DCIM

Quick Overview

COMMON MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT DCIM
DCIM has changed over the years from a monitoring function to a proactive management practice. As such, today there are several misconceptions surrounding DCIM. Although monitoring to identify cost and utility savings, answer capacity issues, and plan for expansion continues to be an integral function, DCIM is about more than environmental monitoring. DCIM continues to move towards more practical management processes that migrate many functions of the data center past its own walls to align with overall corporate goals. In observing the expanding role of data center integration into the entire enterprise, Gartner put out a report that cautions IT leaders to move away from a traditional strategy of continuous acquisition to one of continuous life cycle management. With their holistic view and integrated reporting capabilities, data center infrastructure management software can support strategies for optimization, reliability, and cost-effectiveness that will better position IT leaders to build a case for future capital expenditures and growth.

The data center infrastructure management market took hold and gained acceptance when Gartner began an in-depth look at the practice. Gartner now conducts a yearly analysis of top DCIM tool vendors and issues a report to assist decision makers. Their “Magic Quadrant” report is based on two areas: Completeness of Vision and Ability to Execute. This year’s report highlights eight vendors over four areas of analysis. Gartner and numerous other research organizations also put out reports and white papers on best practices, trends, and market solutions that are useful if you’re evaluating DCIM for your organization or want to update your existing system.