competition is somewhat better like linking job dependencies."

"IBM needs to move away from its native terminology and adopt a more cloud-centric approach."

More IBM Workload Automation cons

"Fortra is getting much better with documentation and examples, but there is still room for improvement."

"The UI could be better. There were some things that were not quite intuitive, such as the search tool. When we tried to search for jobs, we had to clear the entire search and then go in and enter the new search query. That's something that wasn't intuitive for a new user."

"The error messages from JAMS often need clarification, hindering our ability to resolve issues swiftly."

"When looking at a folder in JAMS with many jobs, it would be good to have better information in the list display of what's inside those jobs. We get some information, but other important details are missing."

"With no programming experience, I find JAMS code-driven automation challenging due to the required PowerShell scripting."

"JAMS lacks source control features. Our previous solution had job control language, but JAMS doesn't. When migrating between versions, JAMS doesn't migrate all the data, like job change history, etc. Also, the scheduler doesn't have a way to make jobs invisible, so you can temporarily turn a job off if you decide not to run it today."

"It is important to receive notifications if a charged job fails and SQL is halted. JAMS does not provide halted notifications by default, which is a critical feature that needs to be added."

"I would like to see the ability to interface with Microsoft group-managed service accounts, but they're still in the research phase. They need to ensure everything's legit and safe. The report designer and dashboards could also be improved. We're running 7.3, so I don't know if they have updated the reporting in 7.5, but I think the reports and dashboards could be better."

More JAMS cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"To my knowledge, IWA is the only WLA product that will provide "parallel tracking" capability to assist in upgrading from one platform to IWA."

"We transitioned from a server license to per job license, and that saved us a lot money."

"It is about one-third of the cost of a controller."

"The solution is a little bit expensive."

"The solution's pricing is affordable."

"Pricing depends on the number of agents that you install."

"The contract is with the customer with whom we are working, so IBM is not directly involved in this."

"The licensing model for JAMS is straightforward and based on the number of agents, not the number of jobs you run. It's cheap and fairly simple."

"This is a good product at a fair price."

"In the end, you'll find that it's really worth the price. There is some sticker shock, but it's worth every dime."

"It was $10,000 for the first year. Then, there is a maintenance cost for licensing every year that we get billed $5,000 for every year."

"It's certainly a lot cheaper than Tivoli and Control-M. In comparison to them, you get a lot more bang for your buck. You get pretty much the whole functionality and more, in some cases, when compared to Control-M, but at a fraction of the price."

"It's expensive, to be honest, but it does the job."

"JAMS is priced competitively compared to similar solutions and offers flexible licensing options to cater to user needs."

"The pricing is reasonable."

More JAMS pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

32%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Retailer

Financial Services Firm

16%

Computer Software Company

16%

Healthcare Company

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM Workload Automation?

The initial setup is easy.

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM Workload Automation?

IBM needs to move away from its native terminology and adopt a more cloud-centric approach. For example, IBM still refers to machines as 'workstations,' whereas other systems, like Control-M, use m...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for IBM Workload Automation?

We use the solution for network automation.

See all answers

What do you like most about JAMS?

I find the historical tracking feature of JAMS invaluable for reviewing past events.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for JAMS?

Fortra's JAMS pricing structure has deteriorated significantly since its acquisition by Fortra. Previously, both Help Systems and MVP offered more favorable pricing and licensing terms. However, Fo...

See all answers

What needs improvement with JAMS?

The monitoring of the JAMS product and its performance is an area of concern for me. I also need better tools to adopt version seven. Another area for improvement would be the addition of source co...

See all answers

Comparisons

Control-M vs IBM Workload Automation

Compared 31% of the time

HCL Workload Automation vs IBM Workload Automation

Compared 19% of the time

AutoSys Workload Automation vs IBM Workload Automation

Compared 14% of the time

Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform vs IBM Workload Automation

Compared 7% of the time

Stonebranch vs IBM Workload Automation

Compared 5% of the time

More IBM Workload Automation Competitors

Control-M vs JAMS

Compared 24% of the time

Redwood RunMyJobs vs JAMS

Compared 20% of the time

AutoSys Workload Automation vs JAMS

Compared 14% of the time

VisualCron vs JAMS

Compared 10% of the time

Stonebranch vs JAMS

Compared 9% of the time

More JAMS Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IBM Workload Automation

March 2025

Download IBM Workload Automation product report

Buyer's Guide

JAMS

March 2025

Download JAMS product report

Also Known As

IBM Tivoli Workload Scheduler, IBM TWS

No data available

Overview

IBM Workload Automation helps companies manage operations, portfolio management, resource collection, and dependency scheduling. It facilitates transitions from legacy apps to web services, executing batch processing for tens of thousands of jobs daily with hundreds of users.

Teams rely on IBM Workload Automation to optimize backend workloads, maintain service levels, and offer support in remote environments. Its interface and job scheduler are appreciated for their value and effectiveness. Users benefit from batch automation, multiple node job triggering, stability, and batch app tracking. It provides a holistic view to resolve technical issues and leverage AI for updates. Its user-friendly interface simplifies workload management. Performance, monitoring, request features for adding functionalities, and workload management are key advantages.

What are the most important features?

Interface and Job Scheduler: Highly valued for managing processes efficiently.
Batch Automation: Facilitates the automation of batch processing tasks.
Multiple Node Job Triggering: Enables triggering jobs across multiple nodes.
Stability: Ensures a reliable and consistent performance.
Batch App Tracking: Allows tracking and monitoring of batch applications.
Holistic View: Helps in resolving technical issues and leveraging AI.

What are the benefits or ROI items to look for in reviews?

Performance: Enhanced system performance and monitoring capabilities.
Workload Management: Effective management of various workload types.
Request Feature: Ability to add new functionalities as needed.

IBM Workload Automation is implemented across several industries for diverse tasks. Companies executing high-volume batch processing, managing complex job dependencies, and transitioning from legacy systems find it valuable. Industries such as finance, healthcare, and manufacturing utilize it to maintain operational efficiency, enhance system performance, and automate critical processes.

IBM

JAMS offers efficient automation and scheduling with strong capabilities in planning, dependency management, and multi-platform support. Its intuitive interface and robust tools assist in managing complex workflows for enhanced resource allocation.

JAMS stands out for its blend of automation and scheduling capabilities, making it suitable for handling complex workflows across platforms. Its features such as batch scheduling, natural language scheduling, and interactive agents promote seamless integration with other tools like PowerShell. The focus on metrics and notifications ensures users are informed about operational efficiency enhancements. While JAMS is effective in many areas, users report a need for improved simulation for termination processes and a more intuitive client setup. They see potential in enhanced search functions, better exception handling, and greater transparency in custom execution. The current setup challenges like disappearing options and mobile accessibility can affect user satisfaction. Including a fully web-based client and improving documentation could add value.

What are JAMS' key features?

Planning and Scheduling: Coordinates workflows efficiently with advanced scheduling techniques.
Dependency Management: Ensures seamless operation by managing inter-task dependencies.
Interactive Agents: Integrates with PowerShell and other tools to enhance automation.
Natural Language Scheduling: Simplifies job creation with intuitive language use.
Multi-Platform Flexibility: Operates across diverse environments ensuring robust performance.

What benefits should users consider?

Operational Efficiency: Reduction in manual oversight with robust scheduling and integration tools.
Resource Allocation: Efficient management of workflows across multiple timeframes and platforms.
User Satisfaction: Seamless user experience with intuitive interfaces and integration capabilities.
Visibility: Centralized management provides comprehensive oversight over tasks.

Organizations using JAMS for workflow and batch job automation leverage its capabilities for SSIS, SQL procedures, and Python scripts. JAMS supports file automation and managed file transfers across environments like AWS and Azure. Users employ JAMS for data management, reporting, and integration tasks, including handling holiday-aware scheduling for improved task coordination.

Fortra

Sample Customers

Standard Life Group, Banca Popolare di Milano, A*STAR, ArcelorMittal Gent

Teradata, Arconic, General Dynamics, Yum!, CVS Health, Comcast, Ghiradelli, & Boston’s Children’s Hospital

Buyer's Guide

IBM Workload Automation vs. JAMS

March 2025

Free Report: IBM Workload Automation vs. JAMS

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