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Test lead at Percik Consulting
Real User
Jun 3, 2023
Stable and easy-to-use solution
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution's initial setup is straightforward."
  • "Its process of building up queries could be more accessible."

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution as a query tool for requesting and updating data.

What is most valuable?

The solution has the best querying features.

What needs improvement?

They should make the process of building up queries easier for the solution.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for some years.

Buyer's Guide
IBM Db2 Database
May 2026
Learn what your peers think about IBM Db2 Database. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2026.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a stable solution. I rate its stability nine out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Presently, we have 200 solution users in our organization.

How are customer service and support?

The solution's technical support team is good.

How was the initial setup?

The solution's initial setup is straightforward. The deployment process involves requesting access to different test environments and productions. It takes a couple of hours to complete.

What about the implementation team?

We implemented the solution in-house.

What other advice do I have?

The solution is intuitive and easy to use once you know how to build up queries. I rate it a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1593270 - PeerSpot reviewer
CEO at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Jun 6, 2021
High data compression available, scalable, and customer service responsive
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution has very good data compression of up to 50%. For example, if you have 50 terabytes of data, it can be reduced to 25 terabytes."
  • "The solution has very good data compression of up to 50%. For example, if you have 50 terabytes of data, it can be reduced to 25 terabytes."
  • "The capabilities of this solution could improve."
  • "The capabilities of this solution could improve."

What is our primary use case?

The solution is used for database management.

What is most valuable?

The solution has very good data compression of up to 50%. For example, if you have 50 terabytes of data, it can be reduced to 25 terabytes.

What needs improvement?

The capabilities of this solution could improve.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for many years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

In my experience, it has been stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is good. We have some clients that have over 9,000 users using this solution.

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support has been very friendly, responsive, and it is quick to escalate an issue.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I have used previously Cisco MySQL, SQL Server, SAP HANNA, and IBM DB2.

What about the implementation team?

We have approximately 14 technicians doing the deployment and maintenance of this solution.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We normally handle large size businesses and as far as I am aware, the license is negotiable based on the number of users and the quantitative data.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others.

I rate IBM Db2 Database an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
IBM Db2 Database
May 2026
Learn what your peers think about IBM Db2 Database. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2026.
893,244 professionals have used our research since 2012.
reviewer1264416 - PeerSpot reviewer
Domain architect at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Apr 15, 2021
Relational database, integrates well, but horizontally scalability limited
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is a very stable relational database and has integration with legacy systems. It is a great product."
  • "The solution is a very stable relational database and has integration with legacy systems; it is a great product."
  • "The solution could be more modern and have updated database technology."
  • "The solution could be more modern and have updated database technology."

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution as a database that connects to some legacy mainframe systems.

What is most valuable?

The solution is a very stable relational database and has integration with legacy systems. It is a great product.

What needs improvement?

The solution could be more modern and have updated database technology. This would allow it to work with modern applications a lot more seamlessly. You will find that there are other better-suited databases where you can deal with more modern type applications.

In the future, they can improve by being closely aligned with the next generation of application that are arriving or that will be developed.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for a couple of years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I have found the solution to be scalable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

In my experience, the solution is able to be scaled vertically, but not horizontally. Everyone is using the solution in our organization.

How are customer service and technical support?

The support we have received has been good. However, the support in South Africa has not been as good.

How was the initial setup?

The installation on our side is automated, we can have a database up and ready within a day. Since we have started using automation, the installation has been very easy.

What about the implementation team?

We did the deployment internally and it was not difficult but it could be for someone that is not familiar with the solution. We have eight technicians doing the deployment and maintenance of the solution.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There is a license for this solution and we pay every three years.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others if they have the proper application, otherwise, it might not fulfil their needs. We plan on using the solution in the future.

I rate IBM Db2 Database a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Senior Manager of MIS at Fountain Set
Real User
Sep 2, 2020
Works well for our ERP database and the PowerPC support is good
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature is PowerPC support."
  • "In summary, this is a good solution and one that I recommend."
  • "Performance is something that can be improved with DB2."
  • "Performance is something that can be improved with DB2."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case for IBM Db2 is ERP.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is PowerPC support.

What needs improvement?

Performance is something that can be improved with DB2.

We have had issues with respect to scalability.

The usability can be simplified.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using IBM Db2 for two years.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is okay and we haven't had any issues with it.

What other advice do I have?

In summary, this is a good solution and one that I recommend. However, there is room for improvement in terms of performance and scalability.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Implemenation Specialist at a engineering company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Top 20
Feb 27, 2020
Affordable, reliable, and has good performance but the interface needs improvement
Pros and Cons
  • "IBM Db2 was much cheaper as a package than using other products. This is because IBM supplied a package with its product. It's an application. So it was much more efficient and a stronger competitor in that regard."
  • "IBM Db2 was much cheaper as a package than using other products, because IBM supplied a package with its product, making it much more efficient and a stronger competitor in that regard."
  • "In terms of improvements, IBM Db2 can improve its interface and its functionality. Also, the embedded functions should be much richer than the current ones - the functions which are embedded in the engine itself."
  • "In terms of improvements, IBM Db2 can improve its interface and its functionality."

What needs improvement?

In terms of improvements, IBM Db2 can improve its interface and its functionality. Also, the embedded functions should be much richer than the current ones - the functions which are embedded in the engine itself.

For example, I can find more DEPTH functions in Oracle than in Db2. Also, SQL Server still has richer functions than Db2.

For how long have I used the solution?

I'm working with Db2 for two years now, since we migrated to the Cloud and converted from the SQL Server.

I work with Db2, SQL Server, and Oracle.

I'm a specialist in the product, doing support. I received special training for it.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

In terms of stability, I have some issues, but I cannot figure out if this is due to the database or the platform in the engine itself.

Additionally, sometimes I find the response is not good, meaning a reasonable response time. For a while the team was working fine in another engine. What I look for is the design and whether the syntax is different. I don't know. I'm really not certain about the holes.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Since it's on the Cloud, it's pretty much scalable with no limits.

What about the implementation team?

We did get a specialist to help with the setup and deployment to the Cloud.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

IBM Db2 was much cheaper as a package than using other products. This is because IBM supplied a package with its product. It's an application. So it was much more efficient and a stronger competitor in that regard.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Performance-wise, Oracle is the best solution. It is much more reliable. Regarding the end user administration and the functions available, SQL Server is much easier.

They have much more user-friendly interfaces. Regarding Db2, I'm a little bit in doubt. I don't see that it is significantly different when I went from SQL Server to Db2. I have not seen any significant improvements or changes.

What other advice do I have?

The advice I would give is to have a good administrator. Have an administrator that is skilled in that field so he can tune the database's performance and understand the know-how of how to administrate that platform.

Overall, I would give IBM Db2 a 7 out of 10. 

For it to be higher, it needs a better interface. It is very important to have. I am very keen to have such an interface.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
it_user1146561 - PeerSpot reviewer
Department Head of Big Data and Analytic Solutions at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
MSP
Dec 24, 2019
Data Warehouse for large enterprises with good technical support
Pros and Cons
  • "When you submit a ticket the response time is quick."
  • "For our clients who have a large scale enterprise, we suggest DB2 and mid-scale enterprise customers we suggest SQL Server or others."
  • "The price should be lower."
  • "The price should be lower."

What is our primary use case?

I used DB2 two years ago. It's a data warehouse project solution for a bank. I use DB2 as a warehouse and the data stacks for the APL.

My role in this project was as a database designer. I would design the database, the warehouse, and get the requirements. 

I am not detailed in the technicality of creating the table in DB2.

I am now selling this product.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is data analytics.

What needs improvement?

The price should be lower.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with this solution for six months.

I use the DB2 BLU version.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This solution is stable. It's good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I don't' have any knowledge about scalability.

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support is good. They have presales and technical support. When you submit a ticket the response time is quick.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Previously we were using SQL Server.

The main difference is the pricing and implementation.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward.

It took four months to deploy this solution.

What about the implementation team?

I only use one server to implement the solution.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I think that everyone knows that with IBM the standard price is higher than the others.

What other advice do I have?

There is a lot of documentation available. I was, however, able to find what I needed through Google.

For our clients who have a large scale enterprise, we suggest DB2 and mid-scale enterprise customers we suggest SQL Server or others.

It's a better solution, it's better on the application. The purpose of DB2 is for a data warehouse or with data analytics.

I would rate this product an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
System Administrator at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Dec 21, 2019
Robust, stable solution with good technical support
Pros and Cons
  • "We had a crash of the backup system and the IBM DB2 was always up and consistent. It's robust, and for us, it was always up and running."
  • "We had a crash of the backup system and the IBM DB2 was always up and consistent; it's robust, and for us, it was always up and running."
  • "The licensing fees can be reduced."
  • "The licensing fees can be reduced."

What is our primary use case?

We are not using this with other users, it is dedicated to our backup solution.

We only have one instance, one user, one service, and we don't have any other users or clients that we connect to.

A database system is a tool used for reporting and to monitor if it is running or if there are any issues. We can set alarms and warnings. It is a backup system that manages the backup.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is that it is robust. We had a crash of the backup system and the IBM DB2 was always up and consistent. It's robust, and for us, it was always up and running.

The database is deployed using the command line, so we did not test any other tools, aside from DB2 using the command line interface.

What needs improvement?

Because this solution is a big data database only dedicated to the application server, it is very difficult for us to assess areas of improvement. We use the database, so we don't have any other requirements or need to use it in any other way.

The licensing fees can be reduced. While we don't see the breakdown, we know that IBM licenses for the backup system are very expensive.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with this solution for ten years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This solution is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We don't have experience with scalability because the server is also a dedicated server and the physical hardware has always been dedicated from the beginning. After five years, we made a technical upgrade and have been the same since.

How are customer service and technical support?

My colleague has the primary responsibility for the backup system and he has had to open tickets on two occasions. Each time, they were okay and the issue was resolved. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is simple and straightforward. It's easy to install with no special configuration for a big data database. They make things simple.

It took less than an hour to deploy.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The cost is embedded in the price of the backup solution. We know that the backup solution is quite expensive and with each inside license, there is also a database license.

We don't see what the specific price of the DB2 license is because we pay for the backup license as a package.

What other advice do I have?

This is a robust and stable product but it's expensive.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Michael Raz - PeerSpot reviewer
Consultant at Discount Bank
Real User
Top 5
Nov 27, 2019
Excellent availability, reliability, and consistency
Pros and Cons
  • "The self-management and optimization features are probably the best on the market"
  • "The availability, reliability, consistency, security, performance, and methodology of the solution are all excellent."
  • "The ease of use, or ease of management, could be improved."
  • "The ease of use, or ease of management, could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

The solution is a major central relational database management system that maintains all of the data for our bank's core business.

What is most valuable?

The availability, reliability, consistency, security, performance, and methodology of the solution are all excellent. It's a proven product for many, many businesses in many, many different areas. It's probably one of the best products on the market.

The self-management and optimization features are probably the best on the market.

What needs improvement?

The ease of use, or ease of management, could be improved.

There are many improvements all the time on the solution. There is no one thing that I would mention. IBM invests a lot of money to improve the tool and maintain it. There are improvements all the time happening in different areas. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've worked with IBM products since 1989.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable. No technical issues have ever occured.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is good.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is quite complex. Nothing is simple on the platform. Deployment times depend on the extent of the organization. Different tests need to be done: unique tests, integration tests, user acceptance, performance, etc.

What about the implementation team?

There are specialists on-premises that work for the bank and they handle everything themselves.

What other advice do I have?

We use the on-premises deployment model.

The solution is suitable for big organizations, big financial institutions, government, ministries, the army, insurance companies, etc. It's not for small end-users.

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.

The learning curve for the Db2 specialist is high. To become a specialist, under production level, takes two years. It's a complex product.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free IBM Db2 Database Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: May 2026
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Buyer's Guide
Download our free IBM Db2 Database Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.