MSP Partners Announces Managed Services Accreditation Exam for Solution Providers

Industry Partners CompTIA, Everything Channel's Institute for Partner Education & Development and Leading Managed Service Providers to Contribute to Development

PRNewswire-FirstCall
OTTAWA, Ontario
Mar 31, 2009

MSP Partners, an alliance founded by Cisco, Ingram Micro, Intel, Level Platforms and Microsoft in conjunction with the active participation of more than 20 leading IT vendors and thousands of solution providers and Managed Service Providers (MSPs), today announced with IT industry trade association CompTIA and Everything Channel's research division the Institute for Partner Education & Development (IPED) the joint development of a new business level accreditation exam for Managed Services - MSP Pro ... powered by CompTIA.

"Our new MSP accreditation exam is another vital step in providing solution providers with the tools and business level validations they need to grow and prosper during their business transformation to Managed Services. This new exam will be based both on real world experience and the educational content provided to our members on the MSP Partners site," said Jim Hamilton, Executive Director of MSP Partners.

This new comprehensive exam will cover materials included in the MSP Partners education program as well as overall industry best practices. MSP Partners, CompTIA, IPED as well as a group of leading MSPs will collaborate on the exam development. CompTIA and MSP Partners will manage online exam delivery through CompTIA testing partners. The exam is currently scheduled to be available exclusively to MSP Partners' members in the second quarter of 2009.

Robert Biddle, VP Member Programs at CompTIA, added, "Working side by side with MSP Partners and IPED to develop best of breed validation in Managed Services has been rewarding and is in direct response to what the solution provider community is asking for...CompTIA's accreditation expertise in Managed Services . This is an important first step as we strive to expand on the concept of the CompTIA Security Trustmark into the Managed Services arena."

For more information on MSP Partners 2009 membership program, visit www.msppartners.com. For further information on CompTIA, visit www.CompTIA.org.

About MSP Partners

MSP Partners is an alliance of more than 20 leading vendors that provides research and education to help solution providers stay ahead of the curve in the rapidly changing market for Managed Services. In its first two years, MSP Partners has attracted more than 4,000 members, who benefit from exclusive research and educational content, all demonstrating the path to success in Managed Services.

  Founders:   Cisco, Intel, Ingram Micro, Level Platforms, and
              MicrosoftPlatinum:        EMC and HP
  Gold:       ConnectWise, Expedite, Intermedia, and Kaseya
  Silver:     Autotask Corporation, Intronis, i-Witness, iTWatch, MX Logic,
              ROBOBAK, Storage Guardian and Vembu Storegrid

  For more information, visit


  Media Contact
  Jim Hamilton
  MSP Partners
  Tel: 866 523-6777
  Email: marketing@msppartners.com

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: franzman@beyondwords.com

SOURCE: Everything Channel; MSP Partners

CONTACT: Jim Hamilton, MSP Partners, 1-866-523-6777,
marketing@msppartners.com

Web Site: http://www.comptia.org/
http://www.msppartners.com/