DCIM in the AI Era: The Now, the New, and the Next of Data Center Infrastructure Management
Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) software is evolving in three overlapping stages: Now (a unified ingestion and observation layer across power, cooling, and IT systems), New (expanded control functions, including bandwidth management), and Next (generative and agentic AI built on top of that monitoring foundation). Understanding which stage a platform actually operates in is the single most useful filter for evaluating DCIM vendors in 2026 and beyond.