Uptime to Form Tier Advisory Group

The Uptime Instititute is creating an advisory group that will enable members of its Site Uptime Network to suggest changes to the institute's tier system for rating data center  reliability, the institute said today. 

Uptime's tier system sets forth a four-tier rating system for data center reliability, with Tier IV being the most reliable. While many facilities have been certified using the tier system, a far larger number of data center operators use the format to describe their reliability, often in ways that are hard to verify and wander outside the specifications.

The advisory group provides a process for end users to suggest adjustments to the tier system to address the changing environment. "“We’ve listened carefully to what the marketplace was calling for and have delivered,” says Julian Kudritzki, Uptime Institute Professional Services Vice President. “Owners will now be offered a place at the table to incorporate their perspective into the standards-setting process.

Uptime is also launching certification courses for engineers, which will eventually allow tier certification to expand beyond Uptime's professional services division and be offered by a number of companies.

The Accredited Tier Designer (ATD) program is comprehensive training course in the practical application of the Tiers (including "misconceptions and common misapplications") and an ATD Designation will be awarded based upon an exam. Uptime says the designation will be "a substantial differentiator in the market for engineering services, especially for those data center projects that specify a Tier objective."