TIA QuEST Forum to Present DCE 9000 Quality Standard Progress at Data Center World Webinar; Sub-Teams Accelerate Draft Development

Industry working group formalizes technical sub-teams to accelerate development of the first quality management system standard purpose-built for data center infrastructure

ARLINGTON, Va., April 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)—enabling the future of trusted digital infrastructure—today announced it will present development milestones, scope, and progress on the Data Center Excellence (DCE 9000) quality standard initiative at an upcoming Data Center World webinar.

The initiative is advancing under TIA QuEST Forum's formal, consensus-based development process and has now moved fully into active standard drafting. With four technical sub-teams established within the DCE 9000 Working Group, structured work is underway on an accelerated timeline. The group is targeting publication of a draft standard in September 2026, with full publication planned for 2027, reflecting the pace and scale of growth in AI-driven data center infrastructure.

DCE 9000 Technical Sub-Teams Begin Active Drafting

The DCE 9000 Working Group, led by Chair Gino Tozzi, Global Head of Data Center Quality at Google, has established four technical sub-teams to draft requirements across all sections of the standard, structured around the ISO High-Level Structure. Each sub-team is led by industry practitioners and supported by coaches with 15–25 years of experience in standards development.

Team A, led by Vijai Venkata of Modine, is responsible for covering context of the organization, leadership, planning, and support. These are targeted for completion by the end of April 2026.

Team B, led by Jennifer Stepniowski of Johnson Controls, focuses on design and development and control of externally provided processes, products, and services. These sections are among the most critical for the data center supply chain, encompassing supplier qualification, design change management, and external provider controls.

Team C, led by Joseph Waggoner of Trane, covers the operational planning and delivery sections of the standard addressing production and service controls, requirements for products and services, manufacturing and commissioning activities, and release processes. This team is specifically charged with developing the data-center-specific requirements for installation, commissioning, testing, and field quality that represent some of the industry's most persistent pain points.

Team D, led by Govind Ramu of Google and Chad Kymal of Omnex, focuses on performance evaluation, internal audit, management review, nonconformity, and continual improvement with development targeted between April and July 2026.

The latest addition to the DCE 9000 effort is a dedicated Measurements Sub-team, led by Govind Ramu, focused on establishing a consistent, industry-wide approach to quality metrics. By applying established quality management best practices, the team aims to bring greater clarity, consistency, and confidence to how quality, reliability, and responsiveness are measured across data center infrastructure.

Each sub-team follows an iterative development process: members brainstorm requirements in plain language, present to the bi-weekly leadership group for feedback, and refine content with their coaches into precise, auditable standards language. Additional supplementary working groups to be launched in the near future will address Code of Practice, Training, Glossary of Terms—ensuring the standard is accompanied by the implementation guidance necessary for broad industry adoption.

"The data center industry is scaling at a pace that legacy quality frameworks were never designed to handle. By dividing the work across focused sub-teams with deep domain expertise, we're building a standard that reflects how data center supply chains actually operate—from design through commissioning and beyond." — Jennifer Stepniowski, Global Customer Experience & Quality, Johnson Controls, and Lead, DCE 9000 Team B

Data Center World Webinar: Hear Directly from the Working Group

TIA QuEST Forum will host a dedicated webinar on May 27^th through Data Center World, providing an in-depth look at the DCE 9000 initiative for infrastructure professionals who want to understand the standard's scope, structure, and timeline. Attendees can register at info.datacenterworld.com/DCW-TIA.

The webinar will cover the motivation behind DCE 9000, its relationship to ISO 9001 and existing industry standards, the scope of the initial certification framework covering mechanical, power, and cooling infrastructure, and how organizations across the data center value chain can participate in or prepare for the certification program.

Membership Continues to Grow as Standard Takes Shape

The DCE 9000 Working Group has grown to more than 100 registered participants from over 50 organizations, including hyperscalers, data center operators, equipment manufacturers, and construction firms. Organizations now actively participating include Google, Amazon Web Services, Oracle, Iron Mountain, Verizon Wireless, ABB, Eaton, Generac, Johnson Controls, Modine, MTU Solutions (Rolls-Royce), Schneider Electric, Trane, Cummins, Vertiv, Carrier, Holder Construction, and growing.

The rapid expansion of AI workloads continues to drive the need for consistent, industry‑wide quality frameworks across data‑center infrastructure. As a founding participant in the DCE 9000 workgroup, Modine—through its Airedale data‑center platform—is helping lead the development of an industry‑driven quality framework that establishes consistent, auditable practices supporting reliable performance, infrastructure resilience, and stronger supply‑chain outcomes. — Vijai Venkata, Quality Director, DC Americas, Modine

As data center demand grows, suppliers are increasingly navigating different requirements from every operator, creating unnecessary complexity. Engaging in the Data Center Excellence Workgroup and supporting the DCE 9000 standard helps establish a consistent set of expectations across the industry, improving efficiency, quality, and reliability. Trane Technologies CHVAC is excited and honored to be part of this process and believes the new standard will benefit the industry while strengthening our competitive advantage. — Joseph Waggoner, QMS Audit Lead, Trane Technologies CHVAC Americas

About DCE 9000

DCE 9000 is the first quality management system (QMS) standard purpose-built for data center physical infrastructure. Built on the ISO 9001 High-Level Structure and influenced by best practices from TL 9000, IATF 16949, and AS 9100, the standard is designed to improve supplier maturity, reduce redundant audits, and establish common quality expectations across the data center supply chain. Initial scope covers mechanical, power, and cooling infrastructure systems, with a draft targeted for September 2026 and full certification framework launch in 2027.

Organizations interested in participating in DCE 9000 are encouraged to contact TIA QuEST Forum at [email protected] or visit https://tiaonline.org/what-we-do/tia-quest-forum/quality-data-center/.

Webinar Registration: info.datacenterworld.com/DCW-TIA.

Blog: Building the Resilient Future of Data Center Infrastructure

Video: Gino Tozzi of Google discusses the genesis of DCE 9000

About TIA:

The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) advances trusted digital infrastructure for a connected world. Representing more than 400 companies globally, TIA brings industry and government together through standards development, government advocacy, certifications, and industry programs to support resilient, innovative infrastructure. Accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), TIA plays a central role in shaping the future of global digital infrastructure.

SOURCE TIA