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.