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Data centres are integral elements of our information society. As digitisation spreads through our economies and society as a whole, the need for secure data centres with high availability is rising continuously. In addition, data centres must meet increasingly strict energy-efficiency and sustainability standards in terms of resource efficiency.

Since 2015, designers, constructors and operators in Europe have been able to rely on the EN 50600 standard for guidance. The document pursues a holistic approach to data-centre design, construction and operation. The new ISO/IEC 22237 standard now adopts this approach and elevates EN 50600 to international level, enabling data centres to be planned, built and operated worldwide according to identical principles. This provides designers with the necessary clarity regarding the requirements and promotes tenants’ trust in the availability of data centres and the quality of their management processes; it thus also protects investments in the further expansion of this important infrastructure.

Covering the complete infrastructure in one certificate

A data centre in accordance with ISO/IEC 22237 must meet clear requirements with respect to availability, security ratings and energy efficiency, all of which must be considered right from the design and construction stage. These requirements have been defined in the seven parts of the standard:

– ISO/IEC 22237-1: General concepts
– ISO/IEC TS 22237-2: Building construction
– ISO/IEC 22237-3: Power supply and distribution
– ISO/IEC 22237-4: Environmental control
– ISO/IEC TS 22237-5: Telecommunications cabling infrastructure
– ISO/IEC TS 22237-6: Security systems
– ISO/IEC TS 22237-7: Management and operation

Parts 1, 3 and 4 have already been published. The other parts are available in the form of Technical Specifications (TS) and will be published gradually over the coming years. The crucial advantage of certification in accordance with ISO/IEC 22237 is that a single certificate covers the entire infrastructure. This is efficient, enables international comparisons to be drawn and establishes a solid contractual basis.

TÜV SÜD has long-standing experience in the field of data centres and certification in accordance with EN 50600 – from small-scale facilities to hyperscaler data centres. Drawing on this experience, the experts have developed the certification process in accordance with ISO/IEC 22237 and can offer this certification effective immediately on all relevant markets including Europe, the USA, India and Singapore. They are convinced that certification in accordance with the ISO/IEC 22237 standard will soon develop into vital guidance for decision-making in this high-growth market beset by fierce global competition for data-centre capacities.