Uptime Institute has announced with great sadness that its founder, Kenneth G. Brill, passed away on Tuesday, July 30, 2013.

"Ken Brill was a rare and special man," said Martin McCarthy, chairman and chief executive officer of The 451 Group. "Part visionary thinker, part ruthless pragmatist, he was an iconoclast and innovator, and a man of great integrity and passion. He is legitimately known around the world as 'The Father of the Data Center Industry.' On behalf of our firm, the clients that Ken devoted his life to serving, and the overall global IT industry, we collectively mourn his passing, and express our condolences to his family and intimates. We will all deeply miss this brilliant and bristly individual."

Mr. Brill was the founder of the Uptime Institute and the Site Uptime Network. Many data center industry innovations over the past 25 years are underpinned by his original concepts, including dual power, the industry's Tier system for evaluating and classifying data center facility performance, and IT/facility energy efficiency and productivity measurement. Mr. Brill's research into the economic meltdown of Moore’s Law, data center productivity and energy efficiency, and IT's declining economics form core knowledge to be taken into account by corporate leaders charged with business performance, profitability and sustainability.

"Ken Brill was inspired in his thinking, and resolute in his principles," said Julian Kudritzki, COO of Uptime Institute. "As a personality and an innovator, he left an indelible imprint on the IT and data center industry. His innovations are so fundamental to the progression of the data center industry over time that it is difficult to believe they can be traced back to the energy and passion of a single man. With Ken's passing, the industry mourns a ferocious critic and committed agent of change."

Mr. Brill received Lifetime Achievement Awards from 7x24 Exchange International and Datacenter Dynamics. He held an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Redlands and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. Mr. Brill also received an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Redlands.