Dubai International Financial Centre Data Centre First in the UAE to Receive Management and Operations Stamp of Approval from Uptime Institute

Dubai-UAE: 9 April 2016 – The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Co-Location Data Centre has become the first data centre in the UAE to receive the internationally recognized Management and Operations (M&O) Stamp of Approval from Uptime Institute, the leading, unbiased standards and Certs organization for the data center and IT infrastructure.

In achieving the Uptime Institute M&O Stamp of Approval, the assessment particularly noted  DIFC data centre’s cohesive management structure and oversight of its spare part inventory, allowing for the reduction of mean time to fix, delivering  a clear advantage when replacing key items.

Commenting on the certification, Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer of DIFC Authority, said: “As the first data centre in the UAE to complete this important assessment, we are honored to receive the Uptime Institute M&O Stamp of Approval. With nearly 20,000 skilled professionals working within the Centre, DIFC has a large pool of qualified talent capable of managing, planning and coordinating operations.” Our objective is to advance towards a ‘smart’ platform and provide a secure and resilient technological infrastructure to ensure minimum risks and maximum uptime. As part of our 2024 growth strategy, we will continue to ensure that the technology we offer evolves to meet global standards and certifications,” he continued.

The assessment process evaluates staffing levels, skill mix, training and qualifications of the data centre staff while also measuring the effectiveness of the maintenance and processes supporting data centre operations. The activities and policies that impact planning and coordination activities onsite are also reviewed as part of the evaluation.

“Uptime Institute is pleased to work with DIFC on the M&O Stamp of Approval,” said Julian Kudritzki, Chief Operating Officer of Uptime Institute. “DIFC is taking a leadership role to create a smart financial centre in the UAE, working to continuously improve and build upon the organization’s goals. Achieving this M&O Stamp of Approval will allow DIFC  to differentiate themselves in the market .”

With the goal of becoming a ‘smart’ financial centre, DIFC’s state-of-the-art data centre offers a range of services tailored for the evolving and dynamic requirements of its diversified financial and business community.  Adopting innovation and harnessing information technology to enhance productivity and efficiency at the Centre, the data centre directly cross connects to international financial news feeders such as Bloomberg and Thomson Reuters to provide customers access to real time information at low costs.