The CIF Code of Practice, as managed by APM Group, enables CSPs to demonstrate transparency, accountability and capability to end users in a manner that allows the potential customer to make an informed decision about what the vendor offers.
ChannelCloud UK/Ireland has experienced first-hand the benefits brought by Certification to the CIF Code of Practice, explained Paul Byrne, ChannelCloud UK/Ireland’s CEO “The Code of Practice seems so imminently sensible that when we first found out about it, we immediately started the certification process. The cloud industry is still maturing and there really aren’t any other objective measures end users can use to determine which CSPs they can entrust with their data, and which they can’t. The Code eliminates the risk from procuring cloud services. CSPs that have certified against the Code of Practice have been found to meet the stringent standards of CIF, with regard to transparency, capability and accountability. In other words, all of those things that an end user should look out for in a reputable provider.
“Trust has been an important factor for us. Although ChannelCloud was established over a decade ago, our history in the UK only spans a few years. When we launched in the UK in 2011, we couldn’t really trade on the brand equity. For us, the Code of Practice offered us a way to secure independent validation of our services and expertise, and forge a way into the UK market,” Paul concluded.