not-all-data-center-providers-are-created-equalPartnering with a data center provider requires trusting a third-party organization to transfer, store and manage your company’s sensitive information. And it’s not always easy to tell at first glance whether another company can be trusted to do so. Many facilities claim to offer top-tier services, but fall short when it comes to delivering on their promises.

It’s for this reason why the Uptime Institute, the globally recognized data center authority,  created the Management & Operations (M&O) “Stamp of Approval.”

Uptime Institute created the M&O process with industry-leading firms to develop and institutionalize a set of criteria and operating practices for best-in-class critical infrastructure management and optimal data center performance.

When making an M&O assessment, the Uptime Institute assesses a wide range of criteria including:

  • Preventative and predictive maintenance
  • Personnel training
  • Planning, coordination and management practices
  • Operating conditions
  • Staffing and organization

The M&O Stamp of Approval is unlike most other data center operations certifications, as it’s specifically designed to address policies and procedures that impact data center and mission-critical performance.

Just recently, Infomart Data Centers, a national wholesale data center provider, was awarded the M&O Stamp of Approval certification for its Infomart Dallas facility. This confirms that Infomart Dallas’s critical facilities management is among the best in the world.

Infomart Data Centers has been a longtime supporter of the M&O Stamp of Approval Program. Infomart played an integral role in the early development of the program by serving as a founding member of an M&O Coalition that helped establish the Management and Operations Program Objectives five years ago.

Infomart Dallas is the third largest data center in Texas, and a major connectivity hub for the Southern U.S., offering over 100 MW of power and access to more than 75 on-site carriers.

Infomart Dallas has also achieved SSAE Type II, SSAE 16 SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA-HITECH and PCI DSS certifications. As Infomart President John Sheputis explained, achieving the M&O Stamp of Approval is an arduous process.

“In my opinion, Uptime Institute’s M&O Stamp of Approval is the gold standard of data center awards. While most assessments are awarded pass/fail, the M&O Stamp of Approval evaluates and provides feedback on staffing, organization, maintenance procedures, as well as the policies and activities that produce uptime,” stated Sheputis. “No other credential or evaluation is as rigorous or as relevant. By obtaining the M&O Stamp of Approval in Dallas, 100% of Infomart’s data center operations across the U.S. are certified by the Uptime Institute.”

Uptime Institute President Lee Kirby also commented on the certification.

“We extend our sincere congratulations to Infomart Data Centers on achieving M&O Stamp of Approval certification of its Dallas facility,” Kirby stated. “Achievement of this award at its third data center reflects Infomart’s ongoing dedication to improvement of organizational excellence and service quality.”

For more information about Infomart Data Centers, click here.