CenturyLink To Finalize Uptime Institute M&O Certifications Across Global Data Center Footprint By Year End 2016

MONROE, La., Dec. 5, 2016/PRNewswire/ -- CenturyLink, Inc.(NYSE:CTL) today announced it expects to receive Uptime Institute's coveted Management and Operations (M&O) Stamp of Approval by year end 2016 for the data centers being certified in its global portfolio. The assessment process started two years ago when CenturyLink became the first global company to pledge to certify its data center portfolio.

CenturyLink's commitment to meet rigorous, industry-leading standards put forth by Uptime Institute helps set the agenda for operational excellence in the data center hosting industry.

"Keeping our customers' businesses running 24/7 is our top priority and we are proud to be achieving such a significant milestone ahead of any other data center hosting provider," saidDavid Meredith, senior vice president, global data centers, CenturyLink. "Achieving M&O Stamp of Approval on a global level reinforces CenturyLink's commitment to operational excellence, 100-percent uptime and transparency surrounding the management of these facilities."

To obtain the M&O Stamp of Approval for a particular data center, the facility's management and operations team must meet strict criteria in several key areas, including staffing and organization, maintenance, planning, coordination and management, and training. The certifications are being assigned to 52 data centers where CenturyLink has operations teams on-site; the company's portfolio includes 57 data centers total.

"Based on our research over the past 20 years, we've found that 70 percent of all data center failures are caused by human error," saidLee Kirby, CTO of Uptime Institute. "Uptime Institute's M&O Stamp of Approval provides insights to help organizations minimize, if not eliminate, operator errors to improve performance and productivity. By being the first company to not only undertake, but complete this comprehensive certification process, CenturyLink is setting the bar high for others."

CenturyLinkannounced on Nov. 4that it had reached an agreement to sell its data centers and colocation business to a consortium led by BC Partners and Medina Capital. Under the agreement, CenturyLink will retain its hosting and cloud assets to continue supporting the company's network-first and hybrid-IT strategy.

About Uptime Institute

Uptime Institute is an unbiased advisory organization focused on improving the performance, efficiency, and reliability of business critical infrastructure through innovation, collaboration, and independent certifications. Uptime Institute serves all stakeholders responsible for IT service availability through industry leading standards, education, peer-to-peer networking, consulting, and award programs delivered to enterprise organizations and third-party operators, manufacturers, and providers. Uptime Institute is recognized globally for the creation and administration of the Tier Standards & Certifications for Data Center Design, Construction, and Operational Sustainability along with its Management & Operations reviews, FORCSS™ methodology, and energy efficiency initiatives.

Uptime Institute – The Global Data Center Authority®, a division of The 451 Group, has office locations in the U.S., Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil, U.K., Spain, U.A.E., Russia, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia. Visit www.uptimeinstitute.com for more information.

About CenturyLink

CenturyLink(NYSE: CTL) is a global communications, hosting, cloud and IT services company enabling millions of customers to transform their businesses and their lives through innovative technology solutions. CenturyLink offers network and data systems management, Big Data analytics and IT consulting, and operates more than 55 data centers in North America, Europe and Asia. The company provides broadband, voice, video, data and managed services over a robust 250,000-route-mile U.S. fiber network and a 300,000-route-mile international transport network. VisitCenturyLinkfor more information.