Best DCIM Software Vendors of 2023
Data center professionals have reached a breaking point. Data center infrastructure has grown too complex and distributed to manage with legacy tools like Excel, Visio, and homegrown systems. Manually updating multiple spreadsheets and diagrams for every change in the data center takes too much time and the information is too inaccurate to trust.
Instead, industry leaders are turning to Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) software to simplify data center management by gaining a holistic view of all their data center assets and resources in a single pane of glass. Keep reading to learn what is driving DCIM adoption, who the top players are, and how to pick a DCIM vendor that’s right for you.
The State of DCIM in 2023
- The DCIM market reached $2 billion in 2022 and is projected to continue growing at a CAGR of 20%, reaching $20 billion in 2032.
- Of those using DCIM software, 10% use commercially procured tools, 23% use homegrown tools, and 67% use a mix of both.
- 85% of DCIM users have integrated their tool with at least one other system to drive data center automation. The most popular tools being integrated are ITIM (52%), ITAM (38%), power monitoring (35%), and BMS (28%).
- 90% of DCIM users report that the tool helps support their sustainability efforts.
- 78% of data center outages in the past three years were preventable. Maintaining uptime is a key driver of DCIM adoption.
- 25% of outages cost more than $1 million and 45% cost between $100,000 and $1 million.
- 83% of enterprise data center operators reported that rack densities have risen over the last three years. As such, DCIM is being leveraged to make more informed capacity planning decisions.
Top 5 DCIM Vendors
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Sunbird Software
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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
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From the DCIM vendor:
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Vertiv
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From the DCIM vendor:
- “As industry experts, we collaborate with our customers to envision and build future-ready infrastructures. We leverage our portfolio of hardware, software, analytics, and services, to enable our customers’ vital applications to run continuously, perform optimally, and scale with business needs.”
- Useful links to learn more about Vertiv:
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From the DCIM vendor:
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Schneider Electric
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From the DCIM vendor:
- “We provide energy and automation digital solutions for efficiency and sustainability. We combine world-leading technologies, real-time automation, software and services into integrated solutions for Homes, Buildings, Data Centers, Infrastructure and Industries.”
- Useful links to learn more about Schneider Electric:
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From the DCIM vendor:
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Nlyte
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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 about Nlyte:
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From the DCIM vendor:
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openDCIM
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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 about openDCIM:
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From the DCIM vendor:
How to Compare DCIM Vendors
There are many DCIM tools on the market, but they are not all created equal. Choosing the right tool is critical for having a successful DCIM project and getting the best return on your investment.
Once you’ve determined your key needs and goals for deploying DCIM software, consider these best practices to ensure you make the right choice.
- Leverage customer testimonials and case studies to determine the most proven and reliable vendors.
- Engage in a proof-of-concept (POC) process with your prospective vendors to test your use cases with your own data. If a vendor will not participate in a POC, consider that a red flag.
- Pay attention to how much time and resources your POC consumes. A smooth POC and excellent technical support team are strong indicators that the vendor is committed to your success.
- Compare the licensing models of your prospective vendors. Find out if their solutions are all-inclusive or if you are going to get nickel-and-dimed for modules and services.
- Ask your vendors to provide customer references that are in your industry or have similar use cases so you can learn firsthand how they like the product.
- Attend your vendors’ user groups, if they have them, to see how they provide training and partner with customers to develop their roadmap.
Conclusion
Managing modern data centers requires a modern DCIM tool, but with many tools on the market, it’s important to select the best vendor for you.
The right vendor will provide a comprehensive solution that not only meets your needs but will partner with you and provide the ongoing support you need to manage your data centers with ease.
To see a top vendor for yourself, test drive the DCIM voted #1 by customers today.
Sources
- https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/data-center-infrastructure-management-market
- https://uptimeinstitute.com/uptime_assets/6768eca6a75d792c8eeede827d76de0d0380dee6b5ced20fde45787dd3688bfe-2022-data-center-industry-survey-en.pdf
- https://www.nlyte.com/company/overview/
- https://www.se.com/us/en/about-us/
- https://opendcim.org/
- https://www.sunbirddcim.com/about-us
- https://www.vertiv.com/4992d9/globalassets/documents/infographics/vertiv-ig-en-gl-fact_sheet_final_103563_06.pdf