Certification process validates CenturyLink's ongoing
commitment to operational excellence and innovation
MONROE, La., Dec. 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- CenturyLink,
Inc. (NYSE: CTL) today announced it expects to receive Uptime
Institute's coveted Management and Operations (M&O) Stamp of
Approval by year end 2016 for the data centers being certified in
its global portfolio. The assessment process started two years ago
when CenturyLink became the first global company to pledge to
certify its data center portfolio.
CenturyLink's commitment to meet rigorous, industry-leading
standards put forth by Uptime Institute helps set the agenda for
operational excellence in the data center hosting industry.
"Keeping our customers' businesses running 24/7 is our top
priority and we are proud to be achieving such a significant
milestone ahead of any other data center hosting provider," said
David Meredith, senior vice
president, global data centers, CenturyLink. "Achieving M&O
Stamp of Approval on a global level reinforces CenturyLink's
commitment to operational excellence, 100-percent uptime and
transparency surrounding the management of these facilities."
To obtain the M&O Stamp of Approval for a particular data
center, the facility's management and operations team must meet
strict criteria in several key areas, including staffing and
organization, maintenance, planning, coordination and management,
and training. The certifications are being assigned to 52 data
centers where CenturyLink has operations teams on-site; the
company's portfolio includes 57 data centers total.
"Based on our research over the past 20 years, we've found that
70 percent of all data center failures are caused by human error,"
said Lee Kirby, CTO of Uptime
Institute. "Uptime Institute's M&O Stamp of Approval provides
insights to help organizations minimize, if not eliminate, operator
errors to improve performance and productivity. By being the first
company to not only undertake, but complete this comprehensive
certification process, CenturyLink is setting the bar high for
others."
CenturyLink announced on Nov. 4 that it had reached an agreement
to sell its data centers and colocation business to a consortium
led by BC Partners and Medina Capital. Under the agreement,
CenturyLink will retain its hosting and cloud assets to continue
supporting the company's network-first and hybrid-IT strategy.
About Uptime Institute
Uptime Institute is an unbiased advisory organization focused on
improving the performance, efficiency, and reliability of business
critical infrastructure through innovation, collaboration, and
independent certifications. Uptime Institute serves all
stakeholders responsible for IT service availability through
industry leading standards, education, peer-to-peer networking,
consulting, and award programs delivered to enterprise
organizations and third-party operators, manufacturers, and
providers. Uptime Institute is recognized globally for the creation
and administration of the Tier Standards & Certifications for
Data Center Design, Construction, and Operational Sustainability
along with its Management & Operations reviews,
FORCSS™ methodology, and energy efficiency initiatives.
Uptime Institute – The Global Data Center
Authority®, a division of The 451 Group, has
office locations in the U.S., Mexico, Costa
Rica, Brazil, U.K.,
Spain, U.A.E., Russia, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia.
Visit www.uptimeinstitute.com for more information.
About CenturyLink
CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) is a global communications,
hosting, cloud and IT services company enabling millions of
customers to transform their businesses and their lives through
innovative technology solutions. CenturyLink offers network and
data systems management, Big Data analytics and IT consulting, and
operates more than 55 data centers in North America, Europe and Asia. The company provides broadband, voice,
video, data and managed services over a robust 250,000-route-mile
U.S. fiber network and a 300,000-route-mile international transport
network. Visit CenturyLink for more information.
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SOURCE CenturyLink, Inc.