Before the first server is installed, data centers need floor space, electrical power and cooling. A power-efficient, services-efficient data center, however, requires expert design and construction expertise.


Customers can call on a variety of third-party designers and builders who offer a wide range of services to help get the data center off the ground. These range from companies who do nothing but design and manage data center builds to those who offer the gamut from assessment to design, construction and handover. In many of these cases, the designer or builder is an architectural firm or a real estate company that has found the data center business a good way to branch out into new markets.


Check out the designers and builders included in this year's Data Center 100.