Written by: Lynn Cadet
Edited by: Lillian Castro
TL; DR: TierPoint offers top-tier colocation and IT services built to deliver modern and efficient cooling and robust power infrastructure for the most demanding work environments. Its high-density solutions allow customers to run high-performance computing and AI workloads with security and scalability. With 40 data centers across the U.S., TierPoint has flexible solutions to help any enterprise or service provider hit the ground running no matter where they are in their journey. We spoke with Don Schuett, SVP of Data Center Business Development at TierPoint, about its services and unique infrastructure.
While other data center operators scramble to meet the demands of AI workloads, the team at TierPoint gives its clients a head start. About five years ago, the team began investing in advanced cooling solutions, which at the time were a niche market for high-performance compute clients.
This approach enabled TierPoint to deploy multiple high-density server solutions across its datacenter footprint. Managing these solutions advanced the team’s understanding of the technology.
It was as if the TierPoint team had peered into a crystal ball and envisioned the future because not too long after, the AI market exploded, as did the need for high-density infrastructure.
“What we’ve been able to do is essentially take what we’ve learned over the past five years and translate that to a platform that we’re able to scale to support multi-megawatt deployments,” said Don Schuett, SVP of Data Center Business Development at TierPoint.
TierPoint now runs hundreds of cabinets supporting high-density solutions and has 40 data centers across the U.S. Its colocation services accommodate high-performance computing and AI workloads, giving users robust power infrastructure and secure and scalable space for their most demanding environments.
A Resilient Solution for Enterprises and Service Providers
TierPoint has built a robust and secure network of data centers, which has become a crucial power foundation for its customers. Since most of TierPoint’s customers are enterprises and service providers, security and stability are essential for their operations.
“We have approximately 40 data centers around the US, each one purpose-built with high degree of physical security” said Don.
TierPoint has implemented many security measures to protect its clients’ data and infrastructure. It offers industry-leading SLAs of up to 100% uptime for reliability and availability. TierPoint also provides physical security with biometric access screening and 24/7 on-site personnel.
“One of our selling points is being able to offer a resilient solution. In addition to system redundancy, we offer private suites, caged areas, and lockable cabinets for clients that require them,” said Don.
TierPoint’s state-of-the-art facility and data center maintenance give customers peace of mind that their infrastructure is capable and secure. Its colocation solutions also carry several compliance credentials, including HIPAA, PCI-DSS, SOC 2, and SOC 2 + HITRUST certifications.
“We have a deep data center and physical infrastructure background in the operations and service delivery sides of our business” said Don.
High-Powered IT Resources for the Most Intensive Workloads
Don told us this era has been an exciting time for the high-density colocation and data center industry. ChatGPT’s launch has accelerated the GPU and AI market and subsequently increased the demand for services like those TierPoint offers.
“For many enterprises to remain relevant in the market, they’ve got to support these AI applications, whether through customer service support, cybersecurity, or back-office functions. There’s a whole host of things where they will need to take advantage of AI,” said Don.
TierPoint has more than 3,000 customers, comprising enterprises, service providers, and technology companies. Don said most TierPoint customers are already rolling out their AI platforms and road maps. It’s no surprise that they are. According to HR Drive, 82% of organizations have invested in AI.
“AI adoption is rapidly evolving, so the companies that we serve are likely going to depend on the GPU providers we’re bringing in. We have a website called Connect Point, which showcases all the carriers in our data centers as well as some of our cloud capabilities,” said Don.
Connect Point provides transparency for customers who want to know more about TierPoint’s infrastructure and capabilities. The website includes details on carriers, cloud services, and selected AI providers within the TierPoint network.
“We know that the ecosystem of the data center is shifting and changing. So now that more of this AI infrastructure is sitting in data centers, we want to start to make that available for our customers to see and perhaps grow their businesses,” said Don.
Flexible Packaging to Meet Clients Where They Are
TierPoint prides itself on providing companies with flexible options to grow their business. Not only can customers choose a data center location close to their business, but they can also choose a setup that fits their needs. TierPoint offers a variety of cloud solutions, including private cloud, cloud storage, and public cloud, as well as a host of security services.
“We provide flexibility with the types of services that we offer. There are many pure-play colo providers that don’t have that same breadth of services. And so we pride ourselves in being very good at all those things,” said Don.
Every business’s digital transformation journey has a timeline, so TierPoint ensures that no matter where a business is, it can find the tools it needs for its current stage and plan for future stages. TierPoint is also expanding its reach. In January 2024, it acquired a new data center in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, which was previously an enterprise data center.
“So we’ll continue to look at opportunities like that as well. Some enterprises are migrating out of data centers they built. Being able to come in and upgrade these data centers for AI/GPU deployments is an interesting way for operators like ourselves to bring more capacity to the market,” said Don.
The TierPoint team is also thinking about the future of the AI/GPU market. TierPoint has invested in tertiary data center markets to meet the needs of companies in and around those markets. Don said latency is something TierPoint is looking out for because once companies migrate from AI training models to inferencing models, low latency will become crucial.
“The edge is how close you can get to end users. With a lot of data center capacity concentrated in Tier 1 markets, like New York, Chicago, Dallas, etc., many potential users in the United States are left with higher latency. So being able to fill in those gaps with world-class facilities in secondary and tertiary markets, we think that will be a compelling value proposition for GPU operators,” said Don.
