Professionals in the burgeoning managed services industry will soon have a
certification to demonstrate their acumen in the business and technology. The
MSPAlliance, an association of managed services organizations and
professionals, will formally unveil the Managed Services Professional
Certificate next month at MSPWorld in Orlando, Fla.
Several certifications and accreditations exist for organizations offering
managed services. These credentials reflect an organization’s capacity and
capabilities in delivering managed services to end users. However, there’s no
certification for individual professionals that shows that they understand the
technology and business model required for managed services.
“This certification will provide a baseline of professionalism for
individuals who can take this from job to job and show that they have an
understanding of the fundamentals of what it takes to make a managed services
business successful,” says Charles Weaver, co-founder and president of
MSPAlliance.
While managed services ranks at the top of the list of channel offerings in
terms of profitability and growth, managed services companies often wrestle
with transforming their traditional break-fix services organizations into ones
that deliver remote management. Solution providers adopting managed services
say they have difficulty coping with the cultural and businesses processes of
managed services.
“Just as the Managed Services Accreditation Program exam has become the de
facto standard of excellence in the managed services world, so do we believe
the Managed Services Professional Certification will also become an accepted
standard amongst individuals in our profession.” said Jim Swoyer, president and
CEO of Data Device and an MSPAlliance board
member, in a statement.
Specifics of the certifications prerequisites and criteria for award are
still in development. Weaver says that, at a minimum, individuals applying for
the Managed Services Professional Certificate will need to demonstrate their
experience in the managed services industry and pass an exam that will likely
encompass managed services operations, security, business processes, legal
issues and technology.
“It will be next to impossible for someone to get this certification without
demonstrating an understanding of the difference between break-fix services and
remote monitoring and management services,” Weaver says. “They’re going to have
to demonstrate all the aspects of the managed services model; this is not a
technology certification.”
Specifics for price, prerequisites and process for attaining the Managed
Services Professional Certificate will be released at MSPWorld, the MSPAlliance
conference in Orlando, April 30 to
May 1.
Managed Services 
