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Control-M vs IBM Sterling File Gateway comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary
 

Categories and Ranking

Aspera Managed File Transfer
Sponsored
Ranking in Managed File Transfer (MFT)
14th
Average Rating
7.0
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Control-M
Ranking in Managed File Transfer (MFT)
3rd
Average Rating
8.8
Number of Reviews
114
Ranking in other categories
Process Automation (2nd), Workload Automation (1st)
IBM Sterling File Gateway
Ranking in Managed File Transfer (MFT)
2nd
Average Rating
8.0
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2024, in the Managed File Transfer (MFT) category, the mindshare of Aspera Managed File Transfer is 2.9%, up from 2.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Control-M is 3.5%, up from 2.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Sterling File Gateway is 12.7%, up from 11.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Managed File Transfer (MFT)
 

Featured Reviews

KA
Nov 7, 2023
An optimal solution for customers who want to transfer large files to remote sites with lower bandwidth and in less time
Aspera Managed File Transfer is an optimal solution for customers who want to transfer large files to remote sites with lower bandwidth and in less time The solution's pricing calculation needs revision to be more competitive I have been using Aspera Managed File Transfer for ten years. Aspera…
Issam OUASSOU - PeerSpot reviewer
Mar 2, 2023
Good reporting, stable, responsive and thorough support
Compared to similar technologies, AFT takes a lot of time when transferring a large file from server to server. The history module only contains a maximum of 10 days, but we would like to have access to more. For example, it would be helpful to have 30 days or two months of history available. There should be more granular control available for monitoring applications and sub-applications. For example, when we want to monitor a job, we can specify the application, but we want to have the option to only specify sub-applications that are related to it. As it is now, all of the sub-applications are monitored.
Nagasaikiran Kesana - PeerSpot reviewer
Aug 5, 2024
Offers high transfer visibility, scalability, and easy reprocessing of failed or used files
There is room for improvement. For example, when transferring files, there are some features like custom protocols. Currently, we only have four protocols enabled: FTP, SFTP, Connect Direct, and MQ. I haven't worked on it, but I have some theoretical knowledge on the use of custom protocols. You can include custom protocols in Sterling File Gateway. Basically, in SAP, we need to create the entire business process in the dashboard and build the logic. But in Sterling File Gateway, we don't need to build any logic. We just need to use the required components. We can also add new protocols, which I'm currently working on.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Good user interface and ability to set up multiple file transfer jobs."
"Aspera Managed File Transfer is an optimal solution for customers who want to transfer large files to remote sites with lower bandwidth and in less time."
"The main feature of Aspera Managed File Transfer is that it's an incredibly fast protocol, you can use all the bandwidth available. If I need to send large amounts of data this is the fastest protocol on the market. I have been using it for some minor projects and it is very powerful."
"Our data transfers have improved using Control-M processes, e.g., our monthly batches. When we used to do things manually, like copying files and reports, we used to take three to four days to complete a batch. However, with the automated file transfers and report sharing, we have been able to complete a batch within two and a half days and our reports are on time to users. So, 30% to 40% of the execution time has been saved."
"The initial setup is straightforward."
"It gives us the ability to have end-to-end workflows, no matter where they're running."
"Most valuable feature would be the ability to detect and notify when a process has not completed successfully."
"I think the administration part is much more valuable than any other feature."
"The ability to integrate file transfers has been instrumental in allowing us to accomplish the things we need with Control-M. In our industry, we take a lot of data and either push it down to the stores or retail grocery stores. We take files and push them down to the stores or pull files and information from the stores and bring it back to corporate. So, it's two-way communication with file transfers. One of the bigger things that we do with Control-M is scheduling data moves and moving data from one location to another."
"The best part about this product is that it has a lot of features. Control-M doesn't limit us and we can use it for a lot of things."
"Cross-platform support: A Linux job can be dependent on a Windows job, which can be dependent on many other flavours of hardware/software. Your batch is therefore managed by a single tool, allowing you to monitor your entire flow."
"In IBM Sterling File Gateway, automation primarily involves schedulers, which significantly transfer daily generated claim files to the end user. We ensure that the directory and files are up to date, particularly those placed in specific directories by the source. Processing can stop if someonechanges the directory without updating it in the SFG partner profile. On the destination side, after setting up a partner file, we provide the end user with an MFT link, user ID, password, and a guide on uploading, downloading, and viewing files. Initially, we set up a primary password for them, and they can later change it to a preferred one for viewing their files. This process ensures smooth file handling, but miscommunication regarding directory changes can lead to issues."
"I like its ability to communicate in B2B scenarios."
"This product has been a leader in the field of secure file exchange."
"It's highly configurable, there is no need for standalone scripting."
"One feature that we appreciate or use for multiple customers is the routing channel."
"It also has good error-handling methods."
"What I like best is that the tool is very secure and reliable. We can send huge files, even up to hundreds of GB. The automation depends on the source - it can be through automated processes, manual transfers, shell scripting, or file scripting. Partners can schedule batches according to their needs."
"It offers easy utilization of resources for smooth transfers."
 

Cons

"Aspera Managed File Transfer should be packaged into another solution. Explaining to customers you need to have multiple solutions from multiple vendors for their use cases can get complicated for them to understand."
"The solution's pricing is high and should be reduced."
"Deployment is complex and it was difficult to get support."
"There are numerous boxes to tick and things to check to ensure everything is in order before the upgrade happens. The process is very long"
"A lot of businesses are using ServiceNow, which is another tool. I would like there to be some integration with ServiceNow or other third-party tools as well as have easily available integrations. Right now, we need to write scripts. Apart from that, if there were some integrations with an ITSM tool, then that would be good. Because at the end of the day, most of our clients are using different ITSM tools. I know that BMC Remedy is easy to integrate with Control-M. However, if there was availability for Jira as well as other ITSM and DevOps tools, that would be a good improvement."
"There's a lot of room for improvement and I think it can be more user-friendly."
"The high availability that comes from BMC with its supplied Postgres database is very limited. Even using your customer-supplied Postgres database is problematic. We have engaged with them regarding this, but it is difficult. My company doesn't want to do this and BMC doesn't want to do that. We just need to find some middle ground to get the proper high availability. We're also moving away, like the rest of the world, from the more expensive offerings, like Oracle. We are trying to use Postgres, which is free. The stability is good. It is just that the high availability configuration is not ideal. It could be better."
"A developer sandbox could be very helpful to try out new features or experience them."
"I would like to see automatic license management. And probably more importantly, some kind of machine learning to help identify the optimum automation path."
"Finding documentation on the website can be a bit confusing."
"The reporting functionality needs a lot of work. We have faced problems with different versions where we run the right report, but it gives us blank entries. Then, when we run the same report again, it gives the correct data."
"We have issues with the stability of this solution, like server-down issues."
"The solution should provide content or videos explaining to freshers how to configure it and what every field means."
"We need REST APIs or other tools to create that listening producer."
"Whenever we enabled additional logging for the communication channel, the system used to have hiccups."
"I would like to see auto-deployment without service disruptions."
"The admin console needs some work."
"Too many features; UI is not good."
"IBM is advising not to use the IT translate anymore but this is going to be an extra cost to the customer to use the alternative."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Aspera Managed File Transfer is not an inexpensive solution. I am not aware of many competitors to determine how affordable the price is overall."
"It is not bad. The company can afford it, and it pays for itself. We have those jobs running automatically."
"This is an area where it is a little difficult to work with BMC. They want to do licenses by job, which is what we have. For example, the simplest is to license by job, but they can also license by nodes. While the licensing is simple to use, it might not be the correct licensing model for the customer. It is okay because we want to license by job, which is something measurable. At the end of the day, licensing by job is the most important."
"The cost of the hardware is high. Because you need to license each job, it is costly."
"For the tooling that you get, the licensing is acceptable. It has competitive pricing, especially with all the value that you get out of it. There are additional costs with some of the additional modules, but they are all electives. Out of the box, you get the standard Control-M experience and the standard license. They're not forcing some of the modules on you. If you decide that you do need them, you can always purchase those separately."
"The product price is reasonable. I rate the pricing an eight."
"You must accept that BMC licensing can be very confusing. No one can easily understand how they calculate things, whether it is user-based, job-based, or server-based. The calculation is quite tough. How BMC calculates licensing is not easily available anywhere."
"We have account based licensing. There are two or three types of licensing. One of them is based on the number of jobs, so we a license close to 4,000 jobs per day. The cost is based on the different modules, which we buy from them. If we a buy a hardware module, which we are presently using and integrating, that is an additional cost, but I'm not sure of the amount. Each module comes with a different cost."
"There are human costs in addition to the standard pricing and licensing of this solution."
"There are two types of customer licenses, an annual preview license, and an ELA-based license. I have found the solution is priced well. However, they need to review the pricing model because if you look at any other competitors, such as GlobalSCAPE, they do pricing based on the components and what you select. With this solution you have a monolithic application which you need to buy, there is no component level price discount."
"The solution's pricing is reasonable."
"It's reasonably priced at $800,000."
"I do know that it's generally considered expensive, but it's also widely used across corporate organizations due to its robust protocol communication, secure file transfer capabilities, and integration features. Although there are other tools on the market, IBM Sterling File Gateway stands out for its unique options and cloud compatibility, which offers future benefits, particularly in avoiding data storage issues."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
17%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Insurance Company
7%
Computer Software Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
28%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Insurance Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
36%
Computer Software Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Insurance Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Aspera Managed File Transfer?
Aspera Managed File Transfer is an optimal solution for customers who want to transfer large files to remote sites wi...
What needs improvement with Aspera Managed File Transfer?
The solution's pricing calculation needs revision to be more competitive
What advice do you have for others considering Aspera Managed File Transfer?
Aspera Managed File Transfer has superior technology. Overall, I rate Aspera Managed File Transfer a nine out of ten.
How does Control-M compare with AutoSys Workload Automation?
Control-M acts as a single, centralized interface for monitoring and managing all batch processes, which is helpful b...
What do you like most about Control-M?
First of all, the shift from manual to automation has been valuable. We have a tool that can automate.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Control-M?
The product price is reasonable. I rate the pricing an eight.
What do you like most about IBM Sterling File Gateway?
It offers easy utilization of resources for smooth transfers.
What needs improvement with IBM Sterling File Gateway?
Based on my experience, there's some room for improvement. We're currently using version 6.1.1, which has a limitatio...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Control M
No data available
 

Learn More

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Gwinnett County Public Schools, Evonik, Voith, BITMARCK, Oracle
CARFAX, Tampa General Hospital, Navistar, Amadeus, Raymond James, Railinc
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Find out what your peers are saying about Control-M vs. IBM Sterling File Gateway and other solutions. Updated: September 2024.
801,394 professionals have used our research since 2012.