Setting a new quality standard for Thailand’s Data Centre Industry

Bangkok (17 May 2021) – National Telecom achieved a monumental milestone today in Thailand’s data center industry.  It is the first data center to acquire the TIA-942 Rated-3 Facility Certification which means its data center facilities has been certified concurrently maintainable and is able to support mission critical 24x7 customers. 

The certification is awarded by EPI, a Certification Body renowned for its expertise on data centers and having a reputation for high-level of professionalism and integrity. 

As the first data center with a TIA-942 Rated 3 Facility Certification, National Telecom is leading the Thailand data centers and raising the bar on data center facilities in the country.

According to Edward van Leent, Chairman & CEO of EPI Group of Companies, “National Telecom’s achievement is very significant to the Thai data center and digital economy.  The globally connected digital economy needs data centers which are reliable and secure.  Independent quality certification based on a well-known and respected standard such as the TIA-942 is critical to create trust with customers and to ensure the data center supports the vision of Thailand.”

Not many people are aware that there are different levels of quality even in a quality certification.  A reliable data center certification must meet three criteria – quality of the standard, the auditors and the certification company.  The standard must be a complete standard covering all critical areas.  It must be an open standard where the requirements are publicly available, and it must be auditable. TIA-942 delivers these requirements. The auditors need to be certified on two disciplines – the data center design/build and the audit processes. An auditor certified on just one discipline will not be able to do a proper audit of the data centre facilities.  The audit company should be a Certification Body making sure that their activities are overseen by an accreditation authority to ensure all processes are performed following the regulations. 

Missing any one of these criteria means the certification could carry with it flaws that lead to risk for the customers using the data center facilities.

“We congratulate National Telecom for their leadership and drive to provide better quality of life for Thai people in the digital age, and living by its vision to be the leading telecommunication and digital service provider in Thailand,” van Leent concluded.