What is our primary use case?
One of the projects I am currently working on, MVDW, involves a very huge volume, but without any major blockers, we are able to implement the code effectively. For the current MVDW project, we have around 100 plus integrations, and it is not a complex project; we can categorize it as medium complexity. However, the volume is significant since we are dealing with client data and PHI data, which is very large, but we have not faced any challenges concerning volume.
What is most valuable?
Informatica Intelligent Cloud Services can handle a really huge volume of data. Informatica is really a good tool to handle large volumes when it comes to CDI, the Cloud Data Integration tool.
Informatica Intelligent Cloud Services is very scalable. The scalability provided by Informatica is commendable, and I don't feel any challenges regarding this aspect. We are able to automate our features effectively.
Informatica Intelligent Cloud Services has good governance and security features. We are dealing with metadata and not playing directly with the data, which means the security measures are very good. From a developer's point of view, only the metadata is visible, which cannot be compromised. Developers do not need to control the actual data; they can build without even interacting with the data itself, so I don't foresee any security issues for developers in this context.
What needs improvement?
There is a lot of improvement required, as we still face some cache issues most of the time, which is a challenge that we expect to see resolved in the future. Additionally, there is some limitation when we are working with a tool, especially regarding In and Out parameters, and I feel that this aspect should be improved going ahead.
We face issues with the API side, as Cloud Application Integration cannot handle large volumes; according to the API page, there is a limitation of 500 records or 500 MB.
The AI integrated into the Informatica Intelligent Cloud Services solution is called Application Integration, where we still face challenges when dealing with huge volumes, as previously explained.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Informatica Intelligent Cloud Services for the last 8 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I do not face any major issues regarding the stability or reliability of Informatica. We are good without any significant challenges; in my opinion, it is a very wonderful tool.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I find Informatica Intelligent Cloud Services to be very scalable. The scalability provided by Informatica is commendable, and I don't feel any challenges regarding this aspect.
How are customer service and support?
Regarding tech support, I find it time-consuming. Whenever we create a support ticket, it typically takes 1 to 2 days to get resolved. It depends on how the Informatica support team responds. Most of the time, whatever we explore, they provide the same statements as feedback. We expect more responsive assistance because they have the expertise since Informatica is their tool, but I don't see enough expertise on the Informatica support side. Most of the time, they share the same information that we have already dug into and found ourselves.
How would you rate customer service and support?
How was the initial setup?
I find the initial setup to be simple, actually. It is not even medium complex; it is straightforward. When comparing it to other tools, especially Informatica PowerCenter, which is an on-premise tool, the cloud version provides a significant advantage, allowing even those without core technical knowledge to follow guidance and complete the installation and setup.
The time frame for setup depends on the individual. If someone has expertise, they can set it up in about 2 to 3 hours maximum.
What was our ROI?
Regarding return on investment, I find that sometimes leadership prefers to utilize third-party tools, such as Snowflake, which has both storage and ELT features. Thus, there are projects where cost-cutting leads to a preference for Snowflake over Informatica because of its existing ELT facility.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Regarding pricing, compared to other tools I have worked with, Informatica offers competitive pricing, which I find not high in terms of starting strategy.
What other advice do I have?
This is a very beautiful tool compared to other tools on the market. I recommend Informatica because anyone with a bit of knowledge, even a beginner or intern, can explore, learn, and accomplish development tasks without much difficulty. For those considering any integration tool, Informatica is one of the best available options in the market.
I still see that they are working aggressively to introduce new features. They are continuously adding improvements to our services. They keep on enhancing the tool based on the information they receive.
Informatica Intelligent Cloud Services can handle huge volumes of data effectively; it is highly scalable and manages security well by playing with metadata instead of directly dealing with data. This aspect allows us to build our code without exposing client information, which are significant pros. However, there are still areas requiring improvement, especially on the API side, as it can't handle large volumes. There is much more need to be built regarding images, merging, and other features related to application integration tools within Informatica.
Once everything is set up, the team can easily manage the system because there are not major challenges once the setup is done correctly. I don't believe we face any challenges, except for instances when the server is down, which is a different use case altogether.
On a scale of 1-10, I rate Informatica Intelligent Cloud Services a 9.5.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other