Mulesoft Anypoint API Manager Review

Functional:  Integrate Supply Chain automation; Financial System integrations

Technical: Expose API's to Trading Partners

It's provided a complete and architecturally sound solution for building publicly facing API's that can be consumed and invoked by client-side devices, such as mobile. Calling APIs from JavaScript sounds easy, but it must be secure and performance driven. Mulesoft allows for that.

Integrating cloud to cloud or SaaS to on premise has its considerations, and Mulesoft improves the development, design, and implementation of integrating federated systems and datastores across clouds, networks, and domains.

• Ability to create and test API "microservices" using RAML
• Develop policies that can be applied and re-used across API's and trading partners
• Strong security and integration to identity providers to protect public facing APIs
• Intuitive development tools based on fundamental computer science concepts, drag/drop
• Simple cloud and hybrid cloud deployment models. Good security by putting each application onto a separate VM in the cloud.
• Large set of connectors
• Innovative concept with "Connector Marketplace" which is similar to Salesforce.
• Solid integration with DevOps and continuous integration tools.
• Good build for its transformation, translation, and orchestration features. For example, visual mapping, an IDE for building visual flows, drag and drop connectors and templates.

• Mulesoft doesn't provide a complete stack. For example, it doesn't have BPM/Workflow, BAM, or Identity Management products.
• The User Interfaces on the Mulesoft tools aren't as nice as some of it's competitors.
• Improved business level analytics is currently on the roadmap.
• We created a framework for transaction management since one is not provided out of the box.

There have been no stability issues.

Good scalability in AWS/EC2.

Customer Service:

10/10 - They have a very strong customer success and professional services team.

Technical Support:

9/10 - They're very quick to help with tickets and deploy fixes.

I have used Software AG webMethods and Oracle SOA Suite at other customers, but none have switched.

I've implemented it both ways. Their vendor team is 10/10 for their RapidStart program to help customer with their initial use cases.

Consider cloud vs. on-premise. Have a good vision of your medium term needs so you can plan for growth. Develop an API/integration roadmap

For API we looked at Apigee, Axway, Mashery, and CA Layer 7.

For ESB/SOA we looked at SAG webMethods, and IBM.

Our approach is to know your use cases (through workshops), and map them back to vendor capabilities to scorecard the platforms.