Digital Realty Trust and M+W Group Form International Alliance to Provide Build-to-suit Datacentres

LONDON, March 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

- Complete Datacentre Solution for Customers without Financing Contingencies

Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: DLR), a global wholesale datacentre provider, and M+W Group (http://www.mwgroup.net), an international engineering and construction company, have formed an alliance to offer customers a single source for bespoke enterprise data centre projects in Europe and Asia. Through this alliance, corporate enterprises and service providers can utilize M+W Group's and Digital Realty Trust's financial and technical resources to pursue bespoke-built datacentre projects of any scope throughout Europe and Asia.

"For the first time, customers have a one-stop shop focused on their build-to-suit datacentre projects. M+W Group and Digital Realty Trust together form the single provider for custom build-to-suit datacentres for enterprise customers without financing contingency risk," said Michael F. Foust, Chief Executive Officer at Digital Realty Trust.

Mr. Foust added, "Customers benefit from M+W Group's leadership in international corporate build-to-suit projects completed on time and on budget as well as Digital Realty Trust's global purchasing arrangements for data centre components and expertise during the design process. Additionally, Digital Realty Trust is able to provide customers with a lease structure for the bespoke datacentre, including the mechanical and electrical plant, offering a simple financial model that reduces the total cost of ownership."

"The timing is ideal for the emergence of an international developer that can finance and develop build-to-suit data centres to meet the location and technical needs of the enterprise customer. Digital Realty Trust is the world's leading wholesale datacentre provider and M+W Group sets the standards in international build-to-suit high-tech facilities," said Jurgen Wild, CEO of M+W Group. "We can contribute our state-of-the-art data-centre know-how considering best engineering practices for an optimized Total Cost of Ownership model as well as our particular expertise in energy efficiency and environmental performance. At a time when most companies are having difficulty obtaining financing for major construction projects, our alliance provides a simple, best-in-class process for the delivery of a custom datacentre facility."

About M+W Group (www.mwgroup.net): M+W Group is the leading global partner for engineering, construction and project management in the fields of Advanced Technology Facilities, the Life Science Industries, Energy & Environment Technologies and High-Tech Infrastructure. From concept development to turnkey services the company manages projects of all sizes ensuring rapid realization, high quality standards and cost-effective completion. With its competence to link process and automation technologies and complex facilities to integrated solutions M+W Group primarily focuses on leading electronics, life science, photovoltaic, chemical, automobile and communication companies, as well as research institutes and universities. M+W Group GmbH is the holding company with headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. In 2010 M+W Group generated according to preliminary figures an order intake of 2.1 billion euros and revenues of nearly 1.8 billion euros with a workforce of approximately 6,000 employees.

M+W Group is owned by the Austrian Stumpf Group that is globally successful in the areas of High-Tech Engineering, Smart & Renewable Energy, Real Estate and Technology Investments.

About Digital Realty Trust, Inc.

Digital Realty Trust, Inc. enables customers to deliver critical business applications by providing secure, reliable and cost effective datacenter facilities. Digital Realty Trust's customers include domestic and international companies across multiple industry verticals ranging from information technology and Internet enterprises, to manufacturing and financial services. Digital Realty Trust's 96 properties, excluding two properties held as investments in unconsolidated joint ventures, comprise approximately 16.8 million square feet as of February 18, 2011, including 2.2 million square feet of space held for redevelopment. Digital Realty Trust's portfolio is located in 28 markets throughout Europe, North America and Singapore. Additional information about Digital Realty Trust is included in the Company Overview, which is available on the Investors page of Digital Realty Trust's website at http://www.digitalrealtytrust.co.uk.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements which are based on Digital Realty Trust, Inc.'s current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially, including statements related to Digital Realty Trust's alliance with M+W Group. These risks and uncertainties include, among others, the following: the impact of the recent deterioration in global economic, credit and market conditions; current local economic conditions in its geographic markets; decreases in information technology spending, including as a result of economic slowdowns or recession; adverse economic or real estate developments in its industry or the industry sectors that it sells to (including risks relating to decreasing real estate valuations and impairment charges); its dependence upon significant tenants; bankruptcy or insolvency of a major tenant or a significant number of smaller tenants; defaults on or non-renewal of leases by tenants; its failure to obtain necessary debt and equity financing; increased interest rates and operating costs; its failure to repay debt when due or its breach of covenants or other terms contained in its loan facilities and agreements; financial market fluctuations; changes in foreign currency exchange rates; its inability to manage its growth effectively; difficulty acquiring or operating properties in foreign jurisdictions; its failure to successfully operate acquired or redeveloped properties; risks related to joint venture investments, including as a result of its lack of control of such investments; delays or unexpected costs in development or redevelopment of properties; decreased rental rates or increased vacancy rates; increased competition or available supply of data center space; its inability to successfully develop and lease new properties and space held for redevelopment; difficulties in identifying properties to acquire and completing acquisitions; its inability to acquire off-market properties; its inability to comply with the rules and regulations applicable to reporting companies; its failure to maintain its status as a REIT; possible adverse changes to tax laws; restrictions on its ability to engage in certain business activities; environmental uncertainties and risks related to natural disasters; changes in foreign laws and regulations, including those related to taxation and real estate ownership and operation; and changes in real estate and zoning laws and increases in real property tax rates. For a further list and description of such risks and uncertainties, see the reports and other filings by Digital Realty Trust, Inc. with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including Digital Realty Trust, Inc.'s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009 and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2010, June 30, 2010 and September 30, 2010. Digital Realty Trust, Inc. disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Turn-Key Datacentre, Powered Base Building and POD Architecture are registered trademarks of Digital Realty Trust.

    
    For Additional Information:
    ---------------------------
    
    A. William Stein                   Pamela A. Matthews        
    Chief Financial Officer and        Vice President, Investor Relations                
    Chief Investment Officer           Digital Realty Trust, Inc.                       
    Digital Realty Trust, Inc.         +1-415-738-6500         
    +1-415-738-6500

    Michael Gemeinhardt
    M+W Group
    michael.gemeinhardt@mwgroup.net
    +49-711-8804-1420