App Connect is similar to Apigee but is less complicated. Apigee is very good when it comes to VBI management, but it's not an ESB solution. 

We evaluated MuleSoft and Dell Boomi.

We also looked at open source solutions.

We tried to start using other solutions in our projects, but found they were not simple to use. We are using App Connect because it's a more comprehensive solution that can handle many projects.

We went with IBM for Cast Iron because we had already been using IBM products. This solution fits with what we needed it to do and with the rest of our landscape, i.e., the other IBM products.

A vendor that we trust and that's been around, is the most important criteria while selecting a vendor.

We looked at other products such as MuleSoft.