Friday, October 23, 2009

Leading Independent IT Research and Analyst Firm the 451 Group Acquires The Uptime Institute

The 451 Group, a leading independent IT research and analyst organization, today announced the acquisition of The Uptime Institute, a Santa Fe, NM-based think tank and professional services organization. Uptime is best known as the developer of the Tier Classification System, widely accepted as the de facto industry standard for providing a consistent means to compare typically unique, customized data center facilities from the perspective of expected site infrastructure availability, or uptime.

The Uptime Institute was founded almost two decades ago by Kenneth G. Brill, often hailed as one of the "fathers of the data center industry." As of today, Mr. Brill will step back from management and operational leadership of the Institute, but will continue to provide strategic guidance and function as a global spokesman on behalf of the organization.

W. Pitt Turner, IV, who currently leads the Uptime Institute Professional Services business - previously known as ComputerSite Engineering - has been appointed Executive Director, Uptime Institute. He will report to Martin V. McCarthy, CEO of The 451 Group. Mr. McCarthy will now also serve as Chairman, Uptime Institute.

"We are delighted to welcome Ken, Pitt and the 25 other staff of Uptime to join the 85-plus professional staff here at The 451 Group," Mr. McCarthy said. "The Uptime Institute has a global reputation for integrity, independence and innovation in the areas of data center availability - uptime - and IT energy efficiency. For almost two decades, the proprietary insights of Uptime have served the most demanding data center end-user organizations, including most Fortune 100 companies, as well as leading US government organizations.

"Particularly now, when the promise of cloud computing can obscure the criticality and vulnerability of physical infrastructure, The Uptime Institute plays a unique role for all organizations for which full-time availability of mission-critical facilities is paramount. The Institute's database of over 4,000 facility 'gotchas' and its comparative benchmarking help users make sound management decisions involving risk and millions in cost."

Ken Brill, Uptime Institute founder, added, "The 451 Group provides the perfect home for Uptime. Its reputation for independence aligns well with the Institute's credo of vendor neutrality. The 451 focus on eco-IT will accelerate our renowned Symposium and awards program on green enterprise IT and data center efficiency, beginning with the Symposium in New York on May 17-19, 2010. The 451 Group's subsidiary, Tier1 Research, will help carry the Institute's insights further into the burgeoning third-party data center market."

Uptime Executive Director Pitt Turner commented, "The Uptime Institute has been known as the voice of the user in a landscape too often shaped by vendor marketing budgets rather than the strength of independent ideas. By joining with The 451 Group, our essential mission of serving end users can not only be maintained but extended throughout the world.

"Uptime Institute Professional Services will continue to deliver and expand its Tier Program. The current Tier Program awards - including Tier Certifications (for sites) and Accredited Tier Designers (for design professionals) in nearly 30 countries - will continue to signify completion of the most comprehensive third-party validation program in the data center industry. Uptime Institute Professional Services eagerly anticipates reaching all industries and regions with services defined by technical rigor and long-term operations focus."

Tier1 Research, a division of The 451 Group acquired in May 2005, serves third-party data center organizations, as well as the financiers and suppliers in the data center market. Dan Golding, Vice President and Research Director, sets the research agenda and directs Tier1 services. Addressing the importance of Uptime's work, Golding said, "Tier 1 Research speaks to hundreds of data center operators every year. These leading service providers know that utilization, power management and uninterrupted service delivery are key to their success. The design and operational best practices of the Uptime Institute are critical to ensuring success in these areas. It is important to note that these service providers are joining the elite Site Uptime Networks in both North America and EMEA in increasing numbers in order to leverage Uptime's unique insights into site capex, opex and resiliency."

About The 451 Group

The 451 Group is an independent technology-industry analyst company focused on the business of enterprise IT innovation. The company's analysts provide critical and timely insight into the market and competitive dynamics of innovation in emerging technology segments. Clients of the company - at vendor, investor, service-provider
and end-user organizations - rely on The 451 Group's insight to support both strategic and tactical decision-making for competitive advantage.

The 451 Group also operates Tier1 Research - an independent division of The 451 Group - which analyzes the financial and industry implications of developments impacting public and private companies within the hosting, communications and Internet infrastructure sectors. The 451 Group is headquartered in New York, with offices in key locations, including San Francisco, Washington, D.C., London and Boston.

For additional information on The 451 Group or to apply for trial access to its services, go to: www.the451group.com or www.tier1research.com.

For additional information on The Uptime Institute and its services, go to www.uptimeinstitute.org.

About The Uptime Institute


The Uptime Institute provides education, publications, consulting, certifications, conferences and seminars, as well as independent research and thought leadership for the enterprise data center industry and for data center professionals. The Uptime Institute's data center engineering and management consulting arm, Uptime Institute Professional Services - formerly known as ComputerSite Engineering - helps clients develop and execute solutions that are responsive to their unique business needs in order to ensure that their data centers are managed for uninterruptible uptime over sustained periods.

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