LONDON (April 4, 2018) – Business information provider IHS Markit and EPI , a specialist in data center infrastructure services, today announced an agreement to distribute the DCOS®, the first, and so far the only complete Data Center Operations Standard covering all 11 disciplines required to run a mission-critical, high-availability data center.

IHS Markit (Nasdaq: INFO) is the world’s largest distributor of technical standards and is widely known in the data center industry for providing standards related to data center facilities. What the industry has been missing is a single standard that covers governance, operations and maintenance of data centers, said Sheri Rhodine, the company’s vice president – strategic marketing.

“We are pleased to partner with EPI in adding the DCOS via annual subscription on the Engineering Workbench or for one-time purchase via the IHS Markit Standards Store ,” Rhodine said. “By adding the only complete data center operations standard to our portfolio, we expect to raise the benchmark for excellence in data center operations around the world.”

Many data center operators focus only on certifying their facilities. However, without certification on the operational processes, they still run a risk of gaps in the operations that could seriously impact their ability to deliver the service level promised to their customers, thereby putting the customers’ data and business at uncalculated risk.

The new DCOS offering provides organizations with a structured and progressive approach to improve data center operations management, according to Edward van Leent, chairman and CEO of the EPI Group of Companies.

“The DCOS allows for audit and certification of the data center’s operational maturity based on globally recognized and applied maturity principles on a scale of one to five,” van Leent said. “Data center owners/operators and customers alike now have a complete, transparent and auditable standard they can use to secure concrete evidence of their data centers’ service levels.  We are very excited about partnering with IHS Markit to deliver this long-awaited solution to the industry.”

The DCOS is available in four languages: English, Spanish, simplified Chinese and traditional Chinese.  For more information, visit the IHS Markit Standards Store - https://global.ihs.com/ .

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About IHS Markit ( www.ihsmarkit.com )

IHS Markit (Nasdaq: INFO) is a world leader in critical information, analytics and solutions for the major industries and markets that drive economies worldwide. The company delivers next-generation information, analytics and solutions to customers in business, finance and government, improving their operational efficiency and providing deep insights that lead to well-informed, confident decisions. IHS Markit has more than 50,000 business and government customers, including 80 percent of the Fortune Global 500 and the world’s leading financial institutions. Headquartered in London, IHS Markit is committed to sustainable, profitable growth.

IHS Markit is a registered trademark of IHS Markit Ltd. and/or its affiliates. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners © 2018 IHS Markit Ltd. All rights reserved.

About EPI ( www.epi-ap.com )

EPI is a European-origin, global data center specialist company with 30 years of experience, operating world-wide in over 60 countries and 130 cities through direct operations and a large partner network.  EPI offers an extensive range of data center expert services which include accredited data center and IT training, audit and certification, and the DCOS® - Data Center Operations Standard.

EPI is the world’s largest provider of accredited data center training and ANSI/TIA-942 conformity audit and certification services.  EPI is a registered Certification Body (CB).

EPI’s reputation has been built on delivering high quality technical expertise with a continuous drive for excellence and innovation.  Always on the leading edge in its areas of expertise, EPI has released many world’s first innovations including the DCOS® - Data Center Operations Standard®, Data Center Framework®, DCCF® - Data Center Competence Framework®, DCPT ^© - Data Center Career Planning Tool, Data Center Training Framework®, and the EPI IT Training Framework®.