by Brianna Crandall — April 18, 2014—In today’s market, mere minutes of data center downtime can cost businesses millions of dollars in lost revenue, reminds market research and consulting firm Navigant Research. This criticality has created an atmosphere of risk aversion in data center operations, along with a culture of uncontrolled and uninformed spending on assets and resources to ensure an acceptable, albeit hazy, margin of reliability, adds the firm.
As data centers’ importance and capacity have grown, so have their costs, particularly relating to energy consumption. Businesses are struggling to contain these costs, while governments and environmental entities are attempting to establish measures to manage the rise in energy use and the effects it will have on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and global warming.
However, recent analysis by Navigant Research indicates that these days are coming to an end, and that data center infrastructure management (DCIM) systems are fundamentally changing the landscape for managing complex data center environments. DCIM software and services are reportedly opening “tremendous opportunities” for data centers to become more manageable and efficient.
The software is enabling deep visibility into all aspects of a data center’s operations—from facilities operations to information technology (IT) management, and bridging the silos of responsibility between facilities and IT personnel that have long existed in a data center, according to the report.
“DCIM—the software, systems, and services that monitor, measure, and help control data centers’ IT and facilities infrastructure—is quickly becoming a must-have technology for managers of modern data centers,” says Eric Woods, research director with Navigant Research. “The need for data centers to improve their energy efficiency while meeting an ever-growing demand for IT capacity will drive annual spending on DCIM software and services from less than $700 million in 2013 to more than $4.5 billion by 2020.”
The DCIM vendor landscape is as diverse as the technology itself, according to the report. The resources and brand recognition of large end-to-end software, hardware, and service providers, such as Schneider Electric, Emerson Network Power, and Raritan, give them an immediate advantage over competitors. But smaller software-centric companies, such as Cormant, Modius, iTRACS, NetApp, FieldView Solutions, and Future Facilities, also provide unique and competitive solutions, adds the report.
The report, Data Center Energy and Infrastructure Management: Software and Services Market Trends, Key Functionalities, Supply- and Demand-Side Market Dynamics, Data Center Energy Efficiency, and Global Market Forecasts, analyzes the global DCIM market. The study assesses current market trends and dynamics, the key functionalities of DCIM solutions, and how these systems and services benefit data centers around the world.
Global market forecasts for DCIM spending and market share, broken out by region and market segment, extend through 2020. The report also features profiles of key industry players and a discussion of regional drivers and hurdles. An Executive Summary of the report is available for free download on the Navigant Research Web site.
