IBM Cloud Pak for Data

It is easy to transform structured and unstructured data into analytics insights. This ensures I am able to make data-driven decisions.

I build and test models with best-in-class AI and analytics.

I also use it to store utility data to build a smart utility solution for the prediction of future trends.

We have significantly reduced data footprint and enhanced AI/ML analysis for predictive analytics. There is better inbuilt integration with many systems to store data.

The valuable features include cloud storage, AI/ML capabilities, data infestation, and a 360-degree understanding.

There is room for more out-of-box integration.

I have used the solution for five months.

We previously used SAP Data Intelligence. IBM Cloud Pak for Data  had better inbuilt integration with many systems to store data.

If I need to connect multiple data sources, ingest data, and run AI/ML algorithms, IBM Cloud Pak for Data  is a very good solution.

I have considered Concur Travel and Expense, and Microsoft 365 as alternate solutions.

It manages to store a high volume of both structured and unstructured data and churns out the desired result in optimal time.

I use IBM Cloud Pak for Data  to connect it with our product for integration with the cloud, and it helps to enable all of our data users to collaborate from a single, unified interface that supports many services that are designed to work together.

I do use the data virtualization features in IBM Cloud Pak for Data , and this has positively impacted my data analysis operations.

What I appreciate most about IBM Cloud Pak for Data is the all-in-one cloud-native data and AI platform in a single platform. It enables us to collect, organize, and analyze data and provides unprecedented simplicity and agility within a pre-configured and governed environment.

Areas within IBM Cloud Pak for Data that have room for improvement include user interface design and integration capabilities.

I have been using IBM Cloud Pak for Data since 2020, so that is approximately five years.

For scalability, I rate it a nine out of ten because it is a very scalable solution that has been able to handle my organization's growth efficiently.

I rate the technical support from IBM a nine out of ten because the support has been very top-notch, unparalleled, and also very professional.

It is much more cost-effective compared to other solutions such as SAP, and the customer and technical support have always been very proactive and helpful.

I compare IBM Cloud Pak for Data with other solutions and find it stands out in several key aspects.

My relationship with IBM Cloud Pak for Data is that I am a customer.

I use IBM Data Stage for ETL processes, and this has helped my data integration significantly.

The Watson Knowledge Catalog has helped improve my data governance by providing several benefits.

I assess the impact of the automated AI lifecycle management on my project development times as quite significant.

IBM Cloud Pak for Data is a great tool because if you need to connect to or get data from multiple data sources, it is the best solution, enabling data-driven decisions that are very accurate. I would rate this solution a nine out of ten overall.

I believe IBM Cloud Pak for Data  is suitable for mid-size to bigger companies. It is not tailored for smaller customers.

My customers use IBM DataStage for ETL processes.

One client has implemented automated AI lifecycle management, and their journey with IBM Cloud Pak for Data  was very successful. They are one of the first banks in Jordan to implement AI in achievable and beneficial use cases that benefit their internal and external clients. The implementation was very successful.

The features I find most valuable in IBM Cloud Pak for Data are the data warehouse, data repository, and the data governance tools that exist there, including data masking, data quality, and ETL. The best thing about IBM Cloud Pak for Data is that you are getting all the products or all the needs in one license, and as you utilize it, you can add more licenses.

IBM DataStage has helped their data integration efforts by providing enhanced ETL tools. It is not just extracting the data and loading it, but it has some advanced tools to classify the data and transform the right format of the data, helping my customers have more cleansed data. It enables the customer to cleanse their data and have the right data to utilize. This was a value-add for the customers and it is very good. It connects quickly, so the experience with the implementation integration is stable. Since 2019, my customers have been working with no issues, and it is serving them well.

Watson Knowledge Catalog has helped improve data governance in my customers' organizations. I have some customers who needed data masking, and the WKC supported them in that need. I have a customer who only purchased IBM Cloud Pak for Data for this requirement of data masking, and it helped them a lot.

I see room for improvement in IBM Cloud Pak for Data, as it lacked the lake house. However, IBM issued the new product which is Watsonx.data. This is a new product for IBM and it provides all the missing capabilities that were lacking because this technology was released before the concept of lake house was established. The new product covers all those requirements.

I believe IBM Cloud Pak for Data could learn from its competitors in terms of data governance tools. Previously, Informatica had a more robust data governance offering, but with their sale to Salesforce , I believe they are not a threat to IBM. IBM has an even better story. Oracle has better go-to-market options, but it is not an issue with the product itself, rather the way they do their sales. I believe we have a strong product. Nothing is missing except the strategy from IBM on how to sell, not the product itself.

Since its release, I have been dealing with IBM Cloud Pak for Data. It was previously a different product earlier, known as Netezza  and different products. Since we named it IBM Cloud Pak for Data, we have sold it. I believe the first one was in 2019.

The overall performance of IBM Cloud Pak for Data, particularly with IBM DataStage for ETL processes, is very good. The customers I have are all very happy. They are looking for expansion and the experience is very good with it. It is providing them with the results needed and more. This was one of the successful products that I have worked on with IBM.

I would rate the technical support by IBM as an eight to nine.

The response time for IBM's technical support is excellent. I gave them an eight to nine to cover the market here, but they really are excellent. I had a case a couple of days ago where the IBM team was with us 24/7 until the issue was closed. They need more enhancement in level one support, but overall it is good and effective.

I believe the initial setup and configuration of IBM Cloud Pak for Data is straightforward. The implementation was needed first because it was from the first project I implemented with IBM. However, the support and implementation afterward, and all the enhancements, were done by the customer themselves. It was straightforward.

I think IBM Cloud Pak for Data is the best option on the market at the moment with the addition of Watsonx.data. For the current needs, it depends on what you need. It is not a magic ingredient. You need to understand your business requirements and accordingly select the right product for your need. It is a tool, but it has all the ingredients to succeed. You need to select the right thing in order to implement it well.

I believe the licensing model and pricing of IBM Cloud Pak for Data is fair. If you get the right discount, it is fair and competitive.

Not all of my customers utilize data virtualization features. Mostly, my customers had their own data visualization tools earlier, so they kept using what they have in order not to buy more. They have seamlessly integrated the product they have with IBM Cloud Pak for Data.

I would not expect additional functionalities regarding AI from them in the future. It is already there, and the customers who purchased IBM Cloud Pak for Data do not need to change or replace the product. They can keep what they have and utilize Watsonx.data on top of it to enable them for the new features, so they do not lose anything.

My customers usually do not purchase IBM Cloud Pak for Data from the AWS Marketplace . They purchase it from partners and implement it on-premises, not on cloud.

I would rate this review a nine overall.

I usually recommend IBM Cloud Pak for Data  for companies in the financial sector, as we are mostly working with local insurance companies and banks within Hungary where we are located.

For IBM Cloud Pak for Data  setup and configuration, I think it is outstanding. The documentation is comprehensive, and we did not have any issues with that.

The features I find most valuable in IBM Cloud Pak for Data are the integration feature, specifically Message Queue and App Connect Enterprise.

I assess the impact of automated AI lifecycle management on project development times as positive since it accelerates our processes.

I think we are happy with IBM Cloud Pak for Data, and there is no specific idea that comes to my mind regarding room for improvement. We are following the progress and the new features, so overall we are quite content and satisfied with it.

I don't have any specific idea regarding additional features they could incorporate in the future to make it even better.

I have been dealing with IBM Cloud Pak for Data for more than ten years now since the company is working with the IBM Integration portfolio. IBM Cloud Pak for Data itself is younger, but we started to work with it from the very beginning. I have been working with it for at least five years.

I did not have any problems while integrating it with any particular solutions that I can recall.

I would rate the technical support by IBM as adequate. We have submitted some trouble tickets, and there was always an answer provided, so overall it is satisfactory.

They do not provide local support in a local language, as it is provided in English, but that is acceptable to us. I think that the local language market is not substantial enough, as there are not enough customers in Hungary to justify localization, but it is not an issue. Usually, our enterprise customers are comfortable with English.

Regarding the price, I know IBM is traditionally relatively expensive in the Hungarian market, but we work together with the local IBM sales team, and on a project basis they manage to negotiate the prices. We rarely can sell it at the list price of course. Overall, the challenge is to let the customer see the value, so I do not have too many price concerns. The list price is high, but the flexibility in pricing is adequate.

I think the licensing model is acceptable and there is no need for change. Custom project-based pricing is usually possible with some customer discounts if the project is substantial enough, so overall we could sell many IBM licenses.

We usually go with IBM Cloud Pak for Data first when recommending products for smaller businesses, but in other cases, the customer may have an existing install base from some competitor, and that affects the recommendation.

I do not have a specific opinion about its influence on decision-making accuracy.

In terms of data virtualization features, we do not use that, but we use some virtualization features.

At the moment we do not use Watson Knowledge Catalog, so it has not helped improve data governance for us.

Regarding Data Stage for ETL processes, we do not use that.

I think AI capabilities are coming regardless, and the product is progressing. IBM can be slightly slow with introducing new features, but I do not feel it is lacking in this respect. The new agents and assistants within the product are beneficial.

For us, IBM Cloud Pak for Data is the best option on the market at the moment. In its own category, I think it is the best, and we are satisfied with it.

In the financial segment where we are working, I think IBM Cloud Pak for Data is the market leader in our local territory, but there could be more marketing and promotion.

I do not have significant insight into other industries because our company really focuses on the financial sector. As far as I know, IBM is also strong in manufacturing, but SAP itself is very strong in Hungary in manufacturing, providing end-to-end solutions which means there is less room for platforms like IBM. In financial institutions, SAP is not strong at all, so I think IBM is the strongest in this respect for these platforms.

I would recommend IBM Cloud Pak for Data for different types of companies because the solution itself is not industry-specific. I mention finance only because my company focuses on that type of customer. Different IBM partners focus on different customers. There is a need for a minimum customer size, but I would not recommend IBM Cloud Pak for Data for smaller companies, as they might not need the higher reliability that IBM provides. Conversely, they might want a simpler, cheaper solution because their needs are not as comprehensive. For really large to medium-sized enterprises with very mission-critical applications and systems, that is what I would recommend.

I would give this product a rating of nine out of ten.