Computerworld - CHICAGO -- AFCOM members have always been interested in standards affecting things such as the cabling in data centers. But at last week's conference, there seemed to be growing interest in standards that can have a broad impact on IT and data center management -- including, but not limited to, ITIL.
For instance, Steve Hernandez, Omaha-based director of enterprise management and processing services at First Data Corp., is participating in an effort to promote the Data Center Markup Language.
DCML, which is being spearheaded by the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards, can be used by IT vendors to improve product interoperability. The standard allows hardware devices and management systems to work with one another, potentially improving data center management as well as the ability to configure and document IT facilities.
Although Hernandez said he doesn't know how much money he could save at First Data's seven data centers through the use of DCML, he sees increased standardization as a critical element of improving IT efficiency and cutting operating costs.
"What I'm looking for as a user is for vendors to provide [DCML compliance] as part of their products," said Hernandez, who added that he hopes more users will join the effort to convince vendors to adopt the standard.
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