Digital Realty Contracts With Uptime Institute For Multiple Tier III Certifications

SAN FRANCISCO, May 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: DLR), a leading global provider of data center solutions, today announced that it has contracted with Uptime Institute to achieve Tier III certification for 20 of its new data center projects worldwide.  To date, five newly completed Turn-Key Flex^SM data centers have received Tier III certification, including two projects in Sydney and two in Melbourne, Australia, and one data center in Trumbull, Connecticut.

"As a global developer, operator and long-term owner of enterprise-quality data centers, we have long since designed our Turn-Key Flex solution to meet rigorous engineering and reliability standards," said Jim Smith, chief technology officer for Digital Realty.  "Working with Uptime Institute to obtain Tier III certifications for these new projects further demonstrates our commitment to meeting these high standards on behalf of our customers."

"We are very pleased to be working with Digital Realty, which has made this significant investment in the Tier III certification process.  Many providers claim to build 'tier III' data centers, but few have the discipline to go through the rigorous process of seeking actual certification," added Julian Kudritski, chief operating officer of Uptime Institute. "The devil is truly in the details, including fuel systems, design temperatures for extreme weather conditions, as well as the integration of electrical and mechanical systems.  Digital Realty has made this commitment because it understands its customers' needs for highly reliable, resilient data center solutions that are designed to operate under the most challenging conditions today and in the future."

Rigorous uptime requirements and long-term viability are usually the reasons for selecting strategic solutions found in Tier III site infrastructure. Tier III site infrastructure solutions also have an effective life beyond the current IT requirement and are typically utilized by organizations that know the cost of a disruption—in terms of actual dollars—and the impact to market share and continued mission imperatives.

Uptime Institute created the standard Tier Classification System as a means to effectively evaluate data center infrastructure in terms of a business' requirements for system availability. The Tier Classification System provides the data center industry with a consistent method to compare typically unique, customized facilities based on expected site infrastructure performance, or uptime. Furthermore, Tiers enable companies to align their data center infrastructure investment with business goals specific to growth and technology strategies.

Digital Realty's Turn-Key Flex^SM solution is a modular approach to delivering secure, enterprise quality data center space to meet customers' just-in-time requirements. Designed to provide maximum flexibility, reliability and efficiency, each Turn-Key Flex facility comes fully commissioned with its own dedicated electrical and mechanical infrastructure.  Utilizing Digital Realty's proprietary POD Architecture® and extensive supply chain, Digital Realty's next generation Turn-Key Flex data center solution is designed for the future and ready today.

About Digital Realty

Digital Realty Trust, Inc. focuses on delivering customer driven data center solutions by providing secure, reliable and cost effective facilities that meet each customer's unique data center needs. Digital Realty's customers include domestic and international companies across multiple industry verticals ranging from information technology and Internet enterprises, to manufacturing and financial services. Digital Realty's 122 properties, excluding three properties held as investments in unconsolidated joint ventures, comprise approximately 22.7 million square feet as of April 26, 2013, including 2.6 million square feet of space held for development. Digital Realty's portfolio is located in 32 markets throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Additional information about Digital Realty is included in the Company Overview, which is available on the Investors page of Digital Realty's website at http://www.digitalrealty.com.

About Uptime Institute

Uptime Institute, an independent division of the 451 Group, is an unbiased and third-party research, education, and consulting organization focused on improving data center performance and efficiency. The Institute serves all stakeholders of the data center industry, including enterprise and third-party operators, manufacturers, providers, and engineers. Uptime Institute Professional Services is the data center management and engineering consulting arm of Uptime Institute. It delivers due diligence assessments and Certifications of site infrastructure and site management in accordance with the Tier and Operational Sustainability Standards. Serving clients worldwide, Uptime Institute Professional Services delivers consulting, Certifications, and Accreditations to facilities and professionals in 50 countries. For additional information, see http://uptimeinstitute.org and http://professionalservices.uptimeinstitute.com.  

The 451 Group is a leading IT analyst and data organization focused on the business of enterprise IT innovation. The 451 Group also operates Tier1 Research, which analyzes the financial and industry implications of developments impacting public and private companies within the hosting, communications, and Internet infrastructure sectors; TheInfoPro, a leading advisory and research firm that provides real-world perspectives on the customer and market dynamics of the enterprise information technology landscape by using a unique research methodology harnessing the collective knowledge and insights of leading IT organizations worldwide; and ChangeWave Research, which specializes in identifying and quantifying change in corporate IT purchasing demand, industry and company trends, as well as consumer spending behavior.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements which are based on Digital Realty Trust, Inc.'s current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially, including statements related to Digital Realty's contract with Uptime Institute, its plans and strategy for achieving Tier III certification at its data centers, and its development plans. These risks and uncertainties include, among others, the following: the impact of the recent deterioration in global economic, credit and market conditions, including the downgrade of the U.S. government's credit rating; current local economic conditions in its geographic markets; decreases in information technology spending, including as a result of economic slowdowns or recession; adverse economic or real estate developments in its industry or the industry sectors that it sells to (including risks relating to decreasing real estate valuations and impairment charges); its dependence upon significant tenants; bankruptcy or insolvency of a major tenant or a significant number of smaller tenants; defaults on or non-renewal of leases by tenants; its failure to obtain necessary debt and equity financing; increased interest rates and operating costs; risks associated with using debt to fund its business activities, including re-financing and interest rate risks, its failure to repay debt when due, adverse changes in its credit ratings or its breach of covenants or other terms contained in its loan facilities and agreements; financial market fluctuations; changes in foreign currency exchange rates; its inability to manage its growth effectively; difficulty acquiring or operating properties in foreign jurisdictions; its failure to successfully integrate and operate acquired or developed properties or businesses; the suitability of its properties and data center infrastructure, delays or disruptions in connectivity, failure of its physical infrastructure or services or availability of power; risks related to joint venture investments, including as a result of its lack of control of such investments; delays or unexpected costs in development of properties; decreased rental rates or increased vacancy rates; increased competition or available supply of data center space; its inability to successfully develop and lease new properties and space held for development; difficulties in identifying properties to acquire and completing acquisitions; its inability to acquire off-market properties; its inability to comply with the rules and regulations applicable to reporting companies; its failure to maintain its status as a REIT; possible adverse changes to tax laws; restrictions on its ability to engage in certain business activities; environmental uncertainties and risks related to natural disasters; losses in excess of its insurance coverage; changes in foreign laws and regulations, including those related to taxation and real estate ownership and operation; and changes in local, state and federal regulatory requirements, including changes in real estate and zoning laws and increases in real property tax rates.  For a further list and description of such risks and uncertainties, see the reports and other filings by Digital Realty Trust, Inc. with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including Digital Realty Trust, Inc.'s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2013.  Digital Realty Trust, Inc. disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Digital Realty Trust, Inc.