Cloud Industry Forum awards first certifications to the CSP Code of Practice

ChannelCloud UK/Ireland, Nexus AB, Rise, Unit4 and Webroot successfully achieve Certification

The first certifications to the Cloud Service Provider Code of Practice established by the Cloud Industry Forum, designed to promote trust, security and transparency within the sector, have been announced.

Four industry members of the Cloud Industry Forum and one non-member are the first to gain certification.  ChannelCloud UK/Ireland, Rise, Unit4 and Webroot, all members of CIF, as well as Nexus AB are the first to formally be recognised as Certified against the Cloud Service Provider Code of Practice.

The Code of Practice enables participating vendors to promote online confidence and trust in their brand to the end user community by ensuring that they offer end users appropriate transparency about their business and services, commitment to operational capabilities and practices, and executive accountability for the declarations made to achieve Certification. By achieving Certification the Cloud Service Provider enables the end user to have confidence that they can access relevant and meaningful information in a structured way that has been accepted by the Cloud Industry Forum to enable rational assessment.

End users will benefit from being able to associate the CIF Certified logo which will be visible on certified companies websites to a set of public declarations as well as have confidence that more commercially sensitive data can be accessed from the vendor as part of any supply negotiation process.

Successful Certified companies will be listed on www.cloudindustryforum.org and will provide a reciprocal link from their own site to validate the Certification is genuine.  Registrants for the Code of Practice that are in progress to obtain certification can also opt to have their status as Application In Progress on the website to demonstrate their commitment.  However, this status is time banded to ensure completion or removal within 6 months to ensure progress is made.

Andy Burton, Chairman for the Cloud Industry Forum said:”It is a great testimony to the professional commitment of these companies to operate in a transparent and accountable manner, measuring themselves against an industry Code of Practice that enables potential customers to make rational and informed decisions on their selection of Service Providers.  I am delighted to see this first wave of cloud service providers attain certification with many more already following in their footsteps. It is important that serious cloud vendors are able to demonstrate to their customers the independent validation of their commitment to a quality cloud experience,’

Frank Jennings, Chairman of the CIF Governance Board said: "Certification to the Code of Practice will help cloud service providers differentiate themselves in the market by demonstrating that they have assessed their resources and capability to deliver a secure and robust cloud solution.  Certification will also increase confidence for a business to have a better chance of maximising benefit and reducing risk in their selection of cloud applications."

Paul Byrne, CEO, ChannelCloud UK/Ireland, stated: “It is an integral part of our strategy that we build a federation of cloud based partners who share our vision for a new, truly comprehensive method of delivering IT services to clients. This is a view that we have in common with the Cloud Industry Forum, one based on building trust and transparency throughout the market, and one that is underpinned by our commitment to the Code of Practice certification process.”

“The Cloud Industry Forum certification is not just for its members as we can testify.  NexusAB has long recognised the importance that the cloud can take in the delivery of IT in terms of reduced costs, enhanced operational availability and on-demand scalability. It was clear to us that attaining certification would not only give our customers the confidence in our cloud offering, but give us the edge in a highly competitive market,” added Francis Kiernan, Managing Director, NexusAB Limited.

Alex Hilton, managing director of Rise, added: "The evidence indicates that the cloud is affording all businesses, large or small, public or private, the flexibility they need to adapt to the ever changing business climate on commercial terms that make it accessible. However end users are looking for clear guidance, a benchmark if you like, to measure suppliers in the market against.  This is why the Code of Practice and the Certification process is seen as essential in building trust throughout the market and is an initiative that Rise are fully committed to.”

Anwen Robinson, Managing Director of UNIT4 Business Software Ltd added: “Quite simply, the certification process enables professional cloud service providers to demonstrate with clarity their ethics, practices and processes through an independently recognised and credible third party in order to build trust by association with prospective customers. This is why we are delighted to be part of the first wave of accreditations.”

Ian Moyse, EMEA Channel Director at Webroot commented: “We are pleased to continue to demonstrate leadership in the Cloud space both from technology and thought leadership perspectives. As cloud continues its rapid adoption across both consumer and business customers the need for third party validations and certifications is becoming inherently more important to aid the customer in discerning the good from the bad. As in any market sector, independent validations that allow customers to make more educated buying decisions has to be of value. The Cloud Industry Forum has taken important steps in providing this foundation in what is a fast changing and to many a new technology sector. Webroot is pleased to attain this certification and proud to be able to demonstrate to clients that we consider their safety and security as paramount.”