Stonebranch Universal Automation Center (UAC) is a widely used workload automation platform that helps IT teams orchestrate critical processes across hybrid environments. However, with the workload automation market projected to reach $3.81 billion by 2025, businesses have an expanding array of options when it comes to selecting the right vendor.
While Stonebranch boasts strong capabilities, organizations must evaluate their unique needs and environment to determine if an alternative solution may be a better fit. This blog provides an in-depth analysis of the top 5 alternatives to consider instead of Stonebranch UAC in 2024.
The Growing Importance of Workload Automation
Before analyzing the leading options, it’s important to understand what’s driving the rapid growth and adoption of workload automation solutions.
The workload automation market is expected to grow at 10% CAGR from 2020 to 2025. This growth is fueled by:
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Hybrid IT landscapes: With more organizations leveraging a mix of on-premise, private cloud, and public cloud infrastructures, the need for workload automation that spans these environments is crucial.
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Digital transformation: As companies undergo digital transformation initiatives, automating processes through IT becomes critical for modernization and competitiveness.
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Business agility: Workload automation provides the agility to quickly configure and adjust workflows to align with changing business needs.
According to MarketsandMarkets, the top drivers for adoption of workload automation are:
- Need for better resource utilization – 32%
- Desire to automate repetitive tasks – 28%
- Goal to increase productivity – 22%
Clearly, implementing a robust enterprise-grade workload automation solution has become a priority for IT leaders. While Stonebranch is a long-standing market leader, it‘s important to consider alternative options that may better fit your environment and use cases.
Overview of Stonebranch Universal Automation Center
Let‘s briefly recap Stonebranch UAC‘s capabilities before analyzing the top alternatives:
- Workload automation – automates IT processes across hybrid infrastructure
- Job scheduling – central management of workload execution
- Data pipeline orchestration – connects data workflows across systems
- Real-time monitoring – enables tracking of workload performance
- Intuitive web interface – allows managing automation via centralized dashboard
Stonebranch supports workload automation across a wide array of platforms including mainframes, ERPs, databases, and big data frameworks like Hadoop.
It ranks as a "Leader" in Gartner‘s Magic Quadrant for Workload Automation. However, it placed lowest among Leaders in "Completeness of Vision", indicating limitations in platform expansiveness and innovation compared to alternatives.
User Ratings
- Gartner – 4.0/5 based on 1 review [1]
- G2 – 4.5/5 based on 74 reviews [2]
- PeerSpot – 3.8/5 based on 4 reviews [3]
Next, let‘s analyze the top 5 workload automation alternatives to Stonebranch in 2024.
1. ActiveBatch by Redwood Software
ActiveBatch is a workload automation solution built for enterprise job scheduling and IT process automation. It aims to connect disparate systems into unified workflows.
Key capabilities:
- Drag-and-drop workflow designer
- 3000+ pre-built job steps
- Connectors for ERPs, databases, apps
- Scheduling, queuing and balancing
- Alerting and on-demand monitoring
- Auditing, compliance reporting
- Hybrid/multi-cloud support
Use cases:
- Automating IT operations and processes
- Streamlining data pipeline orchestration
- Simplifying SAP workflow automation
- Managing file transfers between systems
ActiveBatch is designed for the complex automation needs of large enterprises, but offers cloud-based options for small to midsize organizations as well.
It serves regulated industries like finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and government.
User Ratings:
- Capterra – 4.8/5 based on 52 reviews [5]
- Gartner – 4.3/5 based on 61 reviews [6]
- G2 – 4.6/5 based on 171 reviews [7]
- PeerSpot – 4.6/5 based on 16 reviews [8]
- TrustRadius – 9.1/10 based on 29 reviews [9]
Market Presence:
ActiveBatch holds a 8.9% share of the workload automation market according to PeerSpot data.
Figure 1: ActiveBatch‘s market share compared to competitors. Source: PeerSpot
Pros
- Intuitive drag-and-drop automation
- Extensive pre-built integration library
- On-premise or SaaS deployment
Cons
- Steep learning curve for new users
- Limited capabilities for mainframe automation
Clearly, ActiveBatch warrants strong consideration as an alternative to Stonebranch for organizations seeking robust connectivity across systems and applications.
2. Redwood RunMyJobs
RunMyJobs by Redwood Software is a SaaS-based workload automation solution. It focuses on automating processes across cloud and on-premises environments.
Key features include:
- Automation for legacy systems and ERPs
- Workload balancing and distribution
- Real-time dashboards and alerts
- Analytics for forecasting
- Flexible hybrid automation
Use cases:
- Cloud workload management
- Automating jobs in SAP, Salesforce, Oracle
- Connecting AWS, Azure, and on-premise
- Batch processing and data orchestration
RunMyJobs serves midsize to large enterprises in retail, manufacturing, finance, and healthcare sectors.
It offers easy integration with platforms like SAP S/4HANA through pre-built connectors that don‘t require additional installations.
User ratings:
- Capterra – 4.8/5 based on 33 reviews [11]
- G2 – 4.7/5 based on 117 reviews [12]
- PeerSpot – 4.8/5 based on 19 reviews [13]
- TrustRadius – 9.5/10 based on 28 reviews [14]
Market presence:
RunMyJobs holds a 7.1% share of the workload automation market.
Figure 2: RunMyJobs market share vs top competitors. Source: PeerSpot
Pros
- Fast and easy set up as SaaS
- Intelligent workload distribution
- Pre-built connectors for ERPs
Cons
- Less flexibility for customization
- Limited options for on-premise deployment
For organizations that favor SaaS delivery over on-premise installations, RunMyJobs is a compelling alternative to evaluate against Stonebranch.
3. JAMS Scheduler by Fortra
JAMS Scheduler by Fortra is an enterprise job scheduler and workload automation solution. It focuses on automation across platforms like Windows, Unix, Linux, and IBM i Series.
Key capabilities:
- Job scheduling and workflow automation
- Centralized web console for control
- Monitoring, auditing, and alerts
- Integrations with ERPs, DBs, tools
- Customizable security roles
Use cases:
- Automating tasks across hybrid IT
- Orchestrating data pipelines
- Scheduling mainframe batch jobs
- Workload monitoring and visibility
JAMS serves heavily regulated industries including banking, healthcare, insurance, and telecom.
Over 20% of Fortune 100 companies use JAMS for mission-critical automation.
User ratings:
- Capterra – 4.5/5 based on 19 reviews [18]
- G2 – 4.7/5 based on 142 reviews [19]
- PeerSpot – 4.5/5 based on 21 reviews [20]
- TrustRadius – 7.9/10 based on 43 reviews [21]
Market presence:
JAMS holds a 6.3% share of the workload automation market.
Figure 3: JAMS Scheduler‘s market share. Source: PeerSpot
Pros
- Powerful automation for mainframes
- Granular and customizable security
Cons
- Steep learning curve
- Limited cloud capabilities
For large enterprises with mainframes or strict regulatory compliance needs, JAMS provides a robust alternative worthy of consideration.
4. Control-M by BMC Software
Control-M by BMC is an enterprise-grade workload automation solution focused on automating IT workloads. It aims to simplify and modernize job scheduling.
Key capabilities:
- Workload automation
- Centralized dashboard
- Predictive analytics
- Application integrations
- Hybrid IT support
Use cases:
- Automating ETL processes
- Scheduling jobs in Hadoop ecosystems
- Workload monitoring and control
- SLA compliance reporting
- Batch processing optimization
Control-M is designed for media, manufacturing, retail, and financial services. It has over 3,200 customers worldwide.
User ratings:
- Capterra – 4.3/5 based on 3 reviews [22]
- G2 – 4.3/5 based on 54 reviews [24]
- PeerSpot – 4.4/5 based on 47 reviews [25]
- TrustRadius – 7.9/10 based on 109 reviews [26]
Market presence:
Control-M holds a 5.7% share of the workload automation market.
Figure 4: Control-M‘s market share. Source: PeerSpot
Pros
- Advanced predictive analytics
- File transfer management
Cons
- Complex and steep learning curve
- Stability issues per some users
For larger enterprises seeking robust analytics and file transfer capabilities beyond Stonebranch, Control-M is a strong contender.
5. Automic Workload Automation
Automic Workload Automation, formerly known as IBM Workload Automation, is an enterprise-scale automation solution. It focuses on automating workloads across platforms and applications.
Key capabilities:
- Workload automation
- Job scheduling and monitoring
- Application and data integrations
- Scalability across infrastructures
- Dashboards and analytics
Use cases:
- Automating jobs across mainframes
- Workload orchestration and monitoring
- ETL and data pipeline automation
- Operational analytics and forecasting
Automic customers include large enterprises in banking, retail, healthcare, insurance, and more.
User ratings:
- Capterra – 4.0/5 based on 8 reviews [27]
- G2 – 4.3/5 based on 13 reviews [28]
- PeerSpot – 4.0/5 based on 4 reviews [29]
- TrustRadius – 7.3/10 based on 7 reviews [30]
Market presence:
Automic holds a 5.0% market share.
Figure 5: Automic‘s market share compared to leading workload automation vendors. Source: PeerSpot
Pros
- Massive scalability across platforms
- Powerful mainframe automation
Cons
- Less user-friendly for non-experts
- Limited SaaS delivery options
For complex hybrid environments, Automic warrants consideration as alternative with robust cross-platform automation.
Key Evaluation Criteria for Alternatives
When evaluating Stonebranch against workload automation alternatives, key criteria include:
| Feature | Evaluation Criteria |
|---|---|
| Breadth of automation | Platforms supported, pre-built integrations, connectivity between systems |
| Delivery model | SaaS, on-premise, hybrid options |
| Interface and usability | Ease of use, flexibility, automation capabilities |
| Hybrid IT support | Ability to automate across on-premise, private/public cloud |
| Analytics and visibility | Monitoring, forecasting, optimization abilities |
| Scalability | Ability to manage workload growth and complexity |
| Security and compliance | Role-based access, auditing, reporting abilities |
Organizations must weigh factors like hybrid infrastructure landscape, scalability requirements, regulatory compliance needs, and IT skillsets and preferences when selecting the right vendor.
Carefully matching solution capabilities against current and future needs can help identify the best alternative for your environment and use cases.
The Bottom Line
While Stonebranch offers robust workload automation capabilities, the solution may not be the ideal choice for every company. The leading alternatives highlighted in this post warrant evaluation to determine which is the best fit.
Key takeaways when considering alternatives:
- ActiveBatch provides powerful automation with 3000+ pre-built integrations
- RunMyJobs simplifies cloud and hybrid automation, especially for SAP
- JAMS excels at mainframe and complex platform automation
- Control-M offers advanced analytics not found in Stonebranch
- Automic has massive scalability across on-premise and cloud
Thoroughly assessing your workload automation needs and comparing solution features will help identify the right vendor for your IT requirements and environment.