Kiteworks vs Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct comparison

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Kiteworks Logo
1,725 views|1,222 comparisons
100% willing to recommend
IBM Logo
3,353 views|2,599 comparisons
71% willing to recommend
Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Kiteworks and Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Managed File Transfer (MFT) solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.
To learn more, read our detailed Kiteworks vs. Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct Report (Updated: March 2024).
768,246 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"We could see whether the customer with whom we shared a file had downloaded it, which was not available with GitHub.""We can see when people are sending things. We can definitely see who is sending to whom. From the administrative logs, we can see who is sending to an outside entity, and those logs are retained for quite a while.""The most valuable feature is the ability to allow end-users to manage their own information and data with minimal administration. That's the best feature from my perspective.""The best part of this solution is that we can generate multiple reports about how the data is transferred and about user information or IP.""The top two features are the two-factor authentication, which is pretty good. It's easily understood by the users. And their API is rather robust. We have numerous integrations that work off the API.""The most valuable feature is the ability to send a large file of 30 GB in size and more. In Outlook and other email applications, you cannot send files that are larger than 20 MB. But with Kiteworks, 30 GB is transferable by default and, with the proper approval, a file of up to 100 GB can be sent. It makes file transfer very easy and smooth.""I like Kiteworks or Accellion because it's continuously upgraded. I also know that it probably works with a lot of clients.""The most valuable aspect of Kiteworks is undoubtedly the private content network. This feature is particularly beneficial for us. Furthermore, it serves as a centralized platform that enables us to track and manage our information exchange."

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"Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct is a solution that is on the market for a very long time. There is an integrator that has been developed and evolves every year. On the roadmap, there is always a new integration. For example, it's one of the solutions in the market that out of the box can handle EBICS protocol. The file processing is done very well. By default, there are a lot of configurations that can be customized.""The Security Plus feature of this solution is excellent, and allows you to send encrypted files very securely to remote destinations.""The product has been very stable.""Offers secure file transfers with a fast and efficient protocol for very large files.""The most valuable feature is that it provides 100% reliability for file transmission. It ensures that files get delivered in a secure manner. When you use Connect:Direct, your file 100% gets delivered to the next delivery location. If the log shows that a file got delivered, it will have all the transmitted data without truncation or other data issues.""Security is the most valuable feature of this product.""Automation is the most valuable feature."

More Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct Pros →

Cons
"We have experienced a few hiccups and bugs when using the admin console and from a user perspective.""It would be nice if Kiteworks could provide a free version of the platform so that it could be used for a certain number of file transfers. We could be charged a fee if we exceeded the number of allotted file transfers.""File location could be improved.""I would like to see immediate releases of fixes because now it takes at least a week. If that time span can be reduced to one day or two days, that would be very helpful for users so that things are sorted and transactions work smoothly.""In my experience, their technical support can be a little slow.""It could be more stable. In the next release, it would be better if it was more stable with improved performance.""The one feature, which I have also requested directly to Kiteworks, is to have a scheduled upgrade function. Currently, one of my engineers logs in after hours for the upgrade. We're a hospital, and we're 24/7, but the primary users are seven to five. So, we log in the early evening just to push a button to tell it to do the update. It would be nice if that could be very easily scheduled.""There is no offboarding process for end-users in Kiteworks. It's a manual process. There is no automated syncing with LDAP and checking to see if the account is still active. It's a manual process to get people out of here, which isn't the best way."

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"Sometimes we face issues and can't figure out the cause of failures.""This solution cannot be deployed on a root_squash NFS, which limits superuser privileges.""They have File Agent, which is an additional utility and a component of Connect:Direct, for automated file transmission. In that utility, there is some issue with the file name. There is a limitation on the file name, and that is being fixed by IBM.""Technical support is the number one concern.""The user interface could be more user-friendly.""Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct could improve by adding some of the functionality that some other vendors have. For example, GoAnywhere has call agents, which are small clients that can be installed on the endpoints and can be handled by the central point on the server. If I want to do this with the IBM solution, I have to sell a lot of account addresses. The price could be unprofitable for the customer. There is some small functionality that could be implemented and could be easily done to improve this solution.""The user interface needs to be improved.""User interface is not user friendly."

More Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct Cons →

Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "It is not really expensive. I mean, to me it's obviously expensive, but it's worth it."
  • "I believe it's a little costly, but given the faith that we put into it from a security perspective to maintain the integrity of our patient information that is being transferred through this system, that's a small price to pay. So, on the surface, it might look like a lot of money, but depending on the need for security, which is where we feel it shines, it's okay price-wise."
  • "They changed it midstream. We were being charged a certain flat rate for SFTP traffic. For whatever reason, at the beginning of the year, our pricing changed, and we are now being charged more for using a feature of the product than we were when we first bought it. That has been our experience with billing. It turned out to be more expensive than when we started with it."
  • "The license management is changing and confusing. If I could make one change to it, it would be better license management through the API."
  • "The price of Kiteworks is reasonable."
  • "The solution is very expensive because we are buying with Malaysian Ringgit and it's sold in US dollars."
  • More Kiteworks Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "Annual licensing fee."
  • "The price and licensing of Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct is expensive."
  • More Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:Kiteworks is a secured file sharing platform that enables users to collaborate with different parties across a robust offering of secured protected channels. Users have the option of virtual private… more »
    Top Answer:The benefits that Kiteworks has provided to its customers in terms of data sovereignty.
    Top Answer:There is room for improvement in terms of support. My team always faces challenges in accessing fast resolution for the issues.
    Top Answer:There is room for improvement in monitoring. We don't have good visibility tools and monitoring, so I believe there may be some enhancement needed in its monitoring dashboard.
    Ranking
    Views
    1,725
    Comparisons
    1,222
    Reviews
    10
    Average Words per Review
    871
    Rating
    8.8
    Views
    3,353
    Comparisons
    2,599
    Reviews
    4
    Average Words per Review
    397
    Rating
    9.0
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    Accellion
    Learn More
    Overview

    Kiteworks empowers organizations to effectively manage risk in every send, share, receive, and save of sensitive content over numerous communications channels: email, file sharing, managed file transfer, APIs, and web forms. The Kiteworks platform unifies, tracks, controls, and secures sensitive content moving within, into, and out of an organization, significantly improving risk management and ensuring regulatory compliance.

    IBM's Sterling Connect:Direct is a software product that offers security-hardened, point-to-point file transfers to reduce reliance on insecure File Transfer Protocol (FTP) transmissions. It is designed for high-volume file distribution within and between businesses. The solution guarantees more reliable file movement, from batch integration and movement of large images or catalogs to synchronization with distant sites. Sterling Connect:Direct also enables hybrid cloud deployment through certified containers, allowing for simple and consistent deployment lifecycle management.

    Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct Features

    Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:

    • Performance capabilities such as extraordinary scalability and low latency.
    • Automated, dependable file transmission that permits unattended, round-the-clock operations.
    • Designed to run on a variety of operating systems, including Microsoft Windows, UNIX, Linux, IBM z/OS, OpenVMS, i5/OS, and HP NonStop.
    • Advanced security features with cutting-edge encryption to meet regulatory and industry standards.
    • IBM certified containers for Sterling Connect:Direct are enterprise-grade, secure product editions that are scalable, secure, easy to install, and manage update and rollback processes. They also have integrated common software services for consistent deployment lifecycle management.
    • Boosts transfer speed for large files over high-speed networks by up to four times the previous speed while reducing latency.
    • Gives existing FTP transfers the ability to retry, checkpoint, and compress existing transfers.
    • Supports a variety of network protocols, including TCP/IP, Systems Network Architecture (SNA), and an optional high-speed add-on based on Aspera FASP technology.

    Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct Benefits

    There are many benefits to implementing Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:

    • High performance: Takes care of your most demanding workloads, including multi-gigabyte files to large volumes of small files.
    • Reliable file delivery: To help ensure predictable, assured file delivery, it offers automated scheduling, checkpoint restart, and automatic recovery.
    • Secure transmission of files: Maintains the confidentiality of customer information and supports regulatory compliance measures.
    • Speed up patching and installation: By deploying your solution with a certified container that contains all necessary components, you can drastically cut installation and patch time from hours to minutes.

    Reviews from Real Users

    Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Two major ones are its robust file processing and its security for file transfers. PeerSpot users take note of the advantages of these features in their reviews:

    Michele I., Business Unit Manager at Innovery, writes of the solution, “The file processing is done very well. By default, there are a lot of configurations that can be customized. Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct is one of the stronger MFT solutions in the market, it is available in each type of installation, and offers SaaS, PaaS, YaaS, on-premise.”

    Camilo M., Pre-sales Engineer at Dell EMC, mentions, “It's a great tool because it offers secure file transfers and it has a fast and efficient protocol for very large files.”

    Sample Customers
    United States Securities and Exchange Commission, National Health Service, Husch Blackwell LLP, NYC Health + Hospitals, Viatris, MITRE Corporation, Chubb, Kraft Heinz, KPMG, Kohler, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Purdue Pharma, AVL
    HZMO, Bank of Communications
    Top Industries
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Government14%
    Financial Services Firm12%
    Computer Software Company8%
    Manufacturing Company7%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Financial Services Firm43%
    Computer Software Company10%
    Government8%
    Manufacturing Company5%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business23%
    Large Enterprise77%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business20%
    Midsize Enterprise14%
    Large Enterprise66%
    REVIEWERS
    Midsize Enterprise14%
    Large Enterprise86%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business13%
    Midsize Enterprise7%
    Large Enterprise80%
    Buyer's Guide
    Kiteworks vs. Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Kiteworks vs. Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct and other solutions. Updated: March 2024.
    768,246 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Kiteworks is ranked 6th in Managed File Transfer (MFT) with 12 reviews while Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct is ranked 8th in Managed File Transfer (MFT) with 7 reviews. Kiteworks is rated 8.8, while Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct is rated 8.2. The top reviewer of Kiteworks writes "A unified, secure way to share sensitive content, with no file size limitations". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct writes "Good automation features but needs improvement in the monitoring dashboard ". Kiteworks is most compared with MOVEit, Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT, SharePoint, Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense and Box, whereas Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct is most compared with IBM Sterling File Gateway, Aspera Managed File Transfer, MOVEit, Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT and BMC Control-M Managed File Transfer. See our Kiteworks vs. Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct report.

    See our list of best Managed File Transfer (MFT) vendors.

    We monitor all Managed File Transfer (MFT) reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.