Smart Innovators: Unified Data Centre Management Platforms (2026)

Executive Summary

Unified data centre management moved to the forefront of operational strategy in 2025, driven by surging AI workloads, power constraints, sustainability pressures and rising expectations for resilience. As traditional data centre infrastructure management (DCIM) tools struggle to keep pace with higher densities and more volatile operating conditions, operators are turning to unified platforms that integrate IT, power and operational technologies, contextualize live data and enable more intelligent, facilities-centric decision-making. This report benchmarks 17 unified data centre management platform providers, drawing on vendor questionnaires, in-depth interviews and Verdantix research to assess core capabilities and emerging innovations. It evaluates how platforms are evolving beyond monitoring, towards analytics-led optimization, automation and grid-aware operations. Data centre operators should use this report to navigate a fragmented and fast-moving market and align platform selection with operational goals, while vendors can use it to refine positioning and prioritize product development in an increasingly competitive landscape.