Why is Jazz/RTC a better choice than Microsoft Team Foundation Server (TFS)?
Lately, I had a discussion with a customer that is considering Jazz/RTC and Microsoft's Team Foundation Server (TFS). This was in the systems engineering/embedded software arena. Both are ALM solutions, both are integrated with Eclipse and Visual Studio, and several other similarities. Both IBM and Microsoft are strong companies with a long history in software development.
When asked to explain why RTC is a better choice as TFS, I struggled. Can anyone help me explain why RTC (or Jazz in general) is a better choice for the long run?
When asked to explain why RTC is a better choice as TFS, I struggled. Can anyone help me explain why RTC (or Jazz in general) is a better choice for the long run?
Accepted answer
Jazz is better in the long run for two strategic reasons. These have nothing to do with with the usual, "I like my tools better" arguments, but has to do with long term strategy towards software development.
1) Because you have choices. If you don't like the Jazz SCM, or have a team that doesn't like Jazz SCM, you can use Subversion. OSLC and Eclipse provide the ability to plug in a variety of software development tools into your environment, without a lot of heavyweight integrations. This gives you flexibility now, and in the future.
2) Because you have transparency. Jazz provides a platform for making your software development teams more transparent, and therefore more accountable. Dashboards and web access means that stakeholders can see the status of their requests, and can track them. It allows them to better understand the conflicting pressures a software development team is under, and pushes business decisions back into the lines of business (in the case of an IT shop).
I could go on for hours on this topic, but I will spare you. Just see my blog entries on "Jazz, Transparency and what comes next?" (http://dtoczala.wordpress.com/2011/01/20/jazz-transparency-and-what-comes-next/), and "Collaboration and Innovation - It's not all tools" (http://dtoczala.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/collaboration-and-innovation-its-not-all-tools/).
1) Because you have choices. If you don't like the Jazz SCM, or have a team that doesn't like Jazz SCM, you can use Subversion. OSLC and Eclipse provide the ability to plug in a variety of software development tools into your environment, without a lot of heavyweight integrations. This gives you flexibility now, and in the future.
2) Because you have transparency. Jazz provides a platform for making your software development teams more transparent, and therefore more accountable. Dashboards and web access means that stakeholders can see the status of their requests, and can track them. It allows them to better understand the conflicting pressures a software development team is under, and pushes business decisions back into the lines of business (in the case of an IT shop).
I could go on for hours on this topic, but I will spare you. Just see my blog entries on "Jazz, Transparency and what comes next?" (http://dtoczala.wordpress.com/2011/01/20/jazz-transparency-and-what-comes-next/), and "Collaboration and Innovation - It's not all tools" (http://dtoczala.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/collaboration-and-innovation-its-not-all-tools/).
One other answer
Check this link:
http://www-01.ibm.com/software/in/rational/migratetoibm/rtc/index3.html
By the way, I used to interact with you on CCIUG before and nice to see you again :)
