The DCIM Value Stack – Driving Efficiency and Cost Savings

 Let’s face it – there’s a lot of hype in the Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) marketplace these days. And every time you turn around, another self-proclaimed DCIM vendor has joined the party with its own interpretation of DCIM.  

Here’s the reality: true enterprise-class DCIM is more than a point product or monitoring tool. It may use these tools to extend its overall value, but it’s not limited to or defined by them. Rather, it’s an open software suite giving users holistic command-and-control over the entire physical ecosystem. Point products are inherently incapable of providing this functionality. 

To put it another way: DCIM can’t afford to solve just one problem. It must be able to solve many problems. It must be able to support the broad capabilities of the DCIM Value Stack. 

I will be talking about the DCIM Value Stack at the upcoming DCD Phoenix event on October 29 at the Hyatt Regency in Phoenix, Ariz., in a presentation titled, “DCIM Value Stack: Driving Efficiency, Cost Savings, and Business Value in the Data Center.” I will be joined by my colleague Jennifer Roback, regional technical manager at CommScope.  

The DCIM Value Stack represents an open, extensible, broad-based approach to DCIM encompassing six functional areas that can drive important business value for data center owners and operators. With the DCIM Value Stack approach, you can begin your “DCIM journey” in any functional area you choose, and then stretch into other areas as your comfort level with DCIM expands.  

What’s the bottom line? As you evaluate DCIM vendors today, you should ask yourself: 

• Does the DCIM vendor have a product roadmap that can accommodate the DCIM Value Stack approach? 

• Do they have an open platform (suite) that can get you there? 

If you have any questions about the DCIM Value Stack or my presentation material from the show, leave a comment below and I will be sure to respond. 

About the Author

Daniel Fry

Daniel Fry, vice president of software development at iTRACS, leads a nationally-recognized development team known for innovation, agility, and the rapid delivery of value to customers. Dan’s award-winning team is helping organizations unleash the power of DCIM to drive efficiency and optimize capacity utilization in some of the world’s most complex data centers and enterprise infrastructure environments. Prior to his leadership position driving innovation at iTRACS, Dan held software development positions at Telocity and DirectTV Broadband.