Managed Services Software Certification: A Growing Trend?

LabTech Software, the remote monitoring and management (RMM) software provider, has developed a software certification program for the company’s MSPs, VARs and IT service providers. Such certification efforts are part of a growing trend in the managed services software market.

The LabTech certification program addresses various levels of expertise and focuses on the fundamentals, concepts and best practices surrounding RMM solutions. The LabTech Software Certification Program begins with what the company calls the LabTech Certified Professional (LTCP) — a three-day training course that LabTech partners must pass in order to earn the first level of the software provider’s certification.

LabTech hopes the certification process will give end-users a clearer way to find MSPs, VARs and IT consultants that have deep, validated RMM and managed services expertise. It sounds like LabTech will offer more details during the company’s Automation Nation conference (June 11-13, Orlando, Fla.).

Growing Trend

Several MSP-centric software providers have launched their own certification programs.

Kaseya started promoting a certification effort in 2011. Level Platforms also launched a certification program for its MSP partners in 2011. (If I overlooked your company’s certification efforts please post a comment or refresh my memory with an email — joe [at] NineLivesMediaInc [dot] com.)

There are also vendor-independent certification and accreditation initiatives in the market. CompTIA launched an MSP Trustmark in 2011, and I’m betting CompTIA will launch a more advanced certification or accreditation in the near future. Also, the MSPAlliance has long offered accreditation to MSPs.

Additional insights from Joe Panettieri.