Why is completing the MSPAlliance UCS Audit Such A Big Deal?
As the CEO of Ntirety, I am really proud that we have taken the time and effort to complete the MSPALLIANCE UNIFIED CERTIFICATION STANDARD AUDIT. I have never made a secret of the fact I am 
not a fan of the SAS-70 audit. The SAS-70 audit has very little relevance in determining the ability of a technology company to provide quality services. It was an accounting standard being stretched to incorporate technology companies. The fundamental idea behind the SAS-&) was good, but the practical practice of the idea brought little or no value to the table. Yes you got to check off that my Company has completed a SAS-70 Audit, but it was like saying the house is secure when every door and window was open.
Yet the SaS-70 had become the required check off item. So when an Audit Standard came along that really meant something, I embraced the idea of doing one. As a Vendor I like the fundemental idea of an audit that helps demonstrate abd validate that Ntirety is more capable of proving quality technologies services than the competition.
To The MSPAlliance credit, they recognized the need in the marketplace for an Audit that really gauged a company’s ability to provide quality-managed services over the cloud. The MSPAlliance created the first vendor neutral audit standard of care that matters. The MSPAlliance set the Bar high. As a professional I would want nothing less. I am happy to say when Ntirety was put to the test we passed. We are now part of that elite group of companies that were willing to let a third party come into our operations and Audit us on a number of items which included:
- Physical & Virtual Security
- Business & Financial stability
- Company has taken reasonable steps to assure that the client’s IT needs will be safely and professionally addressed
Things like a fully staffed U.S. Based 7X24 Database operations center matter. Having well documented Standard Operating Procedures in place and being followed matters. Making sure our own internal security is tested periodically matters. So when I looked at the fact they would Test our Physical & Virtual Security it mattered to me. It also mattered to our customers.
To Quote the MSPalliance Website.
MSPAlliance Unified Certification Standard for Cloud and Managed Service Providers™
The Unified Certification Standard (UCS), is a NON-TECHNICAL business certification (similar to a SAS70 Audit) for the cloud and managed services industry.
The UCS was created largely from the recommendations we received from governmental agencies and regulatory bodies from around the world and is the highest standard in non-technical certifications for the managed services industry to date and is widely accepted in the banking, healthcare and accounting industries.
How does the UCS differ from SAS70, COBIT or ITIL?
Unlike these other standards, the UCS offers service providers with a standard that is specific to their industry and profession and comes with a public facing report (created by a 3rd party public accounting firm) that can be used to provide the highest level of assurance to existing and prospective clients. SAS70, ITIL and COBIT are great standards, but they were never made for the managed services/cloud industry.
It’s also important to note that while other certifications may simply require an MSP to fill out and submit an online form and promise to adhere to a code of ethics; our certification (the UCS) requires all applicants to go through a rigorous exam, audit and onsite visit. When we first launched our accreditation and certification nearly 7 years ago, we purposefully set the bar high. More importantly we work hard to make sure that all data is verified by 3rd party auditors. This is a serious certification that carries a tremendous amount of merit and an achievement that any company can be proud of.
At Ntirety we take a lot of extra steps to make sure we do our job for our clients in the most safe and secure manner possible. At Ntirety it’s important that we provide world-class database expertise to out clients every single day. This audit is one of the many ways we ensure the trust you put in Ntirety as your business partner is well earned
Here is a copy of the press release...
NTIRETY SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES
MSPALLIANCE UNIFIED CERTIFICATION STANDARD AUDIT
Ntirety Achieves Elite Status through Globally Recognized, Vendor-neutral Benchmarking for Cloud and Managed Services Practitioners; Program Reinforces Quality Assurance and Reliability for Current, Potential Customers
DEDHAM, MA, JANUARY 25, 2012, NTIRETY, INC. today reported that it has been successfully audited and certified under the MSPAlliance’s (MSPA) Unified Certification Standard for Cloud and Managed Service Providers (UCS).
UCS is the first program of its kind, specifically designed and created to provide business consumers of cloud and managed services with the assurance that the service provider they hire meets or exceeds the highest principles of quality in areas such as financial stability, facilities, managed services practices, and customer satisfaction.
"The UCS audit is a rigorous audit and certification process that benchmarks and verifies the quality of the company providing managed services,” said Charles Weaver, MSPAlliance president. "We are very proud to have Ntirety join this elite body of Cloud and Managed Service Providers.”
UCS certification is based on a wide range of criteria with which to benchmark Managed IT Solution Providers, thereby ensuring that they have met and exceed well-established standards of excellence and client care. Clients that select a company that is part of the UCS can also rest assured that their IT solution provider has met and exceeded the following standards:
- Physical & Virtual Security
- Business & Financial stability
- Company has taken reasonable steps to assure that the client’s IT needs will be safely and professionally addressed
- Company is under constant external review from the MSPAlliance and the IT profession to continually maintain and improve standards of care of excellence
The UCS audit is performed by Frost, PLLC, a third party accounting firm.
“Ntirety, the pioneer of Database Administration as a Service®, is excited to be one of the first companies to successfully complete an Industry Standard Audit that measures a company’s ability to provide quality services through the cloud,” said Michael Corey, Ntirety Founder & CEO. “My hat goes off to the MSPAlliance for being an innovator and creating an Audit standard that tackles the unique challenges of delivery services across the cloud. At Ntirety, we are proud of our long term relationship with the MSPAlliance.
The MSPAlliance, with over 15,000 corporate members worldwide, is committed to increasing reliability and dependability in the industry surrounding the value and benefit of using Managed Service Providers to provide a wide range of mission-critical services. In addition, the MSPAlliance collects data on the practice of managed services on behalf of its members, to help them increase the value delivery of IT to the organizations they serve.
About Ntirety
Ntirety is the pioneer of Database Administration as a Service® for Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle and MySQL databases. Ntirety’s team, which is based 100% in the U.S., consists of Database Experts who work with customers and partners on critical Database projects like Consolidation, Virtualization and Performance Tuning and who also help clients proactively manage their mission critical database and applications through ongoing managed services. In 2010, Talkin’ Cloud identified Ntirety as one of the Top 50 Cloud providers.
About MSPAlliance
For over 10 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 the end-user community on the benefits of using a Managed Service Provider.
Michael Corey
Founder & CEO, Ntirety
www.ntirety.com
My Personal Twitter Account: Michael_Corey
Ntirety Corporate Twitter Account: Ntirety
Database Administration As A Service@ is a registered trademark of Ntirety, Inc.