CA IDMS vs IBM InfoSphere Optim comparison

Broadcom and IBM are both solutions in the Database Development and Management category. Broadcom is ranked #29, while IBM is ranked #15 with an average rating of 7.0. Broadcom holds a 1.1% mindshare in DDM, compared to IBM’s 2.6% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Broadcom users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 75% of IBM users who would recommend it.

CA IDMS

Read 5 CA IDMS reviews

105 Views
79 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

IBM InfoSphere Optim

Read 4 IBM InfoSphere Optim reviews

545 Views
223 Comparison Views

75% willing to recommend

CA IDMS

IBM InfoSphere Optim

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 23, 2025

CA IDMS and IBM InfoSphere Optim are products competing in the data management and optimization category. IBM InfoSphere Optim has an upper hand due to its advanced features that many find worth the investment, unlike CA IDMS, which is favored for its pricing and support.

Features: CA IDMS is known for its robust database management capabilities, strong security features, and reliable performance in mainframe environments. IBM InfoSphere Optim is valued for its versatile data masking, extensive data archiving capabilities, and comprehensive data integration features. The key difference is IBM InfoSphere Optim's ability to offer extensive data management solutions.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM InfoSphere Optim provides flexible deployment options and strong integration support. In contrast, CA IDMS's deployment model is more complex but offers responsive customer service, considered a significant advantage by many users.

Pricing and ROI: CA IDMS is recognized for its cost-effective setup, offering solid ROI for companies seeking budget-friendly solutions. IBM InfoSphere Optim involves higher initial costs; however, it delivers a strong ROI over time due to its deep data capabilities and efficiencies gained through its comprehensive features.

To learn more, read our detailed CA IDMS vs. IBM InfoSphere Optim Report (Updated: June 2025).

Buyer's Guide

CA IDMS vs. IBM InfoSphere Optim

June 2025

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Helped 857,028 peers since 2012

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

CA IDMS

Ranking in Database Development and Management

29th

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

IBM InfoSphere Optim

Ranking in Database Development and Management

15th

Average Rating

6.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Database Development and Management category, the mindshare of CA IDMS is 1.1%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM InfoSphere Optim is 2.6%, up from 2.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Database Development and Management

Featured Reviews

Alfredo Silva

ALiBS Solutions at ALiBS Solutions

Helps us to manage user profiles very quickly and in an assertive way

I would rate this solution 9 out of 10. I would advise that they should evaluate other possibilities because this is a very quickly changing environment and there are other possible providers that have good solutions. I would do some kind of test. I would test other possible solutions too and compare them.

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Kenneth Estanislao

Solutions Designer at a insurance company with 10,001+ employees

Backups become efficient while cost concerns remain

I am still working with IBM and we are transitioning to other tools rather than using IBM InfoSphere Optim. We use other tools, but I cannot recall the name because I am not the one currently handling it. It has transitioned to other architects. For IBM InfoSphere Optim, we are still currently using it, but we have transitioned to the newer version, the latest one with support for AWS S3. I cannot identify a main competitor for IBM InfoSphere Optim because we have transitioned to other architects, and they are the ones looking for other tools. The last comparison I did was almost 4 years ago. I am not using any AI technology with IBM InfoSphere Optim. I rate IBM InfoSphere Optim a seven out of ten. The tool is good, but the price is not favorable as it is the most expensive part. I can recommend IBM InfoSphere Optim for enterprises.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Technical support is very good. They are very knowledgeable, very quick to respond, and very nice people, too."

"It is a really stable platform. It has been around for many years. We trust it implicitly. "

"The most useful feature is the governance feature, because it can show us and help us to manage user profiles very quickly and using it in assertive way."

"We like that we can easily restore the database with just a few clicks. The database is linked as well."

"The compression feature is valuable because it achieves around 80% compression."

"I feel the solution to be a bit faster than the traditional methods, which makes it easy to customize."

Cons

"Right now, it's not easy to start using this solution. You have to take long course and train people. It's not an easy path."

"I would like to see it made simpler to operate and maintain."

"While the solution is very supportive of Db2, it is not so friendly when it comes to IMS databases."

"The potential room for improvement for IBM InfoSphere Optim is usually its cost, as it is too expensive."

"We're looking for a solution that can be implemented on AWS. IBM InfoSphere Optim can be implemented on AWS, but it costs more than double what we're currently paying. So, it's not really of good value for us."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Do not hold back on asking questions about the maintenance and continued support of the product."

"IBM InfoSphere Optim is a very expensive solution. Actually, it's the most expensive archiving solution that we have."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

23%

Government

12%

Computer Software Company

University

Financial Services Firm

26%

Insurance Company

10%

Computer Software Company

Healthcare Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

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What needs improvement with IBM InfoSphere Optim?

The potential room for improvement for IBM InfoSphere Optim is usually its cost, as it is too expensive. Currently, there are no issues with IBM InfoSphere Optim; the only problem is the cost, whic...

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What is your primary use case for IBM InfoSphere Optim?

My current use case for IBM InfoSphere Optim is just for doing backups. We are using IBM InfoSphere Optim specifically for backup purposes.

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What advice do you have for others considering IBM InfoSphere Optim?

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Comparisons

IBM IMS vs CA IDMS

Compared 79% of the time

CA Datacom vs CA IDMS

Compared 21% of the time

More CA IDMS Competitors

Informatica Data Archive vs IBM InfoSphere Optim

Compared 47% of the time

Solix Enterprise Data Management vs IBM InfoSphere Optim

Compared 28% of the time

Oracle Enterprise Manager vs IBM InfoSphere Optim

Compared 26% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Database Development and Management

May 2025

Download CA IDMS product report

Buyer's Guide

Database Development and Management

May 2025

Download IBM InfoSphere Optim product report

Also Known As

IDMS

IBM Optim, Optim

Overview

CA IDMS is a reliable, high-performance, web-enabled Database Management system (DBMS) for IBM z Systems that provides business value for hundreds of enterprises and government organizations. CA IDMS provides high-performance database management and transaction processing performance for existing and new workloads, helping you consolidate business functions on a central data repository, as needed.

Broadcom

IBM Optim solutions manage data from requirements to retirement. They boost performance, empower collaboration, and improve governance across applications, databases and platforms. By managing data properly over its lifetime, organisations are better equipped to support business goals with less risk.

IBM

Sample Customers

Blue Hill Data Services Inc.

Durham Police Department, Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc., Continental, KCE Electronics Public Company Limited, The University of Adelaide, Migros Zurich, COPROB

Buyer's Guide

CA IDMS vs. IBM InfoSphere Optim

June 2025

Free Report: CA IDMS vs. IBM InfoSphere Optim

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