I’ve crossed paths with IBM many times in my career. The first laptop I ever saw had their logo on it, and years ago, I nearly joined them as an applied researcher. IBM is a legendary company, no doubt.
IBM operates several product segments: cloud and AI, or IT infrastructure and managed services, IBM Z mainframes, and quantum computing. Axway is a long-time IBM Silver Partner, providing solutions in z/OS mainframe environments.
But today, at Axway, we meet customers who are moving away from IBM’s file transfer and integration solutions and choosing us instead. The question is why.
IBM is strong, but its resources are spread across a broad product portfolio, so many companies are asking: What exactly is IBM’s focus today? At Axway, our focus is crystal clear: helping customers succeed in B2B integration, managing partner ecosystems, and automating with APIs, AI-driven optimization, and seamless EDI/API unification. That clarity, combined with our customer-first approach, is why companies are making the switch.
Of course, this isn’t an independent evaluation, but what follows are several stories; lived experiences of IT leaders making tough decisions, that — from our own perspective and analysis — demonstrate why some are making the change from IBM to Axway.
Healthcare and materials leader
A global player in healthcare, agriculture, and advanced materials migrated from Sterling to Axway B2Bi. Hundreds of maps, SAP integrations, database connections — the complexity was massive. What made it work? A close partnership. By acting as a trusted advisor, our services teams introduced new strategies to reduce testing, accelerate rollouts, and protect production environments. The result: faster time-to-value and smoother operations.
Logistics at scale
One major logistics provider has thousands of trading partners. Reliability is everything. If integration stops, their supply chain stops. For years, IBM has been their partner, and now, they use Axway for a more efficient, always-on B2B integration backbone. The choice allowed them to scale and adapt to the demands of modern e-commerce logistics, with Axway ensuring critical flows continue operating in the most efficient manner.
Global beauty manufacturer
A household-name cosmetics manufacturer was stuck with outdated, costly software. Vendor management was under pressure: budgets were shrinking, but integration costs were not. Axway’s B2B Managed Cloud Service took away the burden of platform management and gave them modern, reliable, scalable operations. Now they have standardized processes, reduced costs, and more time to focus on supply chain innovation instead of maintenance headaches.
Leading grocery chain
A major grocery retailer faced constant disruptions. Hundred-gigabyte files were failing, partner onboarding was slow, and visibility was poor. Their platform was not delivering, and the risk of lost revenue was growing. Axway provided the resiliency, scale, and expert migration services needed to stabilize their supply chain and give executives confidence in their operations again.
See also: 6 signs that your EDI provider might be overselling their capabilities
Financial services
One financial company had long relied on Sterling, but support quality and a disruptive licensing model forced a rethink. After another issue, they had had enough. Axway’s reputation for world-class support, transparent value, and executive-level visibility sealed the deal. With Axway Business Network, they gained cost efficiency and peace of mind.
Smarter partner networks in logistics and manufacturing
Managing partner relationships can be slow and expensive. One global logistics company transformed that experience with Axway Business Network. Self-service setup, automated onboarding through APIs, and instant reporting replaced days of manual effort. The payoff: reduced costs, faster integration, and greater visibility. Another global manufacturer echoed the same sentiment, adding that Axway’s transparent pricing eliminated hidden fees and simplified budgeting.
The Takeaway
IBM is a remarkable company with a long history. But when customers want clarity, efficiency, and customer-focused innovation, they increasingly choose Axway. From healthcare to logistics, retail to finance, companies are making the switch because we put their success at the center.
Curious to explore what that might mean for you?