IBM Spectrum Protect vs Iron Mountain Connect comparison

IBM and Iron Mountain are both solutions in the Backup and Recovery category. IBM is ranked #14 with an average rating of 7.4, while Iron Mountain is ranked #67. IBM holds a 2.2% mindshare in BRS, compared to Iron Mountain’s 0.3% mindshare. Additionally, 86% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Iron Mountain users who would recommend it.

IBM Spectrum Protect

Read 150 IBM Spectrum Protect reviews

3,616 Views
2,660 Comparison Views

86% willing to recommend

Iron Mountain Connect

Read 2 Iron Mountain Connect reviews

416 Views
261 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

IBM Spectrum Protect

Iron Mountain Connect

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 11, 2024

IBM Spectrum Protect and Iron Mountain Connect are two leading solutions in the data protection market. Users are generally happier with IBM Spectrum Protect's pricing and support, though Iron Mountain Connect is appreciated for its extensive feature set.

Features: IBM Spectrum Protect's valuable features include automated data protection, scalability, and comprehensive disaster recovery options. Iron Mountain Connect is praised for its secure data management, ease of use, and compliance support. Users favor Iron Mountain Connect for its specialized features, despite IBM Spectrum Protect's strong foundational capabilities.

Room for Improvement: Users suggest IBM Spectrum Protect could improve its reporting tool and speed of updates. For Iron Mountain Connect, users desire more flexible integration options and enhanced customization features. This indicates both products have well-defined areas needing refinement, with IBM Spectrum Protect facing technical challenges and Iron Mountain Connect requiring better adaptability.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM Spectrum Protect is reviewed as complex but manageable with strong customer service backing. Iron Mountain Connect is noted for its straightforward deployment process and reliable customer assistance. Comparatively, Iron Mountain Connect offers a smoother initial setup experience, while both provide solid support.

Pricing and ROI: IBM Spectrum Protect is often seen as cost-effective with a stable ROI, whereas Iron Mountain Connect is considered expensive but justifiable due to its feature set. Users feel IBM Spectrum Protect offers better value for its price, though Iron Mountain Connect’s feature-rich environment justifies its higher cost.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM Spectrum Protect vs. Iron Mountain Connect Report (Updated: June 2025).

Buyer's Guide

IBM Spectrum Protect vs. Iron Mountain Connect

June 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

IBM Spectrum Protect

Ranking in Backup and Recovery

14th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

150

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Iron Mountain Connect

Ranking in Backup and Recovery

67th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

8.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Backup and Recovery category, the mindshare of IBM Spectrum Protect is 2.2%, up from 2.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Iron Mountain Connect is 0.3%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Backup and Recovery

Featured Reviews

Syed Habib

Head of Infrastructure Security (S.A.V.P) at EXIM Bank Ltd

Manageable and comprehensive and integrates robust backup features for core banking

It's adequate for my core banking, however, I am looking for another solution for all systems. It is not compatible with other operating systems like Windows or Linux, and lacks a consolidated dashboard from Browser Spectrum. This is why I am searching for another solution. The product also lacks any centralized graphical user interface (GUI), such as Jarek Pod, and I am limited to using a console-based text user interface, which my local partner handles completely.

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Raj Bhaduri

Enterprise architect at Centrica

Good policies related to data

I primarily use it for various policies related to data, such as data retention, data deletion, and archiving policies. All policies can be set using this system The most valuable feature for me is the policy management capabilities. I would like to see more integration with different platforms,…

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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 very stable after deployment and will perform in a steady state."

"Nothing beats this solution for file backup."

"With the new features that we have added, it has made a difference as far as faster recovery and speed."

"The solution is very stable. It is one of the most important features that we look for in a product before putting it into the market and when establishing a strategy with our customers."

"Once setup, you do not need to touch it again. You just need to do a formal check on possibly batch updates."

"We cannot live without it, since it gives us the confidence to move forward."

"It provides our customers with the comfort of having reliable enterprise data protection."

"It is pretty scalable. It will scale to anything."

More IBM Spectrum Protect pros

"The most valuable feature for me is the policy management capabilities"

Cons

"They took some of the funding off of it for a while. Therefore, instead of being a market leader, they took their position for granted. Then some competitors developed new bells and whistles that they advertise, and due to that lag a few years ago, there are not the resources to explain the differences."

"It could use single store. The ability to mark an archive from my backup for long-term retention."

"We have had some problems about using storage agents on the X6 environment. It is not quite stable, but it is also not supported in a virtualized environment."

"The solution must protect against ransomware attacks better."

"We would like to see cloud integration."

"I think Spectrum Protect's interface is not so user-friendly, but the interface is not so friendly. Some of the functions are too complicated. I prefer a simpler solution."

"In terms of features, they've got it all covered. The features they have are quite good. The only downside to it is that it is for an enterprise or big organization. In my opinion, it is not for a small business."

"It would be helpful if the solution included some sort of ransomware protection."

More IBM Spectrum Protect cons

"I would like to see more integration with different platforms."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution has a capacity based licensing, front and back-end license."

"License-wise regarding IBM, it's licensed per terabyte. And that is after compression and deduplication."

"The different license models can give good benefits to the end customer."

"We worked our licensing into a capacity model, which is nice. Now, everything is much simpler to manage from a licensing perspective."

"For my company, the tool is affordable and reasonable...I don't think most people know that when a company has large systems in place, the TCO is a lot lower."

"IBM Spectrum Protect can be considered an averagely-priced product."

"Technical support is pretty good. It is doing fine, but you pay for it."

"It's very complicated. Licensing is a pain."

More IBM Spectrum Protect pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

17%

Computer Software Company

13%

Government

Educational Organization

Financial Services Firm

14%

Computer Software Company

14%

Legal Firm

12%

Retailer

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM Spectrum Protect?

IBM Spectrum Protect is stable.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Spectrum Protect?

It's expensive. I acknowledge the cost associated with it.

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What needs improvement with IBM Spectrum Protect?

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Comparisons

IBM Spectrum Protect Plus vs IBM Spectrum Protect

Compared 17% of the time

Veeam Data Platform vs IBM Spectrum Protect

Compared 17% of the time

Dell PowerProtect DD (Data Domain) vs IBM Spectrum Protect

Compared 12% of the time

Commvault Cloud vs IBM Spectrum Protect

Compared 10% of the time

Bacula Enterprise vs IBM Spectrum Protect

Compared 1% of the time

More IBM Spectrum Protect Competitors

Veeam Data Platform vs Iron Mountain Connect

Compared 25% of the time

MSP360 Backup vs Iron Mountain Connect

Compared 23% of the time

Rubrik vs Iron Mountain Connect

Compared 21% of the time

More Iron Mountain Connect Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IBM Spectrum Protect

June 2025

Download IBM Spectrum Protect product report

Buyer's Guide

Backup and Recovery

May 2025

Download Iron Mountain Connect product report

Also Known As

IBM TSM, IBM Tivoli Storage Manager

No data available

Overview

IBM Spectrum Protect (Tivoli Storage Manager) is a data protection platform that gives enterprises a single point of control and administration for backup and recovery. It is the flagship product in the IBM Spectrum Protect (Tivoli Storage Manager) family. It enables reliable, cost effective backups and fast recovery for virtual, physical and cloud environments of all sizes.

IBM

Connected Accounting&ERP is a mid-range accounting program with single user and network editions for Macintosh and Windows operating systems. Connected can be shared concurrently by both Mac OS and Windows users on a single data file. Connected "Core Accounting" consists of the General Ledger, Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable modules. Connected "Enterprise" builds on the Core Accounting aspects by adding powerful inventory, job costing, and currency additions. Pricing starts at $399.00.

Iron Mountain

Sample Customers

CERN, Einstein Healthcare, Nyherji, Allianz Australia, TZM, ABT Online, NCT, Kindred Healthcare Inc., Cobalt Iron, TransGrid, Baptist Health of Northeast Florida, Cash America, Piedmont Healthcare, RWGV, Arkansas Tech University, British Columbia Institute of Technology

University of La Verne

Buyer's Guide

IBM Spectrum Protect vs. Iron Mountain Connect

June 2025

Free Report: IBM Spectrum Protect vs. Iron Mountain Connect

Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Spectrum Protect vs. Iron Mountain Connect and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.

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