UTI and TIA, as the two international bodies that set standards for the design and quality of Data Center infrastructure, are at the center of attention of Data Center operators and owners around the world. While the two are often compared, there are fundamental differences in their standardization approaches.

The Uptime Institute (UTI) developed a Data Center classification system based on four levels known as “Tiers”. Each Tier level has significant differences in infrastructure quality, with higher tiers offering better quality, although getting certified for each Tier level can be challenging.

On the other hand, TIA responded to industry needs by releasing the ANSI/TIA-942 standard in 2005, which gained quick popularity for solid reasons. Initially, both agencies used the term “Tier” to mark the tiers of Data Center design, although UTI used Roman numerals (I, II, III, IV) and TIA used Arabic-Indic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4). 

In 2014, UTI proposed a term change to TIA, to avoid confusion in the market about Data Center certification claims. TIA agreed to the proposal and changed the term “Tier” to “Rated/Rating” in the ANSI/TIA-942 standard.

Thus, the difference between “Tier” and “Rated” includes not only the design concept, but also comes from the issuing agency. Nonetheless, the most important aspects in Data Center selection are security and end-to-end services that pay attention to customer needs. neuCentrIX, the best solution for your business, pays careful attention to these aspects.