UNIT4 cements its commitment to best practice with CIF certification

APM Group, the Cloud Industry Forum’s (CIF) independent certification partner, says that UNIT4, the global leader in software that supports business change, has successfully recertified against the CIF Code of Practice.

UNIT4 is a global business software company that creates, delivers and supports adaptable software and services worldwide, to help dynamic organisations manage their business needs effectively. It strives to set the global standard for business solutions that help organisations embrace change in their IT estates.

The company became one of the first Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) to successfully certify against the CIF Code of Practice in 2011, and has since recertified twice, reinforcing its commitment to best practice in cloud provision.

Anwen Robinson, Managing Director of UNIT4 Business Software Ltd, commented: “Cloud computing has matured rapidly over the last few years, but many end users still harbour concerns about data security and privacy. Certifying against the Code means that we are able to demonstrate to business prospects that every part of our operations meets recognised industry standards. This means that commercial and public sector organisations, which are often under pressure to deliver flexible modern systems through cloud computing, can mitigate risk and make rational informed decisions about the trading relationship they can expect with us.

“We are proud of the fact that we were one of the first tranche of CSPs that went through the CIF certification process back in 2011, and have maintained it ever since. We are committed to best practice and are accredited to a number of top industry standards, but the CIF Code of Practice remains the only dedicated benchmark for cloud providers in the market. As such, it is something that we wholeheartedly support.”

Richard Pharro, CEO of APM Group, added: “The Code of Practice is fundamentally about trust. To achieve the certification, CSPs must demonstrate they meet required standards of transparency, capability and accountability. For example, what mechanisms does the CSP operate in regard to access control, data storage, and data in transit to ensure compliance with data protection as well as having effective security and sovereignty? As such, end users can look to the list of certified CSPs and very quickly determine whether a potential provider meets these requirements.”