With several high profile projects completed in Japan, I have established a strong working relationship with several major design, construction and M&E companies in Japan. Construction in Japan is mostly based on family companies that commenced as palace carpenters 10 to 15 generations ago.

The Big Five construction companies are all proud of this heritage and today maintain the highest possible quality of workmanship and integrity.

Data Center planning, construction and operation is a very specialized field that requires a wide spectrum of knowledge in every aspects of construction, electrical and mechanical engineering. More so in Japan where stringent Construction and Fire codes vary vastly to those of most other countries.

The government approves the main transformers, the generators, fire suppression systems, life safety systems and many other factors that make up a complex building such as a Data Centre. Dealing with statutory authorities is not easy for even the professional design teams, a non Japanese speaker would find it impossible to obtain an appointment with the right level of people in a government department.

Making changes after approval of the design and the issuing of the Building Permit will, in nearly all cases, require a TOTAL HALT to all work and a reapplication. The time required for the re-application per se is around 3 months, with no short cuts available. Add to this the re-design time and other elements for a practical delay of around 4.5 months. The theme is therefore make sure you have right when you make your submission.

With a seisimically isolated building, the coring of load bearing walls and floors after the building permit is issued is not permitted under the current code. A re-application is required for even the smallest hole and in most cases it would require a full evalutation by the City structural engineers. In fact unauthorised coring may invalidate your insurance policy.

The frequency of earthquakes is another factor that requires a sound local knowledge of what can be done during the design stage to protect the building from a catastrophic tremor. Aiming for the lowest possible Probability of Maximum Loss (PML) is essential as it will not just save the building, it will also provide the users with a much lower insurance premium for their valuable data and servers. The lowest PML that I have achieved is 2.6%, or about 3 times less than the average for Data Centers in Japan. This is now considered to be one of the safest building in all of Japan.

Being technically bilingual (Japanese/English), my projects in Japan have not been subject to the "Lost in Translation" phenomena. This major impediment to proper Project Management in Japan has not affected me in any of my projects. I prefer to run my projects in Japanese and my meetings too are done in Japanese which greatly enhances the working environment for the site engineers and architects.

In this cost conscious environment, being able to negotiate with contractors and manufacturers is a skill that comes from many years of experience. A reputation for being tough but fair does have its advantages. In all my projects I have achieved excellent prices, always below the estimates from the designers and quantity surveyors.

CO2 emissions is now a global issue, being able to head a team that will design a Data Center with the lowest possible PUE needs a person who can think outside the square, share ideas with Japan's best engineers and offer an unbeatable PUE as an end result. My lowest PUE in Tokyo is 1.38 using chilled water.

I enjoy working in the constantly changing Data Center environment, the buzz of a large construction project, the challenges and issue I have to solve and dealing with people of all trades and skills.

Of late I have been invited to be a guest speaker at Data Center specific conferences in Japan. Speaking in Japanese to an very receptive audience is in itself a rewarding experience.

• Data Centre Due Diligence check list (Feel free to use, but please acknowledge authorship)
• General Basis of Design Document for a typical 1800w/Sq.M DC in Tokyo. (Feel free to use, but please acknowledge authorship)
• Cogeneration - what to look for in Japan
• Diesel vs. Gas Turbine Generators - A comparison chart
• Air side Free cooling in Tokyo - A list of issues and observations
• Uptime Institute Tier Classification - Uptime publication (This paper is reproduced with thanks)

“As the data center industry continues to heat up and skilled experts become increasingly more scarce, KVH has been fortunate to have secured the long-term services and commitment of Imtiaz again for our 3rd data center build-out. In addition to his expertise and hands-on experience in DC projects and commissioning, etc., Imtiaz is extremely personable and patient to share and teach stakeholders and others who are not necessarily as familiar with the industry and technology and issues, as he is. Finally, Imtiaz's professional commitment and ability to deliver great results is another (the?) leading reason why KVH has engaged him again for this 2008-2011 build.”

Jonathan Tanemori (KVH Ltd. Japan)

Dennis Mwansa (Royal Bank of Scotland - Tokyo)

Owen Jones (Royal Bank of Scotland - UK)

Ed O'Brien (Digital Reality)

Rob O'Grady (Aozora Bank)

Jonathon Fletcher (CITIBANK)

For any Construction job, that requires promptness, reduced costs, and perfect execution, Imtiaz is the man for the job.”

Dr Hussein Shehata (JP Morgan)