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IBM InfoSphere MDM vs Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC) vs Semarchy xDM comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

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

Mindshare comparison

Master Data Management (MDM) Software Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
IBM InfoSphere MDM7.8%
SAP Master Data Governance21.6%
Microsoft MDS13.0%
Other57.599999999999994%
Master Data Management (MDM) Software
Data Management Platforms (DMP) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC)14.1%
Palantir Foundry25.9%
Adobe Audience Manager6.2%
Other53.8%
Data Management Platforms (DMP)
Master Data Management (MDM) Software Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Semarchy xDM8.2%
SAP Master Data Governance21.6%
Microsoft MDS13.0%
Other57.2%
Master Data Management (MDM) Software
 

Featured Reviews

SoumikDolui - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides inbuilt data model and good matching engine
It's a tough tool for developers. Right now in the market, I think Informatica MDM is number one and is used a lot. IBM MDM was developed by some other company and IBM developed it more. There are definitely some flaws. The tool is difficult to understand from a customer perspective and for developers. Generally, customers can understand Informatica MDM and its functionality easily. If a developer is facing issues with IBM MDM, then a customer will definitely not understand most of the functionality. That is the main concern. IBM is introducing some Next-Gen MDM, where they are using a lot of current technologies and machine learning. Most of the problems we may be facing right now are probably solved in that version.
SaurabhGaonshindhe - PeerSpot reviewer
Modular structure and AI features stream new reporting processes
One of my clients has a requirement; they want to integrate metadata into the process, which means, for example, if I just want to implement a new field into my database, that field needs to be reflected throughout, let's say, 200 mappings. This highlights the need for a data-driven approach. My experience with technical support from Informatica is quite interesting; I would rate it as nine out of ten for Informatica PowerCenter kind of products or the Informatica integration products, because my team can do some hands-on using their free licenses or one-month kind of products. However, for products Master Data Management or related to MDM or Data Governance, there is no way by which we can directly practice, and my team struggles at that point.
Syed-Hasan - PeerSpot reviewer
Quick MVP development facilitated by low-code data management
Semarchy xDM's unique selling point is its quick turnover time, allowing for the rapid development of a proof of concept or minimum viable product. Its low-code approach, essentially a wrapper for SQL, enables easy and quick development. The core features include validation business rules, deduplication, merging, and consolidation from multiple sources.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The advantage is that the matching engine is very good, so that's why customers generally prefer it. From the inbuilt data model perspective, IBM MDM is good."
"There are not really many areas of the product that need improvement because the product stays up-to-date with data management needs."
"The features that are most valuable are the governance, the end-profiling and the ETL which allows you to see the metadata repositories."
"When users update their information on one product, the data is sent to a database. My approach was to maintain a master data record, ensuring that each platform loads the latest updated record. Instead of having three separate records, the system keeps one master data record, storing the historical records for reference."
"The solution provides increased efficiency while still being user-friendly and easy to operate."
"The product seems stable enough."
"I like the connectivity and richness of features for the technical team, the maturity of the product, and that it had a cloud version. There is Informatica Cloud, and it is part of the Informatica Cloud platform."
"The solution is stable."
"Replication allows us to fully replicate all objects from Shop Floor Data Collection (SFDC) to in-house/on-premises database in one job."
"I know that there are two good features, APN and ServiceNow but we haven't explored all of its features yet."
"The most valuable feature is data discovery. This is the most exciting feature for all of the banks."
"We can scan anything."
"The flexibility of Semarchy xDM allows for possible deployment on-premises, in the cloud, or both."
"Their documentation is excellent."
"Semarchy xDM's unique selling point is its quick turnover time, allowing for the rapid development of a proof of concept or minimum viable product."
 

Cons

"The tool is difficult to understand from a customer perspective and for developers."
"The product is really only created for large organizations."
"We also want better cloud integration, so we could do things in the cloud if we needed to. This would be a good feature to add in a future release."
"IBM InfoSphere MDM's UI is complicated. It also needs to improve its on-prem configuration."
"Though EDC has maximum coverage, a few things were not available to scan, but I think EDC is evolving to address this issue."
"Informatica should simplify the rules for setting classifications and user access management permissions. It's too complex to define, configure, and make work."
"Informatica's issue is the licensing. Right now, there are a lot of new gen MDMs that are offering a lot in a single licensing model."
"It could be improved by including a buffer that saves data when there is a connectivity issue."
"New machine learning could be added to Informatica MDM because the solution is outdated and is not moving with the current trends. The solution is good, but it definitely needs a lot of improvement and needs to speed up as per the market."
"Needs to implement the new workflow with simple steps and a quick visualization with a 360 view of the data."
"The on-prem version's functionalities may not be available on the cloud version."
"The UI is extremely complex"
"They need to make the workflow more enhanced or dynamic in its functionality."
"There is room for improvement in the developer experience, particularly for those who are SQL proficient, as having more direct access would be beneficial."
"There is room for improvement in terms of local support."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It may be costly for small organizations but adds value for large organizations with demanding workflows."
"I rate the product's price a seven on a scale of one to ten, where one is the cheapest and ten is the most expensive. The product is a bit expensive."
"It is expensive. That's probably the biggest drawback. The business has heartache paying the license, but that's mainly because they don't realize what value it brings. The key thing about the MDM solution is that it is in the backend, and no one sees what it is actually doing. You don't know it is a problem until it is not there."
"The pricing is high compared to other tools on the market."
"My understanding is that Informatica is quite expensive compare to other tools that are available in the market."
"Comparatively, their prices are a little bit too high."
"A yearly subscription is paid based on the number of people using the solution. Price-wise, it falls under the medium range since it is neither very costly nor too cheap."
"It is cost effective and an easily accessible tool."
"The product is highly-priced."
Information not available
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
26%
Healthcare Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Computer Software Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
16%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Insurance Company
7%
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Retailer
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise8
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business42
Midsize Enterprise24
Large Enterprise134
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM InfoSphere MDM?
When users update their information on one product, the data is sent to a database. My approach was to maintain a mas...
What needs improvement with IBM InfoSphere MDM?
IBM InfoSphere MDM's UI is complicated. It also needs to improve its on-prem configuration.
What is your primary use case for IBM InfoSphere MDM?
When users update their information on one product, the data is sent to a database. My approach was to maintain a mas...
How does Azure Data Factory compare with Informatica Cloud Data Integration?
Azure Data Factory is a solid product offering many transformation functions; It has pre-load and post-load transfor...
Which Informatica product would you choose - PowerCenter or Cloud Data Integration?
Complex transformations can easily be achieved using PowerCenter, which has all the features and tools to establish a...
What are the biggest benefits of using Informatica Cloud Data Integration?
When it comes to cloud data integration, this solution can provide you with multiple benefits, including: Overhead r...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Semarchy xDM?
The pricing model is based on the number of golden records. It is considered reasonable to good compared to other pro...
What needs improvement with Semarchy xDM?
There is room for improvement in the developer experience, particularly for those who are SQL proficient, as having m...
What is your primary use case for Semarchy xDM?
The primary use case of Semarchy xDM is as a data management tool, specifically for master data management and refere...
 

Also Known As

InfoSphere MDM, InfoSphere Master Data Management
ActiveVOS, Active Endpoints, BPM, Address Verification, Persistent Data Masking, Cloud Test Data Management, PIM, , Enterprise Data Catalog, Data Integration Hub, Cloud Data Integration, Data Quality, Cloud API and App Integration
Semarchy Intelligent MDM
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

L'Oreal S.A., Kingland Systems, Oncor, Farmaceuticos Maypo, Volkswagen Financial Services
The Travel Company, Carbonite
DiamondStream, Oakley, Araymond, EBU/Eurovision, Groupe Roullier, BOSE, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Putnam Investments, BAE Systems, Mundi Pharma, Merck, Elsevier, CMA CGM
Find out what your peers are saying about SAP, TIBCO, Microsoft and others in Master Data Management (MDM) Software. Updated: August 2025.
867,497 professionals have used our research since 2012.