BMC Control-M Managed File Transfer vs Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct comparison

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between BMC Control-M Managed File Transfer 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 BMC Control-M Managed File Transfer vs. Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct Report (Updated: March 2024).
765,234 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Ahmed El Attar
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"Dashboard and recovery are the features I found most valuable in the solution.""BMC Control-M Managed File Transfer is highly stable. It is enterprise-grade software. Doing a job of 10,000 to 20,000 the solution is very stable.""There's another feature called Workload Archiving, where the data for all the jobs can be stored for however many days that we want, which is very useful for any historical analytics.""It saves a lot of time for maintenance.""What I like best about BMC Control-M Managed File Transfer is that it makes transfers more secure and faster. It has a recovery feature during failed file transfers.""This solution has a vast amount of features and with every new release, there are lots of new features introduced. The application has high availability—we have multiple customers and it's highly available. On an application level, if something goes down with the primary, then the application goes over to the secondary, so it's very, very easy to do disaster recovery. From an application integration point of view, it has a lot of APIs, rich APIs. Every month, they are releasing new APIs and new updates, like Java, but more than that. Now they are introducing a couple more APIs, which you can use to integrate your controlling environment with any applications you want.""The solution supports all file transfers.""It has a nice dashboard for loading up the file transfers, so it's easy to follow the success or failure rates of the operations."

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"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.""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.""Automation is the most valuable feature.""Security is the most valuable feature of this product.""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.""Offers secure file transfers with a fast and efficient protocol for very large files."

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Cons
"The structure between the Control-M/Server and Control-M/Agent could possibly be improved.""One can opt for either a job-based license or a job execution-based license, which sometimes can be troublesome. If the job count exceeds a limit, you may need to procure additional licenses from BMC.""Their support can be improved. I would like them to provide support in Spanish and have more knowledge.""There are eight different kinds of dashboards in Workflow Insights, but there could be more because there is third party software that provides more dashboard styles.""Scalability is something that needs to be improved.""I believe that the API should be upgraded with security control from the DM. There is Currently no security for the app API solution.""BMC Control-M Managed File Transfer has a scheduler and what they do is capture the steps based on the script, and then they put it into the Control-M job, or task. Any system that has the script behind it the solution can do it.""We're only using the functionality that we need to use. However, we've had an opportunity to work with one application owner here who wanted to do some transfers in the cloud and things like that. I know that there were some challenges on that, but they finally got all that set up. There was a learning curve though."

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"The user interface needs to be improved.""The user interface could be more user-friendly.""Technical support is the number one concern.""This solution cannot be deployed on a root_squash NFS, which limits superuser privileges.""User interface is not user friendly.""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.""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.""Sometimes we face issues and can't figure out the cause of failures."

More Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct Cons →

Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "Its cost is high for small companies."
  • "The licensing is a bit more expensive than other tools, so if a client is focused on the cost, that would be something to consider. The licensing should be cheaper."
  • "This solution is very expensive compared to others in the market. Previously it was the only solution in our country to offer this kind of functionality. However, technology has caught up and many competitors offer the same at a lower price."
  • "The license model is based on the number of tasks or jobs required. The price overall is expensive. In my country, we don't have any choice but to use them because no one can match their capability."
  • "BMC Control-M Managed File Transfer is expensive."
  • "I switched to this solution within the last year. I switched from the servers payment package to the job payment package, and it is very expensive."
  • "BMC Control-M Managed File Transfer has reasonable pricing. What you pay for is the task or job, and as it's a module, it's complimentary, so you save about twenty percent of the job cost."
  • "Apart from the standard license, if we avail any additional features, there's an extra cost. For example, Workload Archiving is an additional feature from the standard product, so we pay extra for that."
  • More BMC Control-M Managed File Transfer 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:It is a highly scalable solution...I rate the product's initial setup a nine on a scale of one to ten, where one is difficult, and ten is easy.
    Top Answer:I rate the solution's price a nine on a scale of one to ten, where one is low or really affordable, and ten is high or really expensive. It is a really expensive tool.
    Top Answer:I don't see any area where improvements are needed in the product since the tool has a lot of capabilities. One can opt for either a job-based license or a job execution-based license, which sometimes… more »
    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.
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    Average Words per Review
    550
    Rating
    8.7
    Views
    3,378
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    2,681
    Reviews
    5
    Average Words per Review
    522
    Rating
    8.8
    Comparisons
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    Overview

    Control-M Managed File Transfer is a market leader in the field of building, scheduling, and managing internal and external file transfers. Users of this solution are able to automate whole portions of the transfer process. They can set up a dynamic scheduling feature, which will activate once a transfer operation has concluded. This automatically updates the schedule of activities that your system is supposed to perform. However, this feature does not stop with simply setting a schedule. After the schedule is updated, the system will set those activities in motion. The automation relieves you of the need to assign a team to write scripts or any kind of manual work. This will ensure that everything runs on schedule while at the same time reducing the amount of resources necessary to make that happen.

    Control-M Managed File Transfer has a simplified and unified dashboard. Users are able to view and access all of the system’s file transfer information. This platform provides a high level of visibility and intuitive use. It ensures that users will be able to view any stage of their file transfer operations at any time that they wish. Users can conduct a quick search with specific pre-set search options and find any piece of information they might require.

    Key Features

    Some of Control-M Managed File Transfer’s key features include:

    • The ability to view and search any and all information related to the transfer of your files from a single dashboard. Control-M Managed File Transfer’s operations dashboard enables users to track all aspects of their file transfer with ease.
    • The ability to set up a virtual hub with users and folders based in the cloud. Control-M Managed File Transfer allows you to involve partners in your business ventures. This program gives users the ability to create a virtual space in which to house the files related to your business partners. You will be able to grant them access to this space by establishing them within the system as the users of the space. This will enable them to manage their files in a space that is connected to your system.


    Reviews from Real Users

    Control-M Managed File Transfer stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Two major ones are the robustness of the solution and its ability to integrate easily with other related programs. It is constantly being upgraded to meet the varied needs of its users.

    A software engineer at a computer software company notes the robust nature of this solution when he writes, “This solution has a vast amount of features, and with every new release, there are lots of new features introduced. The application has high availability - we have multiple customers and it's highly available. On an application level, if something goes down with the primary, then the application goes over to the secondary, so it's very, very easy to do disaster recovery.”

    Another PeerSpot user, who is an RPA-WLA BU director at a tech services company, takes note of how easy it is to use Control-M Managed File Transfer in conjunction with other products. They point out, “It is easy to use and integrate with different solutions. It is a good solution that is easy to implement and deliver.”

    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
    British Sky Broadcasting
    HZMO, Bank of Communications
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Computer Software Company30%
    Recruiting/Hr Firm20%
    Financial Services Firm20%
    Insurance Company10%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Financial Services Firm32%
    Computer Software Company13%
    Insurance Company7%
    Manufacturing Company5%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Financial Services Firm43%
    Computer Software Company10%
    Government7%
    Insurance Company6%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business25%
    Midsize Enterprise40%
    Large Enterprise35%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business13%
    Midsize Enterprise13%
    Large Enterprise74%
    REVIEWERS
    Midsize Enterprise14%
    Large Enterprise86%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business12%
    Midsize Enterprise7%
    Large Enterprise80%
    Buyer's Guide
    BMC Control-M Managed File Transfer vs. Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about BMC Control-M Managed File Transfer vs. Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct and other solutions. Updated: March 2024.
    765,234 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    BMC Control-M Managed File Transfer is ranked 3rd in Managed File Transfer (MFT) with 21 reviews while Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct is ranked 6th in Managed File Transfer (MFT) with 7 reviews. BMC Control-M Managed File Transfer is rated 8.8, while Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct is rated 8.2. The top reviewer of BMC Control-M Managed File Transfer writes "Adaptable, useful file transfer, and has helpful technical support". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct writes "Good automation features but needs improvement in the monitoring dashboard ". BMC Control-M Managed File Transfer is most compared with MOVEit, IBM Sterling File Gateway, Axway AMPLIFY Managed File Transfer, Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT and CA XCOM Data Transport, whereas Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct is most compared with IBM Sterling File Gateway, Kiteworks, Aspera Managed File Transfer, MOVEit and Control-M. See our BMC Control-M Managed File Transfer 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.