Data Interoperability or FME ESRI Edition?
FME wins:
Workbench you can control 'Manipulate' your data in a much more refined way. (see below) Feature Merging Attributes only with another geometry)
Excellently logging (on screen/to file)
Open Beta Program - Nightly Builds can be used by all (good to test new features or see fixes)
Consistent upgrades 4 per year (Released in January, Q1-Q4 as Service Packs)
Better Support (contact with-in 24hrs or less)
*Only a user of FME not associated with them. Floating Licenses - Can easily be increased.
Next Full Release is out 20th January 2012 (FME Desktop 2012)
Certainly the main differences that I'm aware of that would make me lean towards a complete license to FME Desktop are as follows:
- The ESRI Data Interop does not support Raster data.
- It only supports about 100 formats, not the 250+ as supported by FME Desktop 2011/2012.
- It's true that your support will be through ESRI, not Safe or one of their resellers.
- The build of FME is fixed at launch of ESRI Data Interop so for example if you have ArcGIS 9.1 you are fixed to FME 2006GB. You also can't get access to any of the new features released in the Service Pack cycle or the BETA programme.
- When using the Data Interop you'll always check out an ESRI license thus depleting your license pool by 1.
- Sharing FME workspaces is not possible as you can't save out to a *.FMW.
To be clear I believe that if you already have an Interop license there is an option to upgrade that license directly with Safe if you ask, that will get you full-fat FME Desktop, then you just have to pay the year 2+ maintenance and so on.
Hope that helps.