Senior Principal Architect at Invenio Business Solution Pvt Ltd
User
2021-07-12T07:24:07Z
Jul 12, 2021
I architected solutions using Oracle SOA/OSB, Spring Boot, MuleSoft Anypoint Platform on cloud / on-premises and hybrid modes;
What I see is though if you are an enterprise and have enough money then they can opt for Mule; All the enterprise level connectors like SAP etc. even connectors like FTPS are also charged additionally. Also you have multiple enterprise support models like Gold, Platinum and Titanium.
Another issue with Mule is it's complex licensing model and unclear/in complete documentation. Like for example in case of Mongo DB there is no way you can understand the significance of "connection string" based connectivity like LDAP based Authentication or X509 kind of connectivity.
Mule has Community Addition which is like Open Source but there are very few connectors to work with like HTTP, Database (Standard RDBMS), File, FTP etc.. But there's no support. Community support I frankly didn't see much neither the open-source cameraderie.
At the same time, I see MuleSoft as a Platform which can propel / transform any legacy enterprise into digital age.
Following are the reasons.
1. Mule comes with 100s of connectors for Communication protocols (HTTP, TCP, WebSockets, FTP, with Security etc..) + Data Protocols (Database, File, SAP, Salesforce) etc.. and supports a wide range of data formats like JSON / XML / CSV etc.
2. Mule Advocates API Led connectivity dividing the application into Data/System APIs (Abstracting Data Layer), Process APIs (A mash-up of System APIs), Experience APIs (supporting different UI Channels like Web, Mobile etc.) on top of Process APIs
3. It gives components a low code platform, with data transformation from one form to another form, Batch and other standard integration patterns like Routers/aggregators / scatter-gather etc.
The toolset and separation of concerns at each layer give a great level of flexibility for transforming any legacy enterprise into the digital age.
If you are an SMB or you have good developer workforce and you have standard integration scenarios like, File, FTP, Batch, Database or even otherwise -- you should look towards Spring Integration. You have great community and widely available documentation. Spring has other options for support as well as deploying to cloud to either VMware or as part of AWS Elastic Beanstalk.
The solution's API Designer and API Manager have improved the management of our client's already established APIs. The most valuable features of the solution are Design Center and Runtime Manager. Mule Anypoint Platform provides some basic security approaches, including HTTPS protocol and secure configuration opportunities. My recommendation to users is to use already described or already propagated best practices that help very much in development. The best advice for developers is to be part of the community. MuleSoft has a great community, including different channels or meetups that could help you a lot in certain cases. When you have some problems, you can address any developers, and they will be ready to talk to you. Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
I would definitely recommend Anypoint platform to anyone who is considering using it. Its main flaw is the costliness. Overall, I would rate it an eight out of ten.
I would say it depends upon the business. For small and medium businesses, there might be some restrictions as Mule is more of an enterprise middleware. However, I would still recommend they explore MuleSoft, even for small and medium businesses. But for enterprises, I would highly recommend it because of its scalability, high availability, and robust platform. These are features that you can typically find only in enterprise middleware like MuleSoft. Additionally, Salesforce is making it even better by introducing a lot of components. I've also heard that they are incorporating AI into MuleSoft for automated decisions, as mentioned by Salesforce. So, I would definitely highly recommend MuleSoft. Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten.
I was the central point of contact for MuleSoft. I was not an integration developer, but I managed the entire structure of MuleSoft. MuleSoft Anypoint Platform is not just an API gateway platform but also an integration platform. Instead of using two tools or two applications, you can use one. Generally, your gateway will be separate, which is an exposure layer, and underneath, you will need to have your service desk established, where you write your integrations to connect to the back end. MuleSoft Anypoint Platform has got both into one. It's a good integration platform as a service tool recommended if you have a big budget. We have to be really careful and cautious about how we will design our APIs. We have to keep an eye on the reusability of APIs, which is very critical while using the MuleSoft Anypoint Platform. We never faced issues on the usage part. The solution's connections to third parties and ability to pull the data using APIs are brilliant. They have a bunch of platform APIs, and the data you see on the dashboard can be pulled out very easily using APIs. You can then push it to some BI tools or wherever you want. MuleSoft Anypoint Platform is a brilliant tool. If you have small use cases and don't have a huge amount of traffic being transferred between the APIs, the MuleSoft Anypoint Platform is the best-suited integration platform for you. You don't have to buy multiple applications and break your head to manage your observability and deployments because everything is integrated into one platform. Overall, I rate MuleSoft Anypoint Platform a nine out of ten.
Mule Anypoint Platform can be considered the leader in the market. After being bought over by Salesforce, it now has some added advantages. For any large or mid-level company that is going for multiple applications like SaaS-based applications, ServiceNow and Salesforce, the Mule Anypoint Platform is very useful. Small-scale companies choose other open-source and cloud-native solutions which are much cheaper in cost. There are other leaders like Dell Boomi and open-source Kafka, but the best part about MuleSoft is the foundation architecture they use which is highly scalable and reliable. The compatibility for the Mule Anypoint Platform is greater than other competitors. I would rate the product seven out of ten.
The initial setup of the Mule Anypoint Platform is simple. My team was trained in only a few weeks. The process of deployment took a couple of hours. My advice to others is for them to use the catalyst service. They help you get started and gradually let you be on your own. Mule Anypoint Platform is also highly convenient since my team was able to quickly set up the new team for the initial implementation. Within a few weeks, they began developing independently, gradually reducing the need for external support and focusing on efficiently running the system with internal resources. I rate the initial setup of the Mule Anypoint Platform a nine out of ten.
There is cloud maintenance required for some customized setups based on the client's needs and their network. My advice to others thinking about implementing this solution is the benefits of the solution depend on the architecture they have. The Mule Anypoint Platform is one of the best integration solutions and they come up with new updates which are required, whereas other solutions, do not have the latest updates. Dell Boomi has not come up with an update in the last year. Mule Anypoint Platform keeps on updating itself with newer versions every four to six months. They have a lot of free connectors. They have bundles so you don't have to buy different licenses. It's easy to use, very easy to configure, easy to install, easy to maintain, very stable, and secure. I would recommend this solution to someone who is looking for API management and integration with one single license. I rate Mule Anypoint Platform a nine out of ten
You have to look at how it affects your integrations and how you are going to add value to the business once you've implemented it. Suppose you are doing integrations from two to three applications, and they're charging more for that purchase. Then, it won't be so effective for you down the line, like in two or three years. If that's the case, I won't prefer to go for MuleSoft Anypoint Platform. However, if by doing this integration it would actually increase productivity, increase the flexibility for future integration needs, and improve the return on investment, then MuleSoft Anypoint Platform is a good choice. I recommend this solution, and on a scale from one to ten, I would rate it at eight.
Integration Architect at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Top 20
2022-05-19T12:45:14Z
May 19, 2022
They should be knowledgeable about their industry. They should leverage the platform's use cases and try to deploy it only when it is required. I am a client of this product. I would rate Mule Anypoint Platform an eight out of ten.
Senior Principal Architect at Invenio Business Solution Pvt Ltd
User
2021-07-08T10:24:04Z
Jul 8, 2021
I deployed Mule on On-Premises, Hybrid, Cloud and RTF as well. I will just list the pros and cons from my perspective.
Advantages:
1. Low code platform w.r.t. Integration toolset / kit -- throughout the API Life cycle 2. Well laid out development methodology -- if you go via COE approach. 3. Huge set of connectors 4. Large pool of developers with certification
Cons:
1. Pricing -- Calculation of Cores under different deployment models is really tricky 2. Premium connector pricing is high 3. No support for Workflows or human intervention OOB -- you need to go for another solution 4. No OOB solution for Rule Engine -- you need to go for Drools or some other solution 5. No visibility into VMs or very tight Application -- Core sync for example you can't deploy more than 1 application per VM or per docker instance in case of RTF. 6. You can't tune JVM level characteristics according to your need with options like Xms etc in the cloud
Principal Consultant at a consultancy with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
2022-03-22T16:51:24Z
Mar 22, 2022
It's important to be aware of the cost implications of using this solution. Unless you know the extent to which you are going to use MuleSoft, you'll begin with a handful of APIs that need to be developed and then you'll start implementing more and more until you realize it's become quite expensive. I rate this solution eight out of 10.
Associate Director | Oracle PAAS & Middleware at Larsen & Toubro Infotech Ltd.
Consultant
2022-01-26T07:16:13Z
Jan 26, 2022
We are a partner and a systems integrator. I would advise potential new users to look at the service and target destination, where there is an expectation of automation. I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten based on its overall scalability and flexibility. We're quite happy with it so far.
The issue seems to be the way they've positioned the product, advocating the experience layer, process layer and system layer through Mule. As it competes with the likes of webMethods, it rates as an eight out of 10. As an end-to-end solution, however, I would rate it a five at best.
Senior Technical Architect at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Real User
2021-04-20T17:28:02Z
Apr 20, 2021
We work with our customers on integrating the solution. We aren't MuleSoft partners, nor are we direct end-users. The solution works across multiple deployment models, including on-premises and hybrid cloud. They also have their own managed cloud, which is the preferred method. I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten. If a company is interested in implementing the solution, first of all, they need to be clear with the requirements. They need to understand what exactly they were doing in terms of integration and they need to see what the current challenges are that they were facing. It's a good idea to analyze the different products which are available in the market. When a comparison is done, they are more likely to choose something that best fits their needs. A customer should never compromise on the quality of the product or the capabilities. If they plan to invest, they should do so by investing in a solution that has the best possible features for their budget.
Chief Digital Transformation Officer at a consumer goods company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
2020-12-07T16:35:00Z
Dec 7, 2020
We're just a customer. We don't have a business relationship with the company. I'm not sure of which version of the solution we are using right now. I'd recommend this solution to others. However, I'd advise that they be careful of the licensing terms. They're so convoluted. There are many hidden costs in the use of the product and you may not realize what it will actually cost until it's too late. Overall, I would rate the solution at a seven out of ten.
Solution Architect at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
2020-11-10T20:08:51Z
Nov 10, 2020
We work on all three models, that is, cloud, on-premises, and RTF. Nowadays, people are going for cloud solutions. The cloud model is good if you do not have any compliance issues for storing customer information on the cloud. However, if you have compliance issues, you can go for on-premises deployment. There is also RTF deployment, which is a new and very stable option. People who have used the RTF option found it to be very good. I would recommend this solution. I would rate Mule Anypoint Platform a nine out of ten.
The pricing is a bit high for clients. As a developer, and my superiors and architects agree, that this is the easiest tool to use. I've worked with two configuration technologies, one was open-source and there is a huge difference with this. This is the easiest and best tool available. Mule should consider lowering the price. The should make improvements for B2B enterprises I would rate it an eight out of ten as it's a very good product.
Solution Architect at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
2020-03-04T08:49:00Z
Mar 4, 2020
I would advise anyone interested that you need to make sure you're using the right patents. I think that's important. On a scale of one to ten, I would rate Mule Anypoint Platform an eight.
My advice for anyone considering this as a solution is first to get to understand exactly what resources will be needed from an architecture perspective. It is important to know how the MuleSoft Anypoint Platform works, what are the limitations, and the kind of consumption gradient they need. The idea would be to acquire enough resources — not too much that you overspend for nothing and not too low that there are performance or other problems. That was actually one of the good things about MuleSoft when we started to do our discovery or due diligence. In the presale process, a presale engineer explained some technical perspective on the MuleSoft solution and we were able to plan and handle it accordingly. They explained how their runtime how it works and what the provisions were. We had to decide how many cores we needed to get. They might delve into areas where we needed any additional explanation as to what they meant. They were very, very helpful because they assisted us in understanding instead of making anyone feel bad or have a difficult deployment because it was not so straightforward a process. They helped us to understand it and when you understand it, it becomes very easy from a planning perspective. On a scale from one to ten, one being the worst and ten being the best. I would rate this product about an eight. It is not a ten because of the problem with the connectors and right now the pricing models. Sometimes with pricing, you need to understand what you understand and when you need to be careful. The pricing may not be good or bad I don't know. In our case, it is what it is and we are satisfied. The thing that I saw was that other people who are dealing with MuleSoft, who don't have such a great relationship and perfect support team, might have misunderstood the pricing model. Because of that, the customer did not know what exactly they need to get and how the product filled their needs. So MuleSoft needs to keep their level of client education up to the level they did for us. Another thing with education has to do with training. There's not too much material on the MuleSoft cloud platform around anywhere. This is probably because at this point they have to do it by themselves because there is not a big community of users. It is very rare to find something on MuleSoft easily if you have an issue. You always can find information on Google and sometimes you can solve your issues. But what I am talking about is something a little bit more organized as clusters of information and videos. I wish I could get information from dedicated community platforms. It is maybe not something that they feel they can address, but maybe they actually can. Maybe they can create some kind of relationship with information and training platforms to introduce some awareness of their product.
Regional Vice President for Operations at Virtusa Global
Vendor
2019-09-10T09:04:00Z
Sep 10, 2019
We use the public cloud deployment model. We used to use the on-premises model, but we moved over to the cloud. I would advise others considering using the solution to do some kind of small project to start. Then, when you scale to a more production-like architecture, that's when you need the support and help. If you don't have it there in-house, you need to find that support. All of those tricky details which you maybe didn't do in that first phase, you need to do, and proper support will help. Make sure you have it. I would rate the solution eight out of ten. I'd rate it higher, but we got into some technical setups where we needed more expertise. We had to wait for that expertise. We got it, finally, through consultants, but we expected to get it more from the company. All they could do for us was point us in the direction of where we could get help.
Mule Anypoint Platform is a high-ranking solution that creates a communication layer between disparate systems to eliminate integration problems. The product retrieves and stores data streams from any source type, device, or application, both in the cloud and locally. Mule Anypoint Platform solves the most challenging connectivity problems across Software as a Service (SaaS), service-oriented architecture (SOA), and application programming interfaces (APIs) through connectivity, control, and...
I architected solutions using Oracle SOA/OSB, Spring Boot, MuleSoft Anypoint Platform on cloud / on-premises and hybrid modes;
What I see is though if you are an enterprise and have enough money then they can opt for Mule; All the enterprise level connectors like SAP etc. even connectors like FTPS are also charged additionally. Also you have multiple enterprise support models like Gold, Platinum and Titanium.
Another issue with Mule is it's complex licensing model and unclear/in complete documentation. Like for example in case of Mongo DB there is no way you can understand the significance of "connection string" based connectivity like LDAP based Authentication or X509 kind of connectivity.
Mule has Community Addition which is like Open Source but there are very few connectors to work with like HTTP, Database (Standard RDBMS), File, FTP etc.. But there's no support. Community support I frankly didn't see much neither the open-source cameraderie.
At the same time, I see MuleSoft as a Platform which can propel / transform any legacy enterprise into digital age.
Following are the reasons.
1. Mule comes with 100s of connectors for Communication protocols (HTTP, TCP, WebSockets, FTP, with Security etc..) + Data Protocols (Database, File, SAP, Salesforce) etc.. and supports a wide range of data formats like JSON / XML / CSV etc.
2. Mule Advocates API Led connectivity dividing the application into Data/System APIs (Abstracting Data Layer), Process APIs (A mash-up of System APIs), Experience APIs (supporting different UI Channels like Web, Mobile etc.) on top of Process APIs
3. It gives components a low code platform, with data transformation from one form to another form, Batch and other standard integration patterns like Routers/aggregators / scatter-gather etc.
The toolset and separation of concerns at each layer give a great level of flexibility for transforming any legacy enterprise into the digital age.
If you are an SMB or you have good developer workforce and you have standard integration scenarios like, File, FTP, Batch, Database or even otherwise -- you should look towards Spring Integration. You have great community and widely available documentation. Spring has other options for support as well as deploying to cloud to either VMware or as part of AWS Elastic Beanstalk.
The solution's API Designer and API Manager have improved the management of our client's already established APIs. The most valuable features of the solution are Design Center and Runtime Manager. Mule Anypoint Platform provides some basic security approaches, including HTTPS protocol and secure configuration opportunities. My recommendation to users is to use already described or already propagated best practices that help very much in development. The best advice for developers is to be part of the community. MuleSoft has a great community, including different channels or meetups that could help you a lot in certain cases. When you have some problems, you can address any developers, and they will be ready to talk to you. Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
You would need programming skills to use the product. I rate it a nine out of ten.
I rate the overall tool a seven out of ten.
The solution's maintenance is easy and can be done by one person. Overall, I rate Mule Anypoint Platform an eight out of ten.
I would definitely recommend Anypoint platform to anyone who is considering using it. Its main flaw is the costliness. Overall, I would rate it an eight out of ten.
I would say it depends upon the business. For small and medium businesses, there might be some restrictions as Mule is more of an enterprise middleware. However, I would still recommend they explore MuleSoft, even for small and medium businesses. But for enterprises, I would highly recommend it because of its scalability, high availability, and robust platform. These are features that you can typically find only in enterprise middleware like MuleSoft. Additionally, Salesforce is making it even better by introducing a lot of components. I've also heard that they are incorporating AI into MuleSoft for automated decisions, as mentioned by Salesforce. So, I would definitely highly recommend MuleSoft. Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten.
The product's maintenance part is easy and requires only one person. Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
I was the central point of contact for MuleSoft. I was not an integration developer, but I managed the entire structure of MuleSoft. MuleSoft Anypoint Platform is not just an API gateway platform but also an integration platform. Instead of using two tools or two applications, you can use one. Generally, your gateway will be separate, which is an exposure layer, and underneath, you will need to have your service desk established, where you write your integrations to connect to the back end. MuleSoft Anypoint Platform has got both into one. It's a good integration platform as a service tool recommended if you have a big budget. We have to be really careful and cautious about how we will design our APIs. We have to keep an eye on the reusability of APIs, which is very critical while using the MuleSoft Anypoint Platform. We never faced issues on the usage part. The solution's connections to third parties and ability to pull the data using APIs are brilliant. They have a bunch of platform APIs, and the data you see on the dashboard can be pulled out very easily using APIs. You can then push it to some BI tools or wherever you want. MuleSoft Anypoint Platform is a brilliant tool. If you have small use cases and don't have a huge amount of traffic being transferred between the APIs, the MuleSoft Anypoint Platform is the best-suited integration platform for you. You don't have to buy multiple applications and break your head to manage your observability and deployments because everything is integrated into one platform. Overall, I rate MuleSoft Anypoint Platform a nine out of ten.
Mule Anypoint Platform can be considered the leader in the market. After being bought over by Salesforce, it now has some added advantages. For any large or mid-level company that is going for multiple applications like SaaS-based applications, ServiceNow and Salesforce, the Mule Anypoint Platform is very useful. Small-scale companies choose other open-source and cloud-native solutions which are much cheaper in cost. There are other leaders like Dell Boomi and open-source Kafka, but the best part about MuleSoft is the foundation architecture they use which is highly scalable and reliable. The compatibility for the Mule Anypoint Platform is greater than other competitors. I would rate the product seven out of ten.
The initial setup of the Mule Anypoint Platform is simple. My team was trained in only a few weeks. The process of deployment took a couple of hours. My advice to others is for them to use the catalyst service. They help you get started and gradually let you be on your own. Mule Anypoint Platform is also highly convenient since my team was able to quickly set up the new team for the initial implementation. Within a few weeks, they began developing independently, gradually reducing the need for external support and focusing on efficiently running the system with internal resources. I rate the initial setup of the Mule Anypoint Platform a nine out of ten.
I would recommend others to use it because it's very easy to start. Overall, I rate it an eight and a half to nine out of ten.
I would rate Mule Anypoint Platform a nine out of ten.
There is cloud maintenance required for some customized setups based on the client's needs and their network. My advice to others thinking about implementing this solution is the benefits of the solution depend on the architecture they have. The Mule Anypoint Platform is one of the best integration solutions and they come up with new updates which are required, whereas other solutions, do not have the latest updates. Dell Boomi has not come up with an update in the last year. Mule Anypoint Platform keeps on updating itself with newer versions every four to six months. They have a lot of free connectors. They have bundles so you don't have to buy different licenses. It's easy to use, very easy to configure, easy to install, easy to maintain, very stable, and secure. I would recommend this solution to someone who is looking for API management and integration with one single license. I rate Mule Anypoint Platform a nine out of ten
You have to look at how it affects your integrations and how you are going to add value to the business once you've implemented it. Suppose you are doing integrations from two to three applications, and they're charging more for that purchase. Then, it won't be so effective for you down the line, like in two or three years. If that's the case, I won't prefer to go for MuleSoft Anypoint Platform. However, if by doing this integration it would actually increase productivity, increase the flexibility for future integration needs, and improve the return on investment, then MuleSoft Anypoint Platform is a good choice. I recommend this solution, and on a scale from one to ten, I would rate it at eight.
They should be knowledgeable about their industry. They should leverage the platform's use cases and try to deploy it only when it is required. I am a client of this product. I would rate Mule Anypoint Platform an eight out of ten.
I deployed Mule on On-Premises, Hybrid, Cloud and RTF as well. I will just list the pros and cons from my perspective.
Advantages:
1. Low code platform w.r.t. Integration toolset / kit -- throughout the API Life cycle
2. Well laid out development methodology -- if you go via COE approach.
3. Huge set of connectors
4. Large pool of developers with certification
Cons:
1. Pricing -- Calculation of Cores under different deployment models is really tricky
2. Premium connector pricing is high
3. No support for Workflows or human intervention OOB -- you need to go for another solution
4. No OOB solution for Rule Engine -- you need to go for Drools or some other solution
5. No visibility into VMs or very tight Application -- Core sync for example you can't deploy more than 1 application per VM or per docker instance in case of RTF.
6. You can't tune JVM level characteristics according to your need with options like Xms etc in the cloud
Hope this helps.
It's important to be aware of the cost implications of using this solution. Unless you know the extent to which you are going to use MuleSoft, you'll begin with a handful of APIs that need to be developed and then you'll start implementing more and more until you realize it's become quite expensive. I rate this solution eight out of 10.
We are a partner and a systems integrator. I would advise potential new users to look at the service and target destination, where there is an expectation of automation. I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten based on its overall scalability and flexibility. We're quite happy with it so far.
The issue seems to be the way they've positioned the product, advocating the experience layer, process layer and system layer through Mule. As it competes with the likes of webMethods, it rates as an eight out of 10. As an end-to-end solution, however, I would rate it a five at best.
I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten. We've mostly been very happy with the product's capabilities so far.
We work with our customers on integrating the solution. We aren't MuleSoft partners, nor are we direct end-users. The solution works across multiple deployment models, including on-premises and hybrid cloud. They also have their own managed cloud, which is the preferred method. I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten. If a company is interested in implementing the solution, first of all, they need to be clear with the requirements. They need to understand what exactly they were doing in terms of integration and they need to see what the current challenges are that they were facing. It's a good idea to analyze the different products which are available in the market. When a comparison is done, they are more likely to choose something that best fits their needs. A customer should never compromise on the quality of the product or the capabilities. If they plan to invest, they should do so by investing in a solution that has the best possible features for their budget.
I would rate Mule Anypoint Platform an eight out of ten.
I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.
We're just a customer. We don't have a business relationship with the company. I'm not sure of which version of the solution we are using right now. I'd recommend this solution to others. However, I'd advise that they be careful of the licensing terms. They're so convoluted. There are many hidden costs in the use of the product and you may not realize what it will actually cost until it's too late. Overall, I would rate the solution at a seven out of ten.
We work on all three models, that is, cloud, on-premises, and RTF. Nowadays, people are going for cloud solutions. The cloud model is good if you do not have any compliance issues for storing customer information on the cloud. However, if you have compliance issues, you can go for on-premises deployment. There is also RTF deployment, which is a new and very stable option. People who have used the RTF option found it to be very good. I would recommend this solution. I would rate Mule Anypoint Platform a nine out of ten.
I would rate this solution an eight out of 10.
The pricing is a bit high for clients. As a developer, and my superiors and architects agree, that this is the easiest tool to use. I've worked with two configuration technologies, one was open-source and there is a huge difference with this. This is the easiest and best tool available. Mule should consider lowering the price. The should make improvements for B2B enterprises I would rate it an eight out of ten as it's a very good product.
I would advise anyone interested that you need to make sure you're using the right patents. I think that's important. On a scale of one to ten, I would rate Mule Anypoint Platform an eight.
My advice for anyone considering this as a solution is first to get to understand exactly what resources will be needed from an architecture perspective. It is important to know how the MuleSoft Anypoint Platform works, what are the limitations, and the kind of consumption gradient they need. The idea would be to acquire enough resources — not too much that you overspend for nothing and not too low that there are performance or other problems. That was actually one of the good things about MuleSoft when we started to do our discovery or due diligence. In the presale process, a presale engineer explained some technical perspective on the MuleSoft solution and we were able to plan and handle it accordingly. They explained how their runtime how it works and what the provisions were. We had to decide how many cores we needed to get. They might delve into areas where we needed any additional explanation as to what they meant. They were very, very helpful because they assisted us in understanding instead of making anyone feel bad or have a difficult deployment because it was not so straightforward a process. They helped us to understand it and when you understand it, it becomes very easy from a planning perspective. On a scale from one to ten, one being the worst and ten being the best. I would rate this product about an eight. It is not a ten because of the problem with the connectors and right now the pricing models. Sometimes with pricing, you need to understand what you understand and when you need to be careful. The pricing may not be good or bad I don't know. In our case, it is what it is and we are satisfied. The thing that I saw was that other people who are dealing with MuleSoft, who don't have such a great relationship and perfect support team, might have misunderstood the pricing model. Because of that, the customer did not know what exactly they need to get and how the product filled their needs. So MuleSoft needs to keep their level of client education up to the level they did for us. Another thing with education has to do with training. There's not too much material on the MuleSoft cloud platform around anywhere. This is probably because at this point they have to do it by themselves because there is not a big community of users. It is very rare to find something on MuleSoft easily if you have an issue. You always can find information on Google and sometimes you can solve your issues. But what I am talking about is something a little bit more organized as clusters of information and videos. I wish I could get information from dedicated community platforms. It is maybe not something that they feel they can address, but maybe they actually can. Maybe they can create some kind of relationship with information and training platforms to introduce some awareness of their product.
We use the public cloud deployment model. We used to use the on-premises model, but we moved over to the cloud. I would advise others considering using the solution to do some kind of small project to start. Then, when you scale to a more production-like architecture, that's when you need the support and help. If you don't have it there in-house, you need to find that support. All of those tricky details which you maybe didn't do in that first phase, you need to do, and proper support will help. Make sure you have it. I would rate the solution eight out of ten. I'd rate it higher, but we got into some technical setups where we needed more expertise. We had to wait for that expertise. We got it, finally, through consultants, but we expected to get it more from the company. All they could do for us was point us in the direction of where we could get help.
It is a very good ESB tool for integration. It is easy to learn and their documentation is very well organized.