CASE STUDY — IO DATA CENTERRedefining the Data Center Industry
Proving the Value of Disruption
Led by visionary CEO George Slessman, IO set out to disrupt the data center and cloud infrastructure industries with its revolutionary modular technology. At the time, traditional raised-floor environments dominated the market—rigid, inefficient, and costly to scale. Despite the promise of its innovation, IO faced two key challenges: proving the relevance of its technology and building credibility among enterprise customers who were accustomed to legacy solutions.
Building a Brand — and Business — That Scales
We partnered with IO’s CEO, their leadership team, and their corporate marketing group to codify their business strategy, articulate their disruptive market position, and build a fully integrated marketing capability.
1. Strategic Business Model Innovation
Introduced factory-built, prefabricated modular data centers, enabling scalability, portability, and 44% lower energy waste compared to traditional builds.
Implemented a "build-on-demand" model that optimized capital deployment, reduced risk, and accelerated entry into new markets.
Expanded rapidly beyond Phoenix into New Jersey, Ohio, London, and Singapore to serve major clients like Goldman Sachs.
2. Brand Strategy as a Growth Catalyst
Repositioned IO as a pioneering force in data center innovation, synonymous with modularity, energy efficiency, and operational agility.
Created a category-defining identity that resonated with blue-chip clients and validated IO’s role as a trusted enterprise partner.
Spun off Baselayer in 2014 to focus exclusively on modular hardware and software, further strengthening IO’s brand focus on colocation.
3. Integrated Marketing and Customer Experience
Built a cross-functional marketing capability that combined brand marketing, performance marketing, and customer relationship marketing.
Created strategic demand-generation programs to drive growth and deepen customer engagement.
Positive Results: A Billion-Dollar Exit and Industry Legacy
IO’s transformation delivered both short- and long-term impact:
Achieved a 20% annual revenue growth rate, reaching $90 million in 2017 with a 70% EBITA margin.
Acquired by Iron Mountain in January 2018 for $1.34 billion, adding major capacity and revenue growth to Iron Mountain’s portfolio.
Helped Iron Mountain grow data center revenue from less than $50 million in 2017 to over $300 million by 2023.
Influenced an industry-wide shift toward modular infrastructure, setting a new standard in data center design.