IHS Markit and EPI join forces to distribute data centre standard

IHS Markit (Nasdaq: INFO) is the world’s largest distributor of technical standards and is widely known in the data center industry for providing standards related to data center facilities. What the industry has been missing is a single standard that covers governance, operations and maintenance of data centers, said Sheri Rhodine, the company’s vice president – strategic marketing.

“We are pleased to partner with EPI in adding the DCOS via annual subscription on the Engineering Workbench or for one-time purchase via the IHS Markit Standards Store,” Rhodine said. “By adding the only complete data center operations standard to our portfolio, we expect to raise the benchmark for excellence in data center operations around the world.”

Many data center operators focus only on certifying their facilities. However, without certification on the operational processes, they still run a risk of gaps in the operations that could seriously impact their ability to deliver the service level promised to their customers, thereby putting the customers’ data and business at uncalculated risk.

The new DCOS offering provides organizations with a structured and progressive approach to improve data center operations management, according to Edward van Leent, chairman and CEO of the EPI Group of Companies.

“The DCOS allows for audit and certification of the data center’s operational maturity based on globally recognized and applied maturity principles on a scale of one to five,” van Leent said. “Data center owners/operators and customers alike now have a complete, transparent and auditable standard they can use to secure concrete evidence of their data centers’ service levels.  We are very excited about partnering with IHS Markit to deliver this long-awaited solution to the industry.”