Uptime Institute (Institute) today announced the inaugural sessions of its new Accredited Tier Specialist (ATS) course. ATS builds upon the success of the Institute’s Accredited Tier Designer (ATD) course which has already accredited 97 elite design engineers from 15 countries during its first year.

Accredited Tier Specialist provides data center managers and their support teams with clarity and insight on how to better improve data center operations through use of Uptime Institute Standards. ATS courses are led by Uptime Institute Senior Faculty who developed and practically apply the Institute Standards at high available facilities worldwide. The three-day ATS course will address the successful application of both Tier Standard: Topology and the newly released Tier Standard: Operational Sustainability from the operators’ and managers’ perspective.

“The evolving and expanding role of computerized function, especially in terms of revenue generating services, raises the stakes for sustained uptime and lowers tolerance for costly failures,” said Julian Kudritzki, vice president, Uptime Institute, LLC. “Human error is the leading cause of data center outages and ATS focuses on avoiding common mistakes and optimizing available resources.”

The ATS curriculum was developed for data center owners and operators who apply the Tier Standards to ensure their critical facilities are designed, built, and operated to meet the uptime needs of the business. The course provides the knowledge to refute the myths and misconceptions that cause organizations to misdirect their investments. The tools detailed in the course will also improve attendees’ capabilities to communicate the needs of the data center to upper management and thereby positively influence spending decisions.

Upon completion of the 3-day intensive course and subsequent examination, attendees will improve their existing skills as follows:
  • Apply the Uptime Institute Standards to maintain or improve uptime
  • Align infrastructure and staffing investment with the business case
  • Improve communication to stakeholders about the true potential of the data center or portfolio
  • Effectively manage outside consultants and resources
Those that pass the examination at the conclusion of course instruction will receive a professional designation from the Uptime Institute. ATS awardees will be listed on a publicly available roster.

“Uptime Institute’s ATS course is an important addition to our portfolio of educational resources since it addresses the full range of physical infrastructure and personnel issues-for the benefit of the team directly responsible for sustained uptime,” continued Kudritzki.

The ATS 2010 Schedule is as follows:
  • 3-5 November in Washington, DC
  • 6-8 December in Seattle, WA
  • 8-10 December in Denver, CO
Registration is now available for the three 2010 courses by visiting:http://ats.uptimeinstitute.comor by contacting David Manning at 206.877.3348 or by e-mail atdmanning@uptimeinstitute.com