Distributed Management Task Force, Inc.

Developing management standards & promoting
interoperability for enterprise & Internet environments


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DMTF Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DMTF?
Founded in 1992, the Distributed Management Task Force, Inc. (DMTF) is the industry organization leading the development of management standards and integration technology for enterprise and Internet environments.

Why are DMTF standards and technologies important to the industry?
DMTF’s focus is to develop and unify management standards and initiatives for enterprise and Internet environments. Working with key technology vendors and affiliated standards groups, DMTF is enabling a more integrated and cost effective approach to management through interoperable management solutions. The use of DMTF standards ultimately lowers operational costs.

What are the DMTF’s technologies?
DMTF standards provide common management infrastructure components for instrumentation, control and communication in a platform-independent and technology neutral way. DMTF technologies include:

Who are the DMTF’s members?
With more than 3,000 active participants from over 200 organizations, the DMTF brings the technology industry’s customers and top vendors together in a collaborative, work group approach that involves DMTF members in all aspects of specification development and refinement. Board member companies include AMD, Broadcom, Dell, EMC, HP, Hitachi, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Novell, Sun Microsystems, and Symantec.

How is the DMTF’s work produced?
The DMTF is led by its board of directors, which is responsible for establishing direction and strategies for the organization and the standards it delivers; a Technical Committee, which oversees the Work Groups to develop and document the DMTF's standards; a Marketing Committee, which directs the DMTF’s overall industry marketing and communications efforts; and an Interoperability Committee, which supplements the resources of the DMTF so that multi-vendor implementations of DMTF technology can be compatible in the industry. The committees collaborate closely with all DMTF members, particularly active members of the Work Groups.

Does the DMTF work with other standards bodies?
The DMTF works closely with its Alliance Partners. These top industry standards bodies are working with and participating in the development of DMTF standards, including CIM – and its semantically rich definitions of management information – as a common approach to address the challenge of providing interoperable distributed management.

Why should I join the DMTF?
The DMTF offers a variety of membership levels designed to encourage participation from all those interested in distributed management. Some of the organizations that should consider joining the DMTF ranks include end users, government organizations, vendors, systems integrators/value added resellers and individuals.

While each member of the DMTF may benefit differently, the overall advantages of DMTF membership include:

  • Front-line access to information about DMTF standards
  • The opportunity to participate in the process of defining these standards
  • The synergy of working with other vendors who are addressing similar implementation issues.

Just visit the Join Us section of the DMTF Web site to learn more about our membership levels

How can I learn more?
For more information on the DMTF and its activities, visit the DMTF Web site to learn about our technologies and latest developments. You can also sign up online for DMTF email updates, and receive Inside the DMTF, the organization’s monthly electronic newsletter.

How do I contact the DMTF?
The DMTF can be reached through the Contact Us form on the Web site, or at:

Distributed Management Task Force
1001 SW 5th Ave #1100
Portland, OR 97204
503.220.1655
503.296.2432 (fax)