IFS Cloud Platform vs OpenText Service Management (SMAX) comparison

IFS Cloud Platform vs. OpenText Service Management (SMAX)

Download the complete report

Helped 869,566 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

IFS Cloud Platform

Ranking in IT Service Management (ITSM)

14th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

CRM (27th), Customer Experience Management (9th), Field Service Management (2nd), Help Desk Software (17th), ERP (17th), Activity Based Costing Software (7th), Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) (4th), Local Government CRM (13th), IT Asset Management (11th), License Management (2nd)

OpenText Service Management...

Ranking in IT Service Management (ITSM)

12th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the IT Service Management (ITSM) category, the mindshare of IFS Cloud Platform is 1.7%, up from 1.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of OpenText Service Management (SMAX) is 2.4%, up from 1.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

IT Service Management (ITSM) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
OpenText Service Management (SMAX)	2.4%
IFS Cloud Platform	1.7%
Other	95.9%

IT Service Management (ITSM)

Featured Reviews

Thangaraj Ramasamy

Consultant at Arcwide

Has supported project management and business customization through strong modular flexibility

The cloud feature in IFS Cloud Platform is predominantly valuable, especially the enterprise asset management module, which IFS has very good business into, along with strong finance, project management, and supply chain management modules; these are the major modules that are performing well with IFS, and the cloud options along with user-friendly customizations for any technical developments are additional advantages. The integration of IoT with IFS Cloud Platform is performing well, enabling us to integrate with predominantly any third party through the standard inbuilt connectors that are readily available, and if we need to customize the integration, we can certainly do that too.

Read full review

Evgeniy Kolotilov

Managing Director at Intracom Telecom Ukraine

Offers a range of tools for sales and configuration that can be used in banks and telecom companies

The deployment takes three months. In this process, customers need to allocate resources like networks, data storage, and images. They then need to decide which business functions they intend to use in production and perform some basic configurations. Custom documentation is prepared and provided for user renewals and administration. I would rate the experience of the initial setup a nine out of ten.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The platform is reliable and stable."

"Feature-wise, I like the way it provides inventory details...It is a stable solution."

"There are fewer fields on the user screen compared to other products. This makes the UI a little bit easier to understand."

"All the modules are valuable in their own right, but everything has to go through the ERP. IFS has done an excellent job integrating the various modules to complete these processes. My expertise is in the finance module, but I have used the other verticals. It's an all-around good product."

"The most valuable features of IFS Applications are their intuitiveness and ease of use. The navigations are also straightforward, which makes it easy to train users. The feedback I always receive is that it is very user-friendly."

"Individual user profiles that can be configured as templates to minimize data entry."

"The main reason for the ERP project was to bring together our fourteen sites, which had until then worked in separate silos."

"Some of the strengths are Enterprise Management Solutions and the series of Management solutions which is number one in Gartner's report and has been for the last five years."

More IFS Cloud Platform pros

"The product provides an interface for the end users to make requests."

"It offers a range of tools for sales and configuration. It's like a business process improvement platform, suitable for various lines of business operations."

"This is a cordless application that can be used throughout any organization."

"The most valuable features of Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX) are that it is user-friendly, easy to configure, and adaptable."

"The customization features are quite good, and we have a very good local vendor helping us in this regard."

"The tool is very easy to use."

"OpenText Service Management Automation X provides valuable features such as topic analytics for incident and problem management. It also includes natural language processing for analyzing technical descriptions. Additionally, it features a virtual chatbot capable of processing natural language to interact effectively with end users. This service enhances customer support and is not subject to the limitations often found in offerings from other vendors."

Cons

"There are some stability issues."

"The support provided by IFS Applications has room for improvement. I'm based in Poland, and when my company had an issue, finding people from IFS to give my company the support it needed was difficult."

"The user interface can be improved. When you're clicking through the screens, there are some icons or symbols that really need updating and would be more useful and noticeable if they are aesthetically pleasing."

"It would be ideal if, in the future, the product could incorporate IoT and blockchain elements. We'd like to explore more of these types of features going forward."

"The integration is a bit complex, and post-implementation support services need to be improved. They have a service center based out of Sri Lanka. The support aspect is good, but the response time is a little slower than we anticipated. In the next release, it would be better if Warehouse Management could be improvised. They have a product line that's a data warehouse management system, but it's still premature and requires a bit of enhancement."

"Aspects of HR and payroll could be better."

"IFS uses Crystal Report mostly, which isn't too user-friendly. Developing reports isn't easy and requires a lot of dev time. Since SAP bought it, Crystal Report has become more complicated to use on IFS. You have a dashboard for reporting that is good, but it's incomplete. Most of our clients use Power BI or some additional tooling for BI."

"Documentation-wise, they need more."

More IFS Cloud Platform cons

"The reporting functionality is not the best as it is not easy to use."

"The initial setup of Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX) is complicated, but once it is set up the configuration is straightforward to adapt to the users' or customers' needs."

"The product's connectivity with third-party products is an area of concern where improvements are required."

"The tool has negatively impacted our productivity."

"The solution lacks sufficient documentation."

"The contract management feature can be improved."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is better to buy implementation services from IFS than from partners"

"Licensing is on an annual basis, with no additional costs."

"Pricing is an area that could be improved. They could be more competitive."

"Ask for all-inclusive pricing, as they are pretty flexible if you ask for custom models."

"IFS Applications is expensive software, but it's on par with SAP and Oracle. It's for large enterprises and government entities and not for small and medium-sized enterprises. They have one licensing model, but if you want to have a module-specific license, they provide component-based licenses. Unlike SAP and Oracle, it doesn't have different levels of licensing. It's one level of licensing."

"There's an additional yearly cost for support."

"IFS Applications are competitive in terms of pricing compared to other vendors, such as SAP, Oracle, and Epicor. They are generally cheaper, especially for licensing costs."

"The additional cost that comes with the solution includes the overhead of the people who are trying to fix the tool issues. These people are trying to reproduce the issue and report it to the technical support and testing with them which is huge. It is the cost of quality in the end."

More IFS Cloud Platform pricing and cost advice

"The solution is somewhat cheaper than the competitors."

"The cost of the license for SMAX varies depending on the configuration, including the number of seats for users and the customer's specific requirements. It's not a fixed cost and can vary."

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which IT Service Management (ITSM) solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

869,566 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

20%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Energy/Utilities Company

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	14
Midsize Enterprise	9
Large Enterprise	10

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	3

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IFS Applications?

Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a nine or ten out of ten since it is an extremely scalable solution that can be used for various use cases with thousands of users.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IFS Applications?

The product is reasonably priced. The costs are justified by the value provided, considering the comprehensive features and minimal need for customization. I rate the pricing a seven out of ten.

What needs improvement with IFS Applications?

When it comes to AI, I feel that is the area where we expect something more from IFS Cloud Platform. They are working on IFS AI, but we have not explored much into that yet, and if they want to kee...

What do you like most about Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX)?

The tool is very easy to use.

What is your primary use case for Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX)?

We are using the application as a customer. We are utilizing OpenText Service Management (SMAX) mainly for ITSM processes and some BPM activities. It is mainly used for tracking performance and cre...

What advice do you have for others considering Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX)?

I would rate OpenText Service Management (SMAX) an eight out of ten. Please hide my name and company name as I have not received approval from my corporate communications team to speak on behalf of...

SAP ERP vs IFS Cloud Platform

Comparisons

Compared 18% of the time

IBM Maximo vs IFS Cloud Platform

Compared 8% of the time

Oracle E-Business Suite vs IFS Cloud Platform

Compared 6% of the time

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central vs IFS Cloud Platform

Compared 6% of the time

ServiceNow vs IFS Cloud Platform

Compared 5% of the time

More IFS Cloud Platform Competitors

ServiceNow vs OpenText Service Management (SMAX)

Compared 31% of the time

JIRA Service Management vs OpenText Service Management (SMAX)

Compared 21% of the time

BMC Helix ITSM vs OpenText Service Management (SMAX)

Compared 18% of the time

Ivanti Voice vs OpenText Service Management (SMAX)

Compared 15% of the time

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus vs OpenText Service Management (SMAX)

Compared 6% of the time

More OpenText Service Management (SMAX) Competitors

Product Reports

IFS Cloud Platform

Download IFS Cloud Platform product report

IT Service Management (ITSM)

Download OpenText Service Management (SMAX) product report

OpenText Service Management (SMAX) report

Also Known As

IFS Applications, Assyst, IFS Cloud

OpenText Service Manager, Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX)

Interactive Demo

Demo not available

IFS

OpenText

Overview

IFS is the world’s leading provider of Industrial AI and enterprise software for hardcore businesses that make, service, and power our planet. Our technology enables businesses which manufacture goods, maintain complex assets, and manage service-focused operations to unlock the transformative power of Industrial AI™ to enhance productivity, efficiency, and sustainability. Industrial AI is IFS.ai.

IFS Cloud is a fully composable AI-powered platform, designed for ultimate flexibility and adaptability to our customers’ specific requirements and business evolution. It spans the needs of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Enterprise Asset Management (EAM), Supply Chain Management (SCM), Information Technology Service Management (ITSM), and Field Service Management (FSM). IFS technology leverages AI, machine learning, real-time data and analytics to empower our customers to make informed strategic decisions and excel at their Moment of Service™.

IFS

OpenText Service Management Automation X delivers efficient service management automation with user-friendly configurability across IT, IoT, HR, and finance sectors. It enhances business processes through integrated incident management and natural language processing with virtual chatbots.

OpenText SMAX blends user-friendly design with broad language support and robust storage. It enables organizations to deploy in both on-premise and cloud environments using Kubernetes. SMAX excels in business process improvement, incident management, and uses intelligent agents for autonomous alerts and issue resolution. However, it requires enhancements in integration capabilities and documentation, third-party product connectivity, and contract management. Users face challenges with process automation and search functionality, demanding greater customization and flexibility.

What are the key features of OpenText SMAX?

User-Friendliness: Simplifies service management across departments.
Configurability: Allows customization to meet specific needs.
Adaptability: Effective across IT, IoT, HR, and finance.
Language Support: Broad language capabilities for diverse users.
Storage Capabilities: Efficient and reliable data management.
Process Improvement: Tools for streamlining business operations.
Incident Management: Effective handling and resolution of issues.
Natural Language Processing: Chatbots that enhance customer support.
Automation: Facilitates seamless logistics and service catalog management.

What benefits and ROI should users evaluate?

Enhanced Efficiency: Streamlines service management processes.
Improved Customer Support: Virtual chatbots provide superior assistance.
Scalability: Adaptable to growing business needs.
Cost Reduction: Optimizes resource usage and reduces operational costs.
Employee Onboarding: Simplifies and accelerates onboarding processes.

Banks and telecom companies primarily employ OpenText SMAX for service management automation, leveraging its ESM and ITSM capabilities. Deployed on-premise and via cloud, organizations in regions such as Saudi Arabia focus on integrations and upgrades, using SMAX as an end-user portal for incident management.

OpenText

Sample Customers

China Airlines, Electrolux Group, Babcock, Cimcorp, Sky, Multiplex, Veolia.

Zurich Airport, Envirosuite, Norsk Helsenett, Achmea, University of Milan, World Vision, Petroleum Development Oman, Court of Justice of the Federal District and Territories (TJDFT).

IFS Cloud Platform vs. OpenText Service Management (SMAX)