Data center infrastructure is growing increasingly complex, distributed, and difficult to manage. Edge computing, retail, and remote deployments are on the rise, and the COVID-19 pandemic has driven data center teams to work from home with minimal personnel onsite and no visibility into what is going on in their environments. 

Remote data center management tools are no longer optional in the new normal. Data center professionals are increasingly turning to Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) software to remotely visualize their data centers, intelligently manage assets and plan capacity, issue work orders to remote hands, share data across functional domains, and monitor power and environmental health across the entire deployment.

The State of DCIM in the New Normal
Remote data center management tools have become a top priority for organizations as they reallocate budgets and find funds to implement them. Operators understand the additional efficiency and productivity DCIM software provides, and they are developing comprehensive remote data center management strategies to succeed going forward. Consider the following key trends:

• The DCIM market is expected to reach $4.5 billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 20%.
• Currently, 42% of data centers use commercial DCIM software while 31% use homegrown tools.
• According to 451 Research, capacity planning is the #1 feature driving DCIM adoption.
• Uptime Institute reports that 90% of data center operators plan to increase their use of remote monitoring and management tools. 73% plan to increase the automation of their facilities.
• Surveys conducted by IDC found that, as a result of COVID-19:
  • 78% of organizations experienced an impact on their data centers due to supply chain constraints, limited physical access, and higher demand on services.
  • 72% plan to increase their colocation footprint.
  • 40% were limited in their ability to manage their infrastructure.
• In a survey by Sunbird Software, users reported their top objectives for DCIM software were:
  • 84%: Monitor and report power, energy, and environmental readings
  • 72%: Capacity planning of space and power
  • 66%: Asset management
  • 43%: Power and data connectivity documentation and visualization
  • 37%: Change management and remote hands/work orders

Top 5 DCIM Vendors to Get You Started
To get the most value for your time and money, focus your vendor research on providers of modern DCIM software that is easy to use and seamlessly integrates with your other management tools. Whether this is your first DCIM software deployment or you are replacing your current tool, start with this list of the top 5 DCIM vendors for 2021 and beyond.

Sunbird Software
* Ranked the #1 DCIM Solution by Data Centre Magazine (September 2020)

From the DCIM vendor:
“Sunbird Software is changing the way data centers are managed through second-generation DCIM software. With a focus on real user scenarios for real customer problems, we help data center operators manage tasks and processes faster and more efficiently than ever before, while saving costs and improving availability.”

Useful links to learn more about Sunbird Software:

• Website: https://www.sunbirddcim.com/
• Screenshots: https://www.sunbirddcim.com/dcim-screen-shots
• White Papers: https://www.sunbirddcim.com/dcim-white-papers
• Case Studies: https://www.sunbirddcim.com/dcim-case-studies
• Reviews: https://www.sunbirddcim.com/reviews

Vertiv
From the DCIM vendor:
“With a history of industry-changing solutions and a well-earned reputation for innovation, Vertiv and its partners continue to raise the bar in the areas of power, cooling, access and control, monitoring, and manageability.”

Useful links to learn more Vertiv:

• Website: https://www.vertivco.com/en-us/
• Reviews: https://www.gartner.com/reviews/market/data-center-infrastructure-management-tools/vendor/vertiv/

Schneider Electric
From the DCIM vendor:
“We drive digital transformation by integrating world-leading process and energy technologies to realize the full efficiency and sustainability opportunities for your business. We provide end-point to cloud integration connecting products, controls, software and services. We enable lifecycle solutions from design and build to operate and maintain phases through a digital twin. We deliver capabilities to transform from site-to-site to an integrated company management. Our integrated solutions are built with safety, reliability and cybersecurity for your homes, buildings, data centers, infrastructure and industries.”

Useful links to learn more Schneider Electric:

• Website: https://www.se.com/us/en/
• Resources: https://www.se.com/ww/en/work/solutions/for-business/data-centers-and-networks/cloud-based-dcim-software-dmaas/
• Reviews:  https://www.gartner.com/reviews/market/data-center-infrastructure-management-tools/vendor/schneider_electric

Nlyte
From the DCIM vendor:
“Nlyte Software helps teams manage their hybrid infrastructure throughout their entire organization—from desktops, networks, servers, to IoT devices—across facilities, data centers, colocation, edge, and the cloud.”

Useful links to learn more Nlyte:

• Website: https://www.nlyte.com/
• Resources: https://www.nlyte.com/resource/
• Reviews: https://www.gartner.com/reviews/market/data-center-infrastructure-management-tools/vendor/nlyte-software/product/nlyte

openDCIM
From the DCIM vendor:
“This is openDCIM, a free, web based Data Center Infrastructure Management application. DCIM means many different things to many different people, and there is a multitude of commercial applications available. OpenDCIM does not contend to be a function by function replacement for commercial applications. Instead, openDCIM covers the majority of features needed by the developers – as is often the case of open source software. The software is released under the GPL v3 license, so you are welcome to take it, modify it, and share it with others, as long as you acknowledge where it came from.”

Useful links to learn more openDCIM:

• Website: https://opendcim.org/
• Screenshots: https://opendcim.org/screenshots.html 

Conclusions
There are more than 50 DCIM vendors currently on the market that range drastically in quality. Since 25% of DCIM projects fail on the first attempt and 10% fail completely, it’s critical that you select a battle-tested vendor with a large installed base of satisfied customers. Choose a DCIM vendor focused on your success that will partner with you and provide the remote data center management expertise to enable the best return on your investment.

To learn more about what to expect from a top DCIM vendor, visit https://www.sunbirddcim.com/we-know-data-centers

Sources
https://451research.com/about-us/our-research/research-channels/internet-of-things
https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/data-center-infrastructure-management-market
https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/manage/remote-data-center-management-investments-pay-pandemic
https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/manage/remote-data-center-management-tools-are-no-longer-optional
https://www.datacentremagazine.com/top10/top-10-dcim-solutions/sunbird-dcim
https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=US46752920
https://www.nlyte.com/company/overview/
https://opendcim.org/ https://www.se.com/ww/en/about-us/company-profile/
https://www.sunbirddcim.com/about-us
https://www.sunbirddcim.com/sites/default/files/451_Reprint_Sunbird_21AUG2020.pdf
https://www.sunbirddcim.com/video?video_category=242&video=
https://www.vertiv.com/en-us/about/
https://uptimeinstitute.com/uptime_assets/b1a8d0aaf2242ce37a10764f87c06c728ac9e7521b7ae934ff71d5b3e66596ff-post-pandemic-data-centers.pdf