Has IBM's IT Automation Software Gotten Better?
IBM Instana dashboard
IBM
There are two ways to answer the question posed in the headline. The simple answer is yes, IBM has continued to invest in acquisitions including HashiCorp and DataStax, leading to a more robust portfolio of products for enterprise IT shops. But, after attending IBM's Think conference in 2024, I walked away with concerns about this emerging portfolio of software. In particular, it seemed that IBM was struggling to develop an integrated product and go-to-market strategy. I was left scratching my head in terms of what advice I could give customers on how to engage with IBM and get some joint value out of these related but different solutions. Heading into last week's Think 2025, I wanted to be convinced that things were different despite more acquisitions.
For the most part, I got what I was hoping for.
(Note: IBM is an advisory client of my firm, Moor Insights & Strategy.)
Last year I didn't think that IBM's software wasn't good or that it was lacking features. My concern was that IBM did not have a clear message about what made a number of point-products better together. For example, why would a longtime Apptio (IBM) customer consider switching to Instana (IBM) when they were perfectly happy with Instana competitor Dynatrace? Additionally, at Think last year IBM announced a new product called Concert that sounded kind of like Instana in some ways. So even if I did not already use a competing product, which IBM product should I buy?
This year was quite different, and IBM was very clear about what it needed to change and what it ended up doing.
I walked away from Think 2025 feeling much better than the previous year. But, I also think that for anyone evaluating IBM's IT Automation software, all factors need to be considered. Three of these stand out to me.
As I stated earlier, I feel that a year has made a big difference in IBM's IT Automation software. And I think IBM gets what it needs to do to attract and satisfy customers. There were many more demos this year. The conversations were frank about how customers are using the technology in the real world. And I heard quite a bit about how much IBM has learned from these acquisitions, suggesting (I hope) that newer acquisitions may go smoother. On that front, I'm excited to see where we stand in another year with HashiCorp — which I'll be writing more about soon.
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