Uptime Institute has announced a new awards program, the Brill Awards for Efficient IT, continuing the late Mr. Brill's vision of sharing best practices and new ideas to improve data center and IT efficiency. The deadline for submitting a project to the program is December 13, 2013.

Application forms and more Information about the Brill Awards, including application questions, descriptions of awards categories and judging criteria, are available from the Uptime Institute at brillawards@uptimeinstitute.com. Application forms and information will also be available at a special website: http://www.uptimeinstitute.com/brillawards.

The mission of this project is to recognize efficiency in the broadest sense of the word - efficiency of capital deployment, technology, design, operations and overall management. The Brill Awards for Efficient IT will showcase companies and technologies that improve the industry's ability to sustainably deliver IT services to the enduser.

With today's announcement, the Uptime Institute honors the memory of its founder by extending the scope of the successful Green Enterprise IT (GEIT) Awards, which Mr. Brill founded in 2008. The Brill Awards for Efficient IT feature a streamlined application process, an expanded expert judging panel, a global structure that will promote participation across all regions and wider opportunities for presenting these ideas before influential audiences.

Kevin Heslin, Uptime Institute's senior editor and longstanding data center industry observer, will oversee the awards process. Mr. Heslin said, "Ken Brill always believed that sharing information about innovation and best practices in IT would ultimately benefit not only the industry but also society in general. I think the Brill Awards will honor Ken's legacy by attracting more enterprises to share their ideas and also by disseminating information about exciting innovation in the industry around the world. I'm excited to be part of this program."

REGIONAL FOCUS AND AWARD CATEGORIES: 

The Brill Awards will recognize IT efficiency in five categories, across four global regions: North America, EMEA, Latin America, and APAC.  Judges will consider the merits of projects in each of five categories.  At their discretion as many as 20 worldwide Brill Award winners will be selected. 

Categories will be judged by in-region experts and global authorities with local expertise. These judges will be selected based on their integrity, commitment to excellence in IT practice and expertise. Judges will be drawn from the enduser, vendor, and consulting communities so that the panel includes a wide variety of perspectives.

The categories are:

• Data center design
• Operational data center upgrade
• Data center facilities management
• IT systems efficiency
• Product solutions

Uptime Institute may also award select individuals or organizations with a "Leadership" award, for efforts and projects that improve energy productivity, and resource use in IT.

CATEGORY DESCRIPTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

Data center design: Data center capital projects that demonstrate the ability to deliver significant energy and resource efficiency.  The purpose of this category is to recognize the newest, most innovative data center designs. Therefore, no operational data is required. Data center owners and operators may submit in this category, and architects, engineers or contractors of record can submit in partnership with a data center owner/operator.

Operational data center upgrade: Data center renovations or upgrades that deliver significant resource efficiency. The purpose of this category is to recognize the significant efficiency gains that can be made in legacy data centers. Data center owners and operators may submit in this category, and architects, engineers or contractors of record can submit in partnership with a data center owner/operator.

Data center facilities management: Projects or processes that demonstrate significant resource efficiency through application of best practices and new ideas. This category will recognize data center facilities teams that successfully apply current best practices and identify new opportunities for management efficiency. Data center owners and operators may submit in this category, and contractors can submit in partnership with a data center owner/operator. 

IT systems efficiency: Projects in which IT operations staff significantly improved energy and/or resource efficiency while improving IT effectiveness. This category will recognize IT operations teams that successfully apply current best practices and identify new opportunities for IT systems efficiency. Data center owners and operators may submit in this category, and contractors can submit in partnership with a data center owner/operator.

Product solutions: Facility infrastructure or IT products that significantly improve data center energy and/or resource efficiency, as demonstrated in a user deployment. This is a joint Award honoring both the data center owner and the product vendor. Vendors or consultants can apply in partnership with a data center owner/operator.

BENEFITS

All winners receive two tickets per applying organization. Winners will be invited at the Uptime Institute's discretion to present at premiere events, including  Network meetings, regional summits and Uptime Institute Symposium. Winners may also be invited to publish their projects in the Uptime Institute Journal.

Other benefits:     

• All winners will be recognized in a global press release
• All winners will receive a letter of appreciation and certificate
• Desktop award and/or lapel pins
• Uptime Institute will host a VIP dinner at Symposium for all judges, winners and enduser applicants.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Application forms may be obtained from the website or by emailing brillawards@uptimeinstitute.com.

Return the application to brillawards@uptimeinstitute.com along with a 20-page PowerPoint presentation, including up to 10 images, photos, drawings, renderings, charts or tables plus a 500-1000 word description. Please do not include any flyins, sound files, videos or other special effects. File should not exceed 10 MB.

Please note: Many people including judges and industry media will see submittal materials, the Uptime Institute makes no promises of confidentiality.

Questions: email brillawards@uptimeinstitute.com

Application period opens September 15, 2013 and closes December 13, 2013. Submit applications and questions to brillawards@uptimeinstitute.com. Applications will also be accepted via website.