CommScope Acquires iTRACS in DCIM Deal

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A screen shot displaying some of the 3-D capabilities of data center modeling software from iTRACS Corp. (Graphic courtesy iTRACS)

Consolidation was to be expected in a crowded DCIM field, and CommScope has struck in a big way, acquiring iTRACS Corporation, a provider of enterprise-class data center infrastructure management (DCIM) technology. The acquisition expands CommScope’s solutions for supporting enterprise customers' infrastructure management requirements.

The transaction was completed Monday and terms are not being disclosed. CommScope funded the acquisition from cash on hand and funds available under its revolving credit facility.

iTRACS was previously a privately-held company principally located in Tempe, Ariz., with a 25 year track record in physical infrastructure management. It helps enterprises improve operational efficiency, maximize capacity utilization, reduce costs and optimize the business value of their infrastructure investments. More than one-third of its customers are in the Global 500/Fortune 500, with 1.6 million square feet managed in one customer’s site alone.

"Together with iTRACS, we can provide business enterprises around the world with the broadest and best possible solutions for designing, managing, monitoring and planning data center infrastructure," said Kevin St. Cyr, senior vice president of Enterprise Solutions, CommScope. "iTRACS Converged Physical Infrastructure Management (CPIM) will build upon CommScope’s imVision solution to position us with a platform that we believe will bring to our customers best-in-class network and power infrastructure documentation and asset management. This open architecture platform, coupled with a 3D visual modeling that is second to none in the DCIM market segment, provides a complete visual representation of the entire physical ecosystem, including energy consumption, thermal conditions, network connectivity, power connectivity, and can incorporate additional statistics like server performance and storage capacity."

DCIM is a rapidly growing field as enterprises recognize its strategic value.

"iTRACS brings CommScope an unparalleled understanding of enterprise connectivity through its rich history in intelligent infrastructure," said St. Cyr. "iTRACS understands the interconnectivity and interdependencies in the physical layer—and how to manage those interrelationships to optimize the performance of the logical layer—better than anyone. We look forward to combining iTRACS’ award-winning software portfolio with CommScope’s global reach, deep expertise and robust data center solutions portfolio. The benefits and synergies of two leaders coming together to provide world class solutions are a compelling story for our customers and can set a new standard in what DCIM can do and be.”

iTRACS CPIM provides a holistic view of the entire physical ecosystem of a data center and dynamically understands how a change or failure of a single device in the ecosystem affects the performance of all other devices and conditions in the environment. The platform allows users to see, understand, manage and optimize these dynamics continuously in a real-time visualized 3D environment.

iTRACS said it believes open-systems alliances and partnerships are vital for the future and the company intends to honor and build on those relationships.

"iTRACS combines unparalleled interconnectivity expertise and best-of-breed visualization capabilities in an open-systems, management-based platform that transcends vendor-lock or proprietary constraints," said Elizabeth Given, president and chief executive officer, iTRACS. "We empower infrastructure owners and operators with holistic, actionable insight that drives knowledge-based decision-making across the entire multi-vendor ecosystem. Decision-makers can proactively align their IT resources to the shifting needs of the business; leverage cloud, big data, and other technology game-changers; maximize business continuity; and optimize the business value of the entire infrastructure investment. By joining CommScope, we look forward to creating an unmatched portfolio of open-systems intelligent infrastructure management that will drive a new level of business value for enterprises around the world."

For more background on iTRACS and its technology, check out our series of Industry Perspectives columns from Gary Bunyan of iTRACS.