Technology Rooms gone bad (and how to make them good).

You may know them as MDFs, IDFs, or by some other acronym. Whatever you call them, the spaces dedicated to housing IT equipment are among the most important in your district to maintain digital connectivity among and between IP-based systems including security, instructional, and wireless access.

If your district’s Technology Rooms (TRs) are in disarray, there’s a good chance that critical infrastructure behind the walls—cables and pathways—is in equally poor shape.

These conditions can also cause operational issues
​(e.g., intermittent errors) with existing and newly installed technology systems.

12-Point Checklist for Healthy IT Equipment Spaces

1. Size with 3’ clear space front and back
2. Environment/location/hallway access
3. Secure/dedicated space or locked cabinet
4. Environmental controls
5. Dedicated and redundant power
6. Uninterruptible Power Source (UPS)/Emergency Management (EM) power
7. Grounding infrastructure
8. Division 27 fit-out including overhead cable management and fire-retardant plywood
9. Cable termination and management
10. Room construction with walls extended to deck, and cable penetrations compliant and sealed
11. Vinyl-Coated Tile (VCT) flooring
12. Ceiling is open to deck with min. height of 10’

BEFORE: A Technology Room with Extremely Poor Conditions

AFTER: Picturing a Technology Room with Good Conditions
Now that you know what a poor Technology Room looks like, you can appreciate how a TR that follows industry best practices should appear as shown below.

Meeting these and other TR best practices requires careful planning, coordination, and oversight but the increased reliability and scalability of your technology infrastructure will pay dividends in the years ahead.

Perform a TR Snap Inspection in less than 5 Minutes

If you’d like to observe the technology conditions of the IT equipment space that’s nearest to you, please view our TR Snap Inspection Form.

If you need additional assistance in assessing your district’s technology conditions, please send us an email or call 585.286.4500 to discuss your needs.

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Select upstate NY organizations that rely on Archi-Technology as a guide to building technology systems.

Valuable resources for your current or next technology project.

Discover a wealth of free planning resources to help you take control of your organization's technology initiatives from planning and programming through design, construction and management. Visit our Resources section.

The Anatomy of NYS Aid for Building Conditions Survey infographic (PDF)

Featured Resource
Anatomy of NYS Aid for Building Conditions Surveys.
Is your school district leaving available state aid on the table that could be used to assess and document technology infrastructure and IP-based building systems such as instructional technology and security systems? View PDF.