The Data Center Stack Industry Taxonomy
AI User Guide

How to use the taxonomy with AI to get real answers.

1. Overview

The Data Center Stack Industry Taxonomy is a six-layer framework covering the core industries of the data center ecosystem, plus ecosystem enablers. See the GitHub repository for the current industry list. This guide shows you how to reference the taxonomy in AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, etc.) to classify companies and analyze any company dataset.

2. Before You Start

  • Use the latest taxonomy from this GitHub repository.
  • Provide company names (one per line or CSV).
  • Tell the AI to use this taxonomy and not invent new categories.
System Instruction (use this in every session) Use The Data Center Stack Industry Taxonomy from this GitHub repository as the classification framework for this analysis. Do not create additional industries or change the taxonomy without identifying them separately as proposed taxonomy gaps.

3. The Workflow

1. Provide Your Company Data
Paste or upload your company list (CSV or plain text).
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2. Run a Prompt
Choose a use case below. The taxonomy link is already built in.
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3. Get Structured Results
Receive classification, analysis, insights, and output files.

4. Five Common Functions (Use Cases)

1Company Classification
Classify one or more companies to see where they fit in the Stack.
Prompt (copy & paste) Taxonomy source: https://github.com/datacenterops/the-data-center-stack/tree/main/taxonomy Classify the following company(s) using The Data Center Stack Industry Taxonomy (linked above). Return for each company: - Primary Layer (1-6) - Industry Name (exact match from taxonomy) - Function Summary (1-2 sentences) - Confidence (High/Medium/Low) - Notes / Rationale Companies: <PASTE COMPANY NAMES HERE>
2Dataset / Ecosystem Analysis
Understand the composition of any company dataset.
Prompt (copy & paste) Taxonomy source: https://github.com/datacenterops/the-data-center-stack/tree/main/taxonomy Analyze the following list of companies using The Data Center Stack Industry Taxonomy (linked above). Provide: - Total companies and % mapped to the taxonomy - Distribution by Layer (1-6) with counts and percentages - Top industries by count - Underrepresented layers/industries - Proposed taxonomy gaps (companies that don't fit well) - Key takeaways Companies: <PASTE COMPANY LIST HERE>
3Customer, Partner & Competitor Mapping
Identify relationships relative to your company.
Prompt (copy & paste) Taxonomy source: https://github.com/datacenterops/the-data-center-stack/tree/main/taxonomy My company is: <YOUR COMPANY NAME> Our primary Layer is: <1-6> (or describe our primary function) Using The Data Center Stack Industry Taxonomy, analyze the following companies and group them as: - Potential Customers - Strategic Partners - Adjacent Competitors - Other / Not Directly Related Explain your reasoning for each group. Companies: <PASTE COMPANY LIST HERE>
4Market / Opportunity Analysis
Find white space, concentration, and opportunity areas.
Prompt (copy & paste) Taxonomy source: https://github.com/datacenterops/the-data-center-stack/tree/main/taxonomy Using The Data Center Stack Industry Taxonomy (linked above), analyze the following company dataset for market opportunity. Provide: - Overrepresented areas (where the market is crowded) - Underrepresented / white space areas - Adjacent layers or industries with high opportunity - Risks or gaps in the current ecosystem - Key strategic takeaways Companies: <PASTE COMPANY LIST HERE>
5Conference / Event Intelligence
Analyze an attendee, sponsor, exhibitor, or speaker list to understand an event's relevance and find opportunities.
Prompt (copy & paste) Taxonomy source: https://github.com/datacenterops/the-data-center-stack/tree/main/taxonomy Using The Data Center Stack Industry Taxonomy (linked above), analyze the following conference attendee/sponsor/exhibitor list. Provide: - Total organizations and % mapped to the taxonomy - Layer distribution (1-6) with counts and percentages - Industry distribution and areas of concentration - Potential customers and strategic partners - Competitors and adjacent players - Ecosystem gaps or underrepresented industries - Overall relevance of this event to our company - Key strategic takeaways Organizations: <PASTE ORGANIZATION LIST HERE>

5. Tips for Best Results

  • Provide clean company names (one per line). Include website or short description if possible.
  • If a company doesn't fit, ask the AI to propose a taxonomy gap with suggested placement.
  • Ask for CSV or table output to make results easy to use in spreadsheets.
  • Iterate. Refine prompts and re-run for deeper insights.
GitHub: https://github.com/datacenterops/the-data-center-stack
Questions or feedback? Open an issue or start a discussion.

TURN COMPANY LISTS INTO
ECOSYSTEM INTELLIGENCE

The Data Center Stack Industry Taxonomy + AI

WHAT YOU CAN DO
Classify companies
Analyze any company dataset
Map customers, partners & competitors
Find opportunities & white space
HOW IT WORKS
1
Provide your company list
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2
Run a prompt, taxonomy link included
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3
Get structured results & insights
THE SIX-LAYER FRAMEWORK
1
Foundation
Land, power, utilities, cooling water, permits, real estate, sites.
2
Infrastructure
Power infrastructure, cooling systems, IT hardware, network infrastructure.
3
Deployment
Design, engineering, construction, integration, installation.
4
Operations
Facility operations, maintenance, monitoring, field services.
5
Platform
Cloud, colocation, edge platforms, management software.
6
Workloads
Applications, AI/ML, data, content, SaaS, enterprise workloads.
PLUS ECOSYSTEM ENABLERS
Consulting
Finance
Media
Associations
Training
Government
EXAMPLE: CONFERENCE INTELLIGENCE
183
Organizations Collected
›
132
Mapped to the Taxonomy (72%)
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94%
in Layers 1-4 (Build → Operate)
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Very High
Overall Fit for Deployment (Layer 3)

FIVE USE CASES. ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES.

Apply the taxonomy to conferences, prospect lists, partner ecosystems, associations, regional markets, vendor databases, M&A targets, and any other company dataset.

Classify
Analyze
Map
Discover
Events
ONE TAXONOMY. MANY INSIGHTS.
Understand where companies fit, how they relate, and where the opportunities are.