I'm not sure about the reports that you boss mentioned. But the key concept to remember about data centers is reliability. You need to create an environment where your servers and network equipment have the greatest chance of operating reliably. This means that you need to be sure that the equipment has a reliable source of data center grade electrical power. Typically, to get this power you will need at least one UPS and a standby generator.
You also need reliable data center grade air conditioning. There are special air conditioners for data centers. These air conditioners control temperature and humidity.
There are dozens of other things to consider; maintenance, testing, commissioning, static electricity control, cleanliness, infrastructure monitoring, physical security, fire suppression, life safety, and on and on. But, reliable power and air are a good start.
I agree with gallant, reliability and redundancy is one of the most important things to consider when building or managing a DC.
Equipment need:
UPS
PDU
Generator w/ATS
CRAC (Computer Room Air Conditioner)
Fire Suppression unit
Raised Floor? (some DC, have some not)
Metered power strips (amp reading)
If building a new DC find an engineer, HVAC, Electrician company with DC experience. APC's website (apc.com) has a good selection of "white papers".
I see this a very appropriate definition of DC: Every organization has a data center, although it might be referred to as a server room or even a computer closet. In that sense, data center may be synonymous with network operations center (NOC), a restricted access area containing automated systems that constantly monitor server activity, Web traffic, and network performance.
