The #1 Reason Your DCIM Tool May Not Deliver
By Jan Durnhofer - October 26, 2015Extra, extra! DCIM vendors recently discovered something earth-shattering: customers just need a tool that is easy to use and flexible so that it can adjust to a set of specific problems in their Data Center… Further, it seems that customers have been mostly unfazed by all the psychobabble, acronym changes and other gimmicks that DCIM vendors have been…
Learn MoreKill Those Zombie Cables Haunting Your Data Center
By Jan Durnhofer - September 24, 2015It’s been a few weeks since we posted our last DCIM blog (a 4-part series on choosing a DCIM software). What have we been up to? We were rolling out the newest version of our DCIM and network documentation software netTerrain. As part of this release, we added some outstanding features, including a few that…
Learn MoreHow to Choose the Right DCIM Solution (pt. 5): Pulling the Trigger
By Jan Durnhofer - July 22, 2015In parts 1 and 2 of this series, we discussed the importance of discovering your organization’s unique needs and the features you would need from a DCIM tool. We talked about identifying the core tenets of a system such as openness, security, flexibility, network visualization and so on. In part 3, we outlined the importance…
Learn MoreHow to Choose the Right DCIM Solution (pt. 4): Basic Vendor Research
By Jan Durnhofer - July 21, 2015In the previous article, we discussed how to determine if you’re really at the research and demo stage. If you have determined that yes, you do have pain points that DCIM can solve, and you do have buy-in from your organization, the next step is to narrow down a DCIM vendor from all the options…
Learn MoreHow to Choose the Right DCIM Solution (pt. 3): Are You Ready?
By Jan Durnhofer - July 14, 2015In the two previous posts of this series, we discussed the importance of discovering your organization’s unique needs and the features you may need from a DCIM tool. We went on to cover identifying the core tenets of a system such as: openness, security, flexibility, visualization and so on. Now that you have a solid…
Learn MoreHow to Choose the Right DCIM Solution (pt. 2): Architecture and Usability
By Jan Durnhofer - July 9, 2015In our previous blog, we started with an intro to How to Choose the Right DCIM Solution. We gave you a definition of DCIM and then enumerated different functions that usually fall under the large category of “DCIM”. Alright: so you’ve identified some of the features you need from that list, and you start looking for…
Learn MoreHow to Choose the Right DCIM software: Introduction
By Jan Durnhofer - May 18, 2015So: you’ve been tasked with finding the right Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) tool for your organization. In baseball, before you step up to the plate, you first take a look at the whole field. The same is true for DCIM. This blog series will explore the ins and outs of choosing the right software…
Learn MoreOur latest webcast: Unmarrying Visio – Automated Network Documentation
By Jan Durnhofer - February 19, 2015Check out our latest webcast: Umarrying Visio!
Learn MoreGN News Issue #4: the Eagle has landed, 6.0 is here!
By Jan Durnhofer - December 16, 2014We’re wrapping up another successful year here at Graphical Networks, and we’re excited about what’s coming up in 2015! We have some interesting things to talk about in this fourth installment of our newsletter, such as our new Intel integration, version 6.0, our next tradeshow and more. Happy documenting! The Eagle has landed! Version 6.0…
Learn MoreGraphical Networks integrates Intel® Data Center Manager (DCM) for DCIM
By Jan Durnhofer - December 8, 2014Graphical Networks, a Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) and Network Documentation software provider, has embedded Intel DCM Energy Director into its comprehensive DCIM solution. Graphical Networks’ new version of netTerrain, which will be announced this week, now, includes a new DCIM Environmental Monitoring module powered by Intel DCM Energy Director, offering real-time monitoring of power, temperature…
Learn MoreIt’s the usability, stupid!
By Jan Durnhofer -A few years ago we were researching cloud-based CRM tools to replace our homegrown system. It came down to two vendors. One was extremely simple. Few clicks, clean interface and fast. It lacked many features though. The other one was more complex and many functions were not that obvious. You needed to immerse yourself in the product…
Learn MoreWhat Network Documentation is NOT
By Jan Durnhofer - October 14, 2014When it comes to network documentation I sometimes feel like justice Potter Stewart, referring to the threshold test for obscenity: “I know it when I see it”. Organizations come in many shapes and sizes, engineers can be very creative under tight budgets, and everybody has a different way of tackling a problem, so when you…
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