451 Group
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Technology research |
| Founded | April 2000 |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Key people | Kenneth G. Brill (founder of Uptime Institute) |
| Products | Research services, data center certification |
451 Group is a technology industry research organization headquartered in New York City. Its Uptime Institute division delivers specialized research services tailored for data center operators. In December 2019, the 451 Group divested its 451 Research segment to the information and analytics corporation S&P Global.
History
Established in April 2000, the 451 Group opened offices in London, New York, and San Francisco. The founding members originated from the UK IT publisher ComputerWire. Initial capital was secured from the London-based brokerage firm Durlacher. Following Durlacher's exit and a subsequent management buyout, the company expanded by acquiring Uptime Institute in 2009.
Significant acquisitions made by the company include:
- ChangeWave Research, a consumer spending analysis firm, in 2011
- Tech Touchstone, an events management company, in 2013
- Mobile communications research firm Yankee Group in 2013
- Wisegate, a community platform for IT professionals, in 2017
On December 6, 2019, S&P Global Market Intelligence completed the purchase of the 451 Research business unit.
Business
The Uptime Institute operates as a division within the 451 Group and is widely recognized for its "Tier Standard" framework and certification services that validate data center compliance. Founded in 1987 by Kenneth G. Brill, it supports data center owners and operators in evaluating and ensuring consistent performance unaffected by external variables such as power utility reliability.
Previously a component of the 451 Group, 451 Research was transferred to S&P Global ownership in December 2019. Based in New York with additional offices located in London, Boston, Washington DC, and San Francisco, it employed approximately 250 professionals including over 100 industry analysts. The firm provided both qualitative and quantitative research across thirteen distinct channels, catering to service providers, technology vendors, enterprise IT executives, and financial market participants.