This is part one of an anticipated two-part post. The news: MSP Partners — working with CompTIA (Computing Technology Industry Association) and IPED (Institute for Partner Education and and Development) — is launching an accreditation test for managed service providers. Here’s the quick scoop, plus some questions I need to get answered.
The MSP Partners accreditation will be called “MSP Pro … powered by CompTIA.” My immediate reaction: It sounds like MSP Partners is launching a managed services accreditation for the masses — giving qualified MSPs an easy way to strengthen their brands without necessarily requiring an in-depth on-site audit.
In stark contrast, MSPAlliance already offers an accreditation that involves an on-site audit process. So I think it’s safe to say the MSPAlliance’s accreditation potentially involves a higher bar for MSPs to clear. (If I’m wrong, I’m all ears.)
To be clear, MSPAlliance is an industry association with more than 8,000 members. MSP Partners is a vendor-launched organization that has attracted more than 4,000 members in the past year or so.
According to an MSP Partners press release:
This new comprehensive exam will cover materials included in the MSP Partners education program as well as overall industry best practices. MSP Partners, CompTIA, IPED as well as a group of leading MSPs will collaborate on the exam development. CompTIA and MSP Partners will manage online exam delivery through CompTIA testing partners. The exam is currently scheduled to be available exclusively to MSP Partners’ members in the second quarter of 2009.
I’m running off to Autotask Community Live’s Tuesday sessions, but I’ll be back late today to offer some additional information about MSP Partners’ efforts, and MSPAlliance’s reaction. Here’s what I’ll try to cover:
- MSP Partners’s accreditation effort
- CompTIA and IPED’s role in that effort
- CompTIA’s own future goals for MSP accreditation
- MSPAlliance’s reaction
- What all this ultimately means for established and aspiring MSPs
Here is an updated link with answers/views related to the bullet points above.
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Tags: | CompTIA Managed Services Accreditation | CompTIA Managed Services Trustmark | CompTIA Security Trustmark | Everything Channel | Institute for Partner Education and Development | IPED | MSP Partners Managed Services Accreditation | MSP Pro ... powered by CompTIA | MSPAlliance Managed Services Accreditation | MSPWorld | SAS 70
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Love this! (again no bias from previous employment
). As a gold sponsor of the MSPPartners initiative, I love to see two strong organizations like IPED and CompTIA bringing their strengths together to drive such value for MSPs participating in the MSPPartner community.
This is going to be an interesting day of analysis. I see the value MSPAlliance brings to the industry with on-site audits/accreditation.
But there also seems to be an opportunity for broader accreditation — involving testing. I could be wrong, but I think that’s MSP Partners’ goal here.
More thoughts later today.
Joe – I’m always happy to see your timely blog entries on the latest & greatest MSP news! While I can’t yet give the intricacies of the MSP Partners accreditation process, I can say that this initiative is going to help knowledgeable MSPs differentiate themselves from the status quo. In the same way that there are multiple RMM, PSA/CRM, and BUDR solutions working together to better the Managed Services community, we’re offering a new type of accreditation aimed at strengthening Managed Services knowledge throughout the channel.
I couldn’t resist this one, Joe.
Raising the MSP bar by offering third party accreditations is crucial to the success of our industry. Without an accrediting body the MSP’s that are investing in the necessary tools, processes, and resources to differentiate ourselves as true MSP’s will find themselves continually fighting through the “muck” of trunk slammers wearing the MSP lipstick.
I recognize the value that Master MSP’s bring to the market place as they educate consulting firms interested in becoming MSP’s, but the Master MSP also contributes to “the Muck” by offering MSP-in-a-box solutions to companies that are well under the MSP standard.
I can’t speak to MSP Partners’ program, but I can speak to Charles Weaver and the MSP Alliance’s accreditation. Charles personally conducted a thorough audit of our Network Operations Center and our MSP processesa and procedures. We are in the process of completing the accreditation exam and have and, as a result of the MSP Alliances audit, have tightened up our MSP belt. We’ll come out of the audit a better MSP and we’ll be able to confidently differentiate ourselves from many of our competitors.
I’d be interested in starting a dialog around accreditation standards. Why do we need multiple accrediting bodies? Shouldn’t there be one accreditation standard hat we all strive to conform to?
I’m interested in knowing if other industries such as legal, healthcare, education, engineering, etc. have multiple accreditation bodies, standards, variants, etc. It seems that a single broadly supported accreditation for the managed services industry is the right way forward, however that’s just my naive opinion.
More interesting…
I looked up the word ‘accreditation’ in Wikipedia…
Accreditation is a process in which certification of competency, authority, or credibility is presented.
Organizations that issue credentials or certify third parties against official standards are themselves formally accredited by accreditation bodies (such as UKAS); hence they are sometimes known as “accredited certification bodies”. The accreditation process ensures that their certification practices are acceptable, typically meaning that they are competent to test and certify third parties, behave ethically, and employ suitable quality assurance.
Should organizations issuing MSP accreditations be formally accredited?
In response to Doug’s questions “Shouldn’t there be just one standard we strive for”, I would have to agree with him that there should be just one. If you look at the technical certifications out there now there are so many, too many, and they are no longer a way to differentiate yourself. I do like that the MSP Partners certification is positioned as an entry level certification and that the MSP Alliance Accreditation is positioned as the premium one. This at least offers a bit of differentiation in the market. I hope that CompTIA takes this same stance when they look to create their programs.
In response to the statement on Master MSP’s adding to the muck. I would have to agree once again, this might seem odd as I myself own a Master MSP business. I think that there is certainly a place for us in the market but the concept of signing 5000 VAR’s into a program and setting them loose without any real training and without a complete solution is not doing any of us any good.
Bottom line is that regardless of whether a company builds out their own NOC or leverages someone else’s we all need a standard to strive for. With too many standards in place we will never be able to realize the true growth opportunity this market provides us.
Lane Smith
Do IT Smarter
I’m more comfortable with a single accrediting body. The MSP Alliance and Charles Weaver were the first (to my knowledge) to advocate for accredidation, and they do a fine, thorough job of doing so, from what I’ve seen, with candidates, both successful and unsuccessful, coming out of the process the better for it.
The MSP Partners accredidation: Like Lane, I see this as a more entry-level thing, and it certainly has some stigma attached, as MSP Partners IS, after all, a vendor-supported organisation…. still, if the exam is done properly, it can contribute as fair amount of value to a MSP, but it certainly doesn’t come close to the MSP Alliance seal IMHO….
Lane: Whether VARs or MSPs who need some knowledge ‘potholes’ filled in, there will always be a critical need for Master MSPs – at least the ones who truly educate their clients before they hang out their shingles (like Do IT Smarter, of course:)).