TSI certification: why your data center should have one

TÜVIT TSI certification

An overview of the origin, claim and objective

In an increasingly networked and digitized world, data centers play a crucial role in the processing and storage of data. To ensure the physical security, availability and efficiency of these data centres, TÜVIT, a TÜV NORD GROUP company, has developed the Trusted Site Infrastructure (TSI) methodology. Certification according to this methodology ensures that data centres meet the highest quality standards. This article explains the history, the mission and the objective of TSI certification and the TÜVIT criteria catalogue TSI.STANDARD.

History of origins

TSI certification emerged in the 2000s in response to the growing importance of data centers and the associated requirements for security, availability and efficiency. T

ÜVIT, an independent testing and certification organisation in Germany, recognised the need to develop uniform standards and criteria for data centre operations. Working together with other experts from the IT industry, TÜVIT developed a criteria catalogue (now TSI.STANDARD) that serves as the basis for the certification of data centres. This benchmark has been continuously developed since its market launch in 2021 in order to consistently reflect the state of the art and standards. For some years now, TSI has been a recognised certification, dominating the market in the German IT industry. It is also a target pursued by data centre operators worldwide.

Claim and objective

The TSI.STANDARD seeks to ensure a high level of security, availability and efficiency for data centres and their operations. The certification is designed to ensure that data centers meet market and customer requirements while complying with regulatory requirements, industry-specific standards and best practices. TSI certification has several key concerns:
01
Security
TSI certification places great emphasis on the physical and logical security of data centers. This includes aspects such as access controls, video surveillance, fire protection and monitoring the status of critical systems.
02
Availability
An important aspect of TSI certification is ensuring high availability of IT systems. This includes, among other things, the redundancy of power supply, cooling and network connections as well as the implementation of emergency plans and maintenance processes.
03
Energy efficiency
The TSI guidelines also place emphasis on the energy efficiency of data centers. This includes aspects such as efficient cooling, the use of renewable energies and the monitoring of energy consumption.
04
Flexibility
The TSI level also considers the adaptability of data centers to changing requirements and technologies. This includes the scalability of the infrastructure, the modularity of systems, and the ability to integrate new technologies.

Importance of TSI certification for data center operators and customers

TSI certification plays an important role for data centers and their customers by ensuring a high level of security, quality and reliability. For data centers, TSI certification means that they can be shown to meet stringent requirements in terms of security, availability and energy efficiency. This can help them gain the trust of customers and differentiate themselves from competitors.

For customers using data center services, TSI certification provides an objective assessment of a data center’s quality and performance. They can be confident that a certified data center provides a high level of security and availability while employing sustainable practices and energy-efficient technologies. Overall, TSI certification helps increase transparency and trustworthiness in the data center industry and establishes a standard for evaluating and improving data centers.

TSI certification has a special significance for operators of their own data centers, as the certification serves as a guide for internal process optimization and infrastructure adjustments and supports the operator as a guideline already during the planning of a new data center.Compliance with TSI requirements enables operators to continuously improve their data centres and ensure that the availability requirements of their own IT are being fulfilled. In addition, certification can help meet regulatory requirements and increase customer and stakeholder confidence.

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What other thematically similar certifications are there?

In Germany, there are several other organizations besides TÜV IT that offer similar certifications for data centers.

These organizations offer different (re)certifications and audits, some of which differ in their focus and requirements. It is important to compare the different certifications and select the one that best meets the specific requirements and goals of your own data center.

01 DEKRA

DEKRA is an internationally active testing organization that also offers certifications for data centers. It assesses the security, availability and energy efficiency of data centers and awards corresponding certificates.

02 BSI (Federal Office for Information Security)

The BSI offers certifications for information security that are relevant for data centers. One of the best-known certifications is the ISO/IEC 27001 standard, which defines the requirements for an information security management system (ISMS).

03 eco (Verband der Internetwirtschaft e.V.)

The eco Datacenter Star Audit is a certification developed specifically for data centers. It evaluates the quality and security of data centers in various categories, such as energy efficiency, availability, security and environmental compatibility.

04 TÜV Saarland (tekit)

TÜV Saarland is another independent testing and certification body in Germany that offers data center certifications through its subsidiary tekit Consult Bonn GmbH. They evaluate and certify data centers according to various criteria, such as availability, security and energy efficiency. Certifications offered include ISO/IEC 27001 (information security) and ISO 50001 (energy management).

05 TÜV SÜD

TÜV SÜD is a globally recognized testing and certification body that also offers data center certifications. They assess the security, availability and energy efficiency of data centers and issue corresponding certificates. TÜV SÜD offers various certifications and audits for data centers, including ISO/IEC 27001 (information security), ISO 22301 (business continuity management) and ISO 50001 (energy management). TÜV SÜD also has its own data center certification called “TÜV SÜD Certified Data Center”, which is based on the TSI guidelines and supplements them with specific TÜV SÜD requirements.

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