Consulting for Data Centres and IT Infrastructure
We advise you on data centres and critical IT infrastructure: from data centre strategy and network, server and security concepts to the introduction of sovereign AI. Together, we assess existing facilities, risks and development options and identify practical steps for modernisation, resilience and cost-effective operation.
Data centre consulting: strategy, IT infrastructure and sovereign AI
Sound data centre consulting makes technical requirements, risks and investment decisions transparent. High Knowledge combines infrastructure expertise with experience in design, construction and operations. We document assumptions, compare options and develop a reliable basis for your decisions. Our Funding management combines funding opportunity assessments with applications, evidence and monitoring.
Every data centre project begins with questions and challenges. Many clients already have clear ideas, which we discuss and assess in an initial consultation.
We coordinate the different requirements and align them with your needs and business objectives.
Data centre strategy
New build, expansion or a different operating model? We assess sites, requirements and investment together. You receive a target operating concept, a clear comparison of options and a roadmap with prioritised actions. A feasibility study examines the technical and commercial feasibility of your project in greater detail.
Retrofit & modernisation
Develop your existing data centre with operational continuity in mind. We assess asset condition, capacity, efficiency and operational dependencies. The result is a prioritised action plan with assessed risks and an agreed implementation sequence. Maintenance windows, temporary supplies and live operations are considered from the outset.
Sovereign AI & Agentic AI
Introduce AI while retaining control of data, models and workflows. For SMEs, large enterprises and pharmaceutical companies, we clarify use cases, data access and technical prerequisites. You receive an infrastructure and operating concept covering responsibilities, approval steps and an implementation approach.
We support you from initial analysis to production operation, on your premises or in our data centre in Germany. Controlled AI agents and a project-specific assessment of applicable EU AI Act requirements are considered from the outset.
Critical infrastructure & physical resilience
Assess site hazards, utilities and operational dependencies. We clarify the KRITIS-Dachgesetz requirements for your project and develop practical safeguards.
NIS2 & cybersecurity
Systematically assess safeguards and technical dependencies. A prioritised roadmap connects BSIG requirements with your operational implementation.
Optimization and Sustainability
Our role is to identify suitable ways to protect and optimise your company's IT infrastructure and assess potential improvements transparently. We pay particular attention to approaches that support a circular economy (Cradle to Cradle), reduce energy demand and improve the CO2-balance.
Our services are aimed at companies, authorities, and organizations of all sizes. Especially to those who have high data management, storage, and security requirements.
Audits and Compliance Checks
An audit starts with a clearly defined scope: which installation, location and requirements are being assessed? We agree the criteria, data sources and required evidence with you and document deviations transparently. An initial assessment, preparation for an audit and the certification decision itself are distinct services.
For data centres, DIN EN 50600, information security requirements or environmental criteria may be relevant. Requirements under Germany’s Energy Efficiency Act and the EU Taxonomy must be assessed for the specific activity, installation size and operator role. The European Green Deal itself is not a single certification standard for a data centre.
Within the agreed scope, you receive an overview of the points assessed, available records, missing evidence and recommended actions. Priorities reflect risk, dependencies and effort. If certification follows, the decision remains with the responsible certification body.
Within the scope of our consulting services we address the following areas:
- Feasibility Studies
- Site evaluations
- Project definition
- Risk and cost analysis
- Project management
- Strategy consulting
- Funding advice
- Design development
- Development forecasts
- Hazard scenarios
- Protection goal definitions
- Integration of certification requirements
- European Data Center norm EN 50600
- Uptime Institute Tier classifications
- Blue Angel certifications
- Business model developments
- Data Center marketing concepts
We combine professional, agile consulting methods with a quality management system to organise delivery and document our work.
On request, we plan the entire project and accompany you during the implementation. There is a completely individual, ideal Data Center concept for every company, which we would be happy to develop for and with you.
From an initial question to a sound feasibility study
1. Clarify objectives and reliable baseline data
The starting point is a specific decision: upgrade existing rooms, develop a new site, expand with modules or use external IT facilities? We discuss the required services, protection needs, growth assumptions and timetable. Existing plans, measurements and operating records are checked for completeness. Missing information remains visible as an open issue instead of silently becoming an assumed fact.
2. Examine the existing infrastructure and site
A feasibility study considers the existing or proposed infrastructure as a complete system. Space, load-bearing capacity, access, fire compartments, grid connection and available cooling options influence one another. Site-specific risks, maintenance access and operational requirements also matter. We agree which inspections, measurements and specialist investigations are included in the commission.
3. Compare technical options
We develop suitable options from the baseline information. This may include comparing refurbishment, timber construction, conventional construction and modular expansion. For AI applications, GPU load, concurrent demand, cooling and integration with existing IT are assessed together. Each option is evaluated against the same criteria, including availability, expandability, energy demand and organisational impact.
4. Make costs and dependencies transparent
A low purchase price says little about overall economic suitability. We consider investment, energy, maintenance, staffing and necessary replacements over the agreed period. Estimates are documented with their data basis and limitations. Uncertain factors such as load growth or energy prices can be compared across scenarios. This shows which assumptions have the greatest effect on the decision.
5. Prepare a practical decision
The outcome is an agreed recommendation covering the options, main risks and next steps. It includes responsibilities, required approvals and a realistic timetable. Outstanding investigations or permitting questions are stated explicitly. You can decide whether and how to develop the project further. Subsequent Data centre design is agreed as a separate scope of services.
Results of your data centre consultancy
Depending on the commission, you receive a requirements list, a documented assessment of existing infrastructure, technical concept options, a cost framework and a prioritised action plan. The report distinguishes observations, assumptions and recommendations. It identifies the underlying records and the installation scope assessed. Any additional measurements, calculations or evidence are clarified before further work is commissioned.
Smaller projects also benefit from this approach. Replacing a UPS, adding a GPU server or changing cooling can affect the protection concept, grid connection and operating procedures. Early assessment helps coordinate the necessary adjustments. Larger site-development and new-build projects receive correspondingly deeper analysis. The required decision determines the scope, rather than a fixed minimum project size.
Data centre consultancy in Cologne and North Rhine-Westphalia
From our Cologne and Bonn/Rhein-Sieg locations, we support businesses, public institutions and data centre operators in North Rhine-Westphalia and beyond. Client meetings, site assessments and coordination with project participants are organised to suit the project. Our design, project management and manufacturing teams work closely together. Regional contacts and their responsibilities are listed on our locations page.
Specialist experience to support your decision
Our participation in data centre standardisation within DKE/GK 719 and the ATD qualification held in our team connect project experience with design and evidence requirements. We discuss early which standards are relevant to your installation. Our standardisation work and expertise and our published project examples provide further insight into this background.
“The constructive, results-focused collaboration during and after project delivery convinced us and established a basis of trust”
From a client testimonial published on our homepage about municipal IT infrastructure.
To get started, a description of your project and the records already available are sufficient. Together, we identify the key questions and propose an appropriate consultancy scope. Enquire about data centre consultancy.
Availability
“The availability of a technical system is the probability or the degree that the system will meet certain requirements at a certain point in time or within an agreed time frame. (...) It is a quality criterion and a key figure of a system. "
(Source: Wikipedia 2021)
A system is available when it can perform its intended tasks. Time-based availability is the ratio of available operating time to the period assessed: availability = (total time − downtime) / total time × 100%. Comparisons require consistent definitions of the measurement period, maintenance time and what constitutes a failure.
A 99 percent availability therefore corresponds to an annual downtime of almost 88 hours or 3.5 days, which has little to do with a high-availability Data Center.
The question of availability is therefore crucial with regard to the risk analysis and the downtime costs. Since the availability has a direct influence on the entire Data Center concept with all its redundancies, a clean and consistent planning is established at this point.
Qualifications
Uptime Institute Accredited Tier Designer
Approved Blue Angel Auditor
Business consultancy and funding options
EU and Public Funding Consulting
European Green Deal and the EU Taxonomy
Europe is to become the first climate-neutral continent and thus a global pioneer in terms of climate protection – an endeavor that lies at the heart of the Green Deal presented by the European Union in 2019. The aim is to implement the EU’s climate protection targets by 2050.
The European Green Deal combines economic, environmental, and social aspects (ESG criteria), where Measures have been developed to decarbonize many sectors of the economy from energy, industry, trade, and finance, to agriculture, forestry, and transportation.
With the taxonomy, the European Union has introduced a classification scheme to define in a binding way which economic activities are classified as environmentally sustainable. The activities identified are also intended to be strengthened with targeted investments and climate-related data from market participants made transparent to third parties.
Your route to the right service
All topics at a glance.
Strategy & development
- Data centre strategyData centre strategy for owner operation, colocation and hybrid IT: informed planning of locations, capacity, resilience and investment.
- Feasibility StudiesAssess site, IT load, grid connection, cooling, availability and design options. A High Knowledge feasibility study supports informed data centre decisions.
- Business Model DevelopmentDevelop your data centre business model with High Knowledge. Assess requirements, service offerings, location and technical feasibility.
- Sovereign AI & Agentic AISovereign AI for SMEs, enterprises and pharma: analysis, deployment, EU AI Act requirements and operation on your premises or in our German data centre.
Existing facilities & resilience
- DC CheckDC Check by High Knowledge: assess your data centre, identify areas for action and develop a documented improvement plan.
- Retrofit & modernisationData centre retrofit and modernisation: assess existing facilities, renew power and cooling, and carefully plan alterations during ongoing operation.
- Critical infrastructure & KRITIS-DachgesetzCritical infrastructure consulting: assess risks, physical resilience and protection measures, and clarify the KRITIS-Dachgesetz requirements for your project.
- NIS2 consultingNIS2 consulting: assess safeguards, technical dependencies and gaps, and develop a prioritised roadmap for implementing German BSIG requirements.
Information security & standards
- ISO 27001Understand ISMS requirements, clarify infrastructure interfaces and prepare implementation steps for ISO 27001 in your data centre environment.
- ISO 27002Understand and select ISO/IEC 27002 information security controls for your organisation. High Knowledge supports their practical implementation.
- Pen TestingIdentify vulnerabilities within an agreed testing scope, document findings and prioritise IT security measures with High Knowledge.
- EN 50600Translate EN 50600 requirements into a practical data centre concept. High Knowledge supports assessment, infrastructure planning and project preparation.
Energy & sustainability
- Energy Efficiency LawUnderstand how Germany's Energy Efficiency Act relates to your data centre. Prepare technical measures and documentation for its location and operation.
- EU TaxonomyLearn how the EU taxonomy promotes sustainable investments in data centers. High Knowledge GmbH supports you in implementing the guidelines.
- European Green DealUnderstand the European Green Deal in a data centre context, including energy efficiency and potential implications for planning and operation.
- Blue AngelAssess Blue Angel award criteria, evidence and technical requirements for your data centre. Plan the preparation process with High Knowledge.
A brief conversation to clarify your next step.
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