CA IDMS vs IBM InfoSphere Optim comparison

Broadcom and IBM are both solutions in the Database Development and Management category. Broadcom is ranked #28, while IBM is ranked #16 with an average rating of 7.0. Broadcom holds a 1.1% mindshare in DDM, compared to IBM’s 2.5% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Broadcom users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 66% of IBM users who would recommend it.

CA IDMS

Read 5 CA IDMS reviews

116 Views
92 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

IBM InfoSphere Optim

Read 3 IBM InfoSphere Optim reviews

582 Views
240 Comparison Views

66% 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: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

CA IDMS vs. IBM InfoSphere Optim

April 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

CA IDMS

Ranking in Database Development and Management

28th

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

16th

Average Rating

6.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Database Development and Management category, the mindshare of CA IDMS is 1.1%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM InfoSphere Optim is 2.5%, up from 2.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Database Development and Management

Featured Reviews

it_user558606

Application Development Manager at Aetna

We get network database performance. It supports our back office.

I don't have anything to add. I've heard about web services. We might be looking at a Java connection or web services in the future. It's serving our purpose right now. We're not looking for anything new. For what we do, it meets all our needs. We have to use DB2 when we need more relational constructs, expanded inquiry and reporting; so it's not perfect in that regards. We use it really for our transaction processing, not as much for reporting. For transaction processing, it's doing the job we need. To go into more in-depth, high-volume reporting, we offload a lot of the data to DB2.

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Ajai Lal

Project Manager at Mphasis

Very supportive of Db2 and easy to customize, but IMS features are not user friendly and the support of these features is lacking

We work on two different types of databases, one being IMS and the other Db2. While the solution is very supportive of Db2, it is not so friendly when it comes to IMS databases. When we had questions for the support team conerning the IMS database, we found their knowledge to be lacking, likely owing to lack of experience on their part. I would not say that the initial setup is complex. Neither would I say that it is straightforward. Certain features require technical knowledge.

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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

"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."

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

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

"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."

"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."

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

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

22%

Government

15%

Computer Software Company

10%

University

Financial Services Firm

26%

Insurance Company

Healthcare Company

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Comparisons

IBM IMS vs CA IDMS

Compared 78% of the time

CA Datacom vs CA IDMS

Compared 22% of the time

More CA IDMS Competitors

Informatica Data Archive vs IBM InfoSphere Optim

Compared 59% of the time

Solix Enterprise Data Management vs IBM InfoSphere Optim

Compared 41% of the time

More IBM InfoSphere Optim Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Database Development and Management

April 2025

Download CA IDMS product report

Buyer's Guide

Database Development and Management

April 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

April 2025

Free Report: CA IDMS vs. IBM InfoSphere Optim

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