ISO/IEC 20000 Expands APMG Suite of Certifications

HIGH WYCOMBE, England, Oct. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- APMG has signed an agreement with itSMF UK to acquire its ISO/IEC 20000 Certification and Qualification scheme. Richard Pharro, CEO of APMG, and Barry Corless, Chairman of itSMF UK, signed the agreement at the itSMF event in Louisville, Kentucky last month.

The agreement between the parties brings together itSMF UK's expertise in developing concepts associated with Service Management and APMG's experience in providing certification and qualification services through its global network of offices.  As part of the agreement the parties will work together to promote and raise awareness of the benefits of ISO/IEC 20000.

ISO/IEC 20000 describes an integrated set of management processes for the effective delivery of services to the business and customers.  The Qualification and Certification scheme is already offered by thirty-two accredited training organisations and 635 organisations have been assessed for their compliance with the standard. The itSMF UK scheme set the benchmark for the accreditation.  

Richard Pharro is delighted to have reached agreement with itSMF UK.  He said, "APMG has an excellent relationship with itSMF which has been forged over the last few years as we have worked on ITIL® together.  I am very pleased to expand our offering in this way and we look forward to welcoming training companies that have successfully delivered the courses under the current scheme into our growing network of international training organisations."

The scheme will be available to all organisations offering qualifications through APMG-International.

Barry Corless, Chairman of itSMF-UK, said, "We are pleased that itSMF continues to be involved in the evolution of the scheme. We believe that APMG will be able to continue to significantly develop this excellent scheme and we see more of our members and the Service Management community benefiting from this move."

About APMG International and ISO/IEC 20000

APMG-International is a global examination institute accredited by The APM Group, OGC's official Accreditor. Its portfolio of qualifications includes the ISO/IEC 20000, PRINCE2®, MSP®, M_o_R® and P3O®. APMG's Accredited Training Organizations have gone through the most rigorous assessment process in the industry. APMG's commitment to high standards means that all candidates can be assured the certification they have earned is consistent with every other candidate.

About itSMF UK

The itSMF UK is an independent and internationally recognised forum for IT Service Management professionals.

As a not-for-profit organisation, our members are our business, and that's how we wish to continue. Our membership provides a forum to exchange views, share experiences and participate in continuous development and promotion of best practice and standards; all of which in turn deliver significant value to your business.

We aspire to remain 'the premier community for leadership in IT Service Management'. Providing an accessible network of industry experts, information sources and events to assist you and your staff address IT service management issues; helping you achieve the delivery of high quality, consistent IT service internally and externally through the adoption of 'best practice'. We will continuously improve our products for our members by sustainably growing, actively seeking partnerships and collaborating with others.

SOURCE The APM Group