OpCon Reviews

OpCon is described as well-priced and a better value compared to other options. However, some users mention that the licensing and pricing model has changed, potentially leading to increased costs for some businesses. 

The setup cost is considered fair, however, there were cases where it didn't work as expected. 

While OpCon is not the cheapest solution on the market, it is relatively easy to use and offers valuable services like the MAS service for a smoother transition. 

Users are advised to consider post-implementation costs and ongoing assistance, especially for those lacking experience and manpower.

OpCon has greatly increased productivity by approximately 15% to 20%, resulting in significant benefits in terms of total cost of ownership. It has also reduced the need for full-time employees and allows teams to manage daily operations, system issues, projects, and the core system with fewer personnel. 

OpCon saves thousands of man-hours through automation and reduces errors. 

OpCon is primarily used to automate and schedule work across different platforms, including Windows, Linux, and z/OS. It is used to automate various IT jobs, such as daily and nightly processing, file transfers, SQL queries, and Powershell scripts. 

OpCon is also used by different business units within a financial institution, including the mortgage and insurance departments. It is mainly used to start processes, run reports on demand, and handle batch processes. OpCon serves as a centralized solution that joins multiple processes and systems together. 

The product can be used for testing Dev and QA environments, scheduling important tasks, managing daily activities, generating reports, handling FTP jobs, and automating tasks between different operating systems. 

OpCon is a vital tool for streamlining operations and ensuring efficient workflow management.

The most valuable features of OpCon, according to the reviews, are its graphical interface, ease of use, automation capabilities, self-service functionality, reliability, ability to link processes and monitor file arrival, scheduling tasks, MAS (Managed Automation Services), on-demand access, OpCon Deploy for testing environments, workflow designer, GUI, database capabilities for reporting and updates, and flexibility in scheduling solutions. 

Users appreciate the ability to automate processes, reduce human error, increase productivity, and give control to users for their own job execution. OpCon's features have streamlined operations, reduced complexity, and eliminated the need for manual interventions, resulting in time and resource savings.

OpCon could improve the mainframe area, as it is not their strength. While they support the mainframe, it is not something they excel at. Additionally, the FICS integration can be clunky and there have been difficulties in resolving issues with their support team, although this may be more related to FICS than OpCon. 

There are also concerns about the cost of the product, as it can be pricey and the new license model may not align with the functionality needed by users. More functionality within self-service would be appreciated, including the ability to pull information from OpCon to "pre-fill" inputs. Users also desire the ability to create their own job subtypes to standardize parameters for executable programs/scripts. 

Another improvement would be the ability to select multiple jobs in the user interface for quick changes or actions. Accessing OpCon through a mobile app would also be beneficial for administrators, as it would provide convenience and allow for immediate job fixes without the need for a laptop. 

The user-side web interface can be problematic for complex tasks and self-service buttons created by OpCon support may not be functional. Failover and licensing are areas that could be overhauled, with concerns about feature removal and increased costs.

Additional training for support is also desired. OpCon's features can be complicated and may require training beyond the basic provided by SMA. Some failures also lack clear explanations. 

Users would like to keep previous versions of jobs/schedules and have a display of creation and modification information. Upgrading to newer versions can be complex, and good documentation of the environment is important. However, SMA Technologies provides powerful and capable products, and their technicians are responsive and available for assistance. 

The initial setup for OpCon varied among users. Some found it complex due to the migration from their previous product, but SMA Technologies was able to seamlessly complete the deployment in about six months. Maintenance is typical, with upgrades being performed regularly. Some users contracted with SMA to assist with maintaining the software on other platforms. Overall, the setup was straightforward, with SMA providing on-site assistance and addressing any bugs or issues that arose. 

The learning curve was relatively short, and users were able to rapidly transition to using OpCon. Some users mentioned the complexity of the setup and the need for assistance from SMA, however, once familiarized with the software, maintenance became low and straightforward. 

Users praised SMA for their support and active assistance in resolving any questions or issues. 

OpCon's scalability is great. Users mention that it is easy to add agents and systems to the solution without experiencing any negative effects. The new license model allows for installation on unlimited Windows machines, making it very scalable. 

However, some users note that in order to fully utilize the software, detailed knowledge and experience may be required. Nevertheless, OpCon is considered excellent in terms of scalability, and users have found various ways to expand and utilize it in different areas. 

The underlying SQL database provides tremendous capabilities and allows for scaling up by adding additional resources or setting up multiple servers. 

OpCon's customer service and support are responsive and effective. Users appreciate the team's ability to fix reported problems and their prompt resolution of simple issues. However, there have been instances where complex problems were not fully resolved. Some customers have occasionally felt like they were being given irrelevant solutions or experienced delays in issue resolution. 

The stability of the OpCon solution is excellent. Users have experienced very few issues and outages, and the solution is described as "perfectly stable," "very stable," and "excellent." They mention that any problems they have encountered were mostly due to human errors or external factors, not the stability of OpCon itself. 

The solution is described as reliable and solid, with the vendor addressing any minor problems quickly.