Emerson Outlines Trellis DCIM Strategy

Emerson Network Power's new Trellis software for data center infrastructure management (DCIM) won't be ready until early next year. But Emerson this week provided additional details for what the transition will mean to existing customers using its existing Avocent, Aperture and Liebert DCIM products.

"We are now in a position to work with new and existing customers to outline exactly how they can adopt the Trellis platform and experience unparalleled control over data center operations," said Steve Hassell, president of the Avocent business of Emerson Network Power. "Our commitment has been to advance the state of Data Center Infrastructure Management while protecting our customers’ investments in the technology they are using today."

Current users of Liebert SiteScan, Avocent Data Center Planner, and Aperture management software solutions will have a migration path to the Trellis platform "while benefitting from additional functionality that provides greater visibility and control of data center operations via a closed-loop control system," Emerson said.

In emphasizing the importance of DCIM tools in its plans, Emerson noted that its acquisitions of Aperture and Avocent represent a more than $1.25 billion investment. Trellis will combine the capabilities of its predecessor software products, along with new features to support users in the rapidly evolving DCIM market. In January, Emerson named its own CIO, Steve Hassell, to head up the newly formed division that encompasses the Aperture and Avocent brands.

"The demand for data center services is growing rapidly, and the interactions among applications, IT equipment, power, and cooling are getting more complex," said John Stanley, research analyst for Eco-efficient IT at The 451 Group. "In order to achieve high efficiency, high availability, and low total cost of ownership, datacenter operators need to be able to understand each piece of the system, as well as how the pieces fit together."