Unified Certification Standard for Cloud & Managed Service Providers to Provide Framework for Fortinet Partners
Chico, CA (July 10, 2013) – The International Association of Cloud & Managed Service Providers (MSPAlliance), today announced that Fortinet will leverage the Unified Certification Standard audit (UCS) for Cloud & Managed Service Providers (MSPs) as a core authentication methodology for its MSSP Program.
Despite the absence of governmental laws or regulatory safeguards, industry-wide, cross-border standards for evaluating a cloud provider are crucial to protecting businesses’ safety and privacy. With the adoption of cloud computing accelerating, there is now an urgent need for a globally accepted, universal standard and code of behavior for service providers delivering these solutions. As the cloud is presently unregulated, understanding a cloud provider’s underlying capabilities, resources, security processes and safeguards, as well as its overall financial health, is paramount for organizations that want to successfully utilize cloud computing.
Charles Weaver, CEO of MSPAlliance, noted that, “Standardized due diligence on every cloud or outsourced IT relationship must be made available–and accepted–on a worldwide scale. Cloud and Managed Service Provider certifications, as opposed to vendor specific certifications, are a first step and currently a very useful tool in helping customers know precisely with whom they are dealing in terms of infrastructure, resources, capabilities, financial health, as well as many other requisite characteristics.
“The MSPAlliance has long believed that standards and self regulation should come from within the industry, not from without. Today’s announcement, along with the changes in the Fortinet MSSP program, are recognition of the hard work of many MSPs over the years that have sought to provide greater transparency, assurance, and trust between customers and MSPs.
We are very proud to be working with an industry leader like Fortinet to bring these attributes to both the IT channel as well as the end user customer.
MSSPs (Managed Security Service Providers) who wish to ascend to the platinum level of partner status within Fortinet will now be able to do so by matriculating through the UCS audit and meeting Fortinet engineering certification requirements.
“The MSPAlliance is honored to be working with Fortinet to help bring well qualified MSSPs into their partner program, while at the same time promoting a global standard of excellence, best practices, and transparency for managed services,” said Celia Weaver, President of MSPAlliance. “Not only will Fortinet know that the MSPs coming to them are qualified and checked out, it will also provide additional value to MSPs who have gone through the UCS audit and wish to enter the highest levels of the Fortinet MSSP program.”
Highlights of this program will include:
- MSSPs who have achieved a UCS audit will qualify to enter the Fortinet MSSP program at the platinum level
- MSSPs who wish to increase their partner status within the Fortinet program can either take internal training courses with Fortinet or take the UCS audit certification
- Training and education for MSSPs who desire to advance within the Fortinet program and/or become better MSSPs will be available
“As a UCS certified and audited managed service provider, Locknet applauds Fortinet for making these changes to its MSSP partner program,” said Peter Kujawa, president of Locknet Division – EO Johnson Office Technologies. “The UCS also helps us sell to companies that want to see proof that you do what you say, such as our primary vertical markets, financial institutions and medical providers.”
The Unified Certification Standard has been around for over 9 years and was developed by MSPs for MSPs as a mechanism for providing guidance for MSPs and customers alike. Today, the UCS is available and recognized on 5 of the 6 continents around the world.
For more information about the various MSPAlliance guidelines, including the UCS, the Customer Bill of Rights, and the Managed Service Provider’s Code of Ethics & Conduct, please visit www.mspalliance.com/
ABOUT MSPALLIANCE
For the past 13 years, the MSPAlliance has been the only unified voice for the Managed Services Industry, and the only organization that promotes the highest level of professionalism, reliability and integrity. As the world’s largest Professional Association and Accrediting Body for the Managed Services Industry, the MSPAlliance was created to meet the needs of the Managed Services Professional and to educate and protect the consumers of managed services and cloud.