Unified Solution for IT and OT Asset Management: Equinix and Sunbird Integration

As businesses grow, the complexity of managing both physical and virtual assets across owned and leased data centers has become increasingly challenging. Traditionally, IT and Operational Technology (OT) teams have worked with siloed tools to manage their respective domains. On one hand, Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) systems have focused on managing critical infrastructure like power, cooling, and in-rack devices. On the other, asset management tools have been designed for IT-specific needs such as equipment monitoring, utilization, and lifecycle management.

The fragmented nature of these tools creates inefficiencies as multiple tools require manual correlation of IT services and IT assets to physical resource utilization and capacity management. Enterprises struggle with incomplete data visibility, redundant processes, and the difficulty of maintaining consistent performance across physical and virtual environments. As hybrid data centers evolve, a unified solution becomes essential to manage IT and OT assets seamlessly, improving decision-making and optimizing operational costs.

Uptime Institute has recently defined DCM-C software as a set of products that monitor, manage, and in some cases control a data center’s facilities and IT assets – both on premises and across hybrid IT environments.  Figure 1 below shows the core functions of Uptime’s DCM-C framework with the dotted arrows signifying integrations between separate software tools. DCIM sits in the center, operating as a hub for other functional software products that may be integrated.

The Importance of a Unified Approach for DCIM and In-Rack Asset Management

A unified approach to managing IT and OT assets brings significant benefits, particularly for organizations balancing owned and leased infrastructure. This is where a solution like the integration of Equinix’s colocation services and Sunbird’s DCIM platform becomes crucial.

Why Unification is Needed

Managing disparate systems requires considerable manual intervention and leaves room for errors. A unified solution offers a single, integrated dashboard—a "single pane of glass"—that provides a holistic view of data center operations and asset management. By consolidating power consumption, environmental monitoring, asset tracking, and virtualization into one platform, enterprises gain real-time insights that improve efficiency, streamline operations, and reduce errors.

Single Pane of Glass

Sunbird’s DCIM software ingests data from Equinix’s colocation services through API integration. This enables enterprise customers to manage both IT and OT assets within one interface. This "single pane of glass" improves operational visibility, reduces complexity, and eliminates the need to toggle between multiple systems.

Analysis of the Current Unified Solutions

The integrated solution from Equinix and Sunbird is designed to provide end-to-end visibility into both infrastructure and assets across distributed environments. Here’s how it stands out in the marketplace:

Equinix and Sunbird Integration

Equinix offers a global network of colocation data centers, providing companies with scalable infrastructure. By combining this with Sunbird’s robust DCIM capabilities, enterprises can monitor power consumption, in-rack devices, and cooling across both owned and leased data centers. This integration provides a centralized view of IT and OT assets, allowing for more streamlined management and optimization of resources.

Comparative Analysis

Several competitors offer DCIM and asset management solutions, but few provide the seamless API integration that Equinix and Sunbird offer. These tools provide similar functionalities but often lack the depth of integration between leased and owned infrastructure. Equinix and Sunbird’s combination provides a distinct advantage in offering visibility across all assets, regardless of physical location.

Financial and Environmental Benefits

• Cost Efficiency. Unified management systems help businesses consolidate toolsets, reducing costs associated with licensing, maintenance, and support. Moreover, by gaining a comprehensive view of energy consumption across data centers, businesses can optimize power usage, directly lowering operational expenses. With Sunbird ingesting Equinix’s DCIM data, businesses can identify underutilized resources, reduce overprovisioning, and cut unnecessary costs.
• Operational Efficiency. Streamlined operations are another major benefit. Monitoring everything from power and cooling to asset utilization through a single interface allows IT and OT teams to collaborate more effectively.  The additional integrated telemetry helps customers to optimize utilization of capacity while balancing introduction of overprovisioning and risk to operations.  Real-time insights also improve response times for outages or performance issues, reducing downtime and associated costs.
• Scalability and Flexibility. For enterprises operating in multiple locations with a combination of owned and leased data centers, scalability is crucial. The unified solution enables seamless management of assets, regardless of their physical or virtual nature, allowing businesses to scale efficiently as their operations expand.

Case Study: The world’s leading Credit Union's Adoption of the Equinix/Sunbird Unified Solution

• Background. One of the world’s leading Credit Unions in the United States, faced increasing challenges in managing its sprawling IT infrastructure. With a mix of physical assets spread across owned and leased data centers, the organization required better visibility and control over its infrastructure to ensure compliance, security, and operational efficiency.
• Implementation. By adopting the Equinix and Sunbird unified solution, the Credit Union was able to centralize asset and power management under one platform. The integration of Sunbird’s DCIM system allowed the Credit Union to ingest critical operational data from Equinix’s colocation centers and manage everything from power consumption to equipment status across its entire footprint.
• Outcomes. As a result, the Credit Union achieved significant operational cost reductions, improved monitoring capabilities, and enhanced visibility across its entire infrastructure. The "single pane of glass" approach allowed IT and OT teams to collaborate effectively, addressing issues more quickly and improving overall uptime.

Challenges in Adopting Unified Solutions

While the benefits are clear, many enterprises encounter challenges when adopting unified solutions for IT and OT asset management.

• Organizational Barriers. One of the key challenges is the division between IT and OT departments in many enterprises. IT teams focus on managing digital assets, while OT teams manage physical infrastructure. Unifying these disciplines requires a cultural shift, and the integration of tools can be met with resistance if the organizational structure is not aligned.
• Technology Integration. Legacy systems and tools can make the transition to a unified solution difficult. Integrating with existing infrastructure, migrating data, and training staff on new systems can take time and require careful planning to avoid disruption.

Future Trends in Unified Solutions for DCIM and Asset Management

• Technological Advancements. As the demand for unified solutions continues to grow, emerging technologies like AI, LLM, and predictive analytics will play a greater role in optimizing asset management and DCIM. AI-driven automation can help predict equipment failures, optimize power usage, and streamline decision-making processes.
• Market Direction. The future of unified solutions lies in the increasing need for centralized management of hybrid and multi-cloud environments. As businesses continue to shift to public/private cloud and hybrid architectures, solutions that provide holistic management capabilities for both physical and virtual assets will be essential.

Conclusion: Next Step Recommendations and Strategic Advice for Businesses

Key Takeaways

The integration of Equinix and Sunbird’s DCIM solution offers a compelling unified approach to managing both physical and virtual assets across owned and leased data centers. The financial, operational, and environmental benefits of this solution are clear, and it addresses many of the challenges enterprises face when managing IT and OT assets separately.

Actionable Steps

For businesses considering this transition, the following steps are recommended:

• Assess Current Tools. Conduct a thorough evaluation of current DCIM and asset management tools to identify gaps and inefficiencies.
• Evaluate Integration Needs. Understand the technical requirements for integrating existing systems with a unified solution. For example, what data needs to flow from what which system to streamline and enhance which operation. 
• Pilot the Solution. Begin with a small-scale pilot of the Equinix and Sunbird solution to test its functionality and gather feedback from IT and OT teams.
• Develop a Transition Plan. Create a detailed roadmap for scaling the unified solution across your organization, ensuring alignment between IT and OT teams.

By adopting a unified solution, enterprises can gain the visibility, efficiency, and scalability they need to stay competitive in today’s complex IT and OT landscape.

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