InfoComm, the international trade association of the professional audiovisual and information communications industries, recently applied for accreditation for its Certified Technology Specialist (CTS) certifications under ISO 17024. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI), a private, nonprofit organization, accredits other organizations to serve as third-party product, system, and personnel certifiers. ANSI ISO 17024 plays a prominent role in facilitating global standardization of the certification community, increasing mobility among countries, enhancing public safety, and protecting consumers.
“This is a bold step forward in the development of the AV Communications industry,” said Randy J. Pagnan, CTS, president of InfoComm and owner of RP Visual Systems. “Our industry is growing in size and in the sophistication of our products and systems. This move to a world-standard for our certification program is just one more example how InfoComm is serving its members and helping them be more competitive in the marketplace.”
ANSI’s accreditation will promote the qualifications and expertise InfoComm’s certifications provide by ensuring the integrity of the certifications, enhancing consumer and public confidence in the certifications and the people who hold them, and facilitating recognition of the CTS program across geographical borders and industries. As the only certification program in the industry to be ANSI accredited, it will give CTS holders and their companies an edge up on competitors from other industries and ones in our industry that do not train and certify their personnel to these high national and international standards. For instance, The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is now requiring its contractors who perform certain Information Assurance functions to be certified by credentialing bodies that have been independently accredited by a third party, such as ANSI.
“InfoComm anticipates ANSI accreditation will offer significant opportunities for its 5,600 Certified Technology Specialists in the U.S. and around the world,” said Randal A. Lemke, Ph.D., executive director, InfoComm International. “InfoComm is pleased to join other quality organizations such as Cisco, Microsoft, CompTIA, and Project Management Institute in applying for ANSI certification accreditation. ANSI accreditation will reinforce InfoComm’s commitment to providing a quality certification program for the professional audiovisual industry.”
Accreditation by ANSI will signify that InfoComm’s procedures meet ANSI’s essential requirements for openness, balance, consensus and due process in accordance with the ISO 17024 standard. Currently, InfoComm’s certification is the only AV industry certification program recognized by the National Certification Commission and the U.S. Veteran’s Administration.
InfoComm will be making some administrative and programmatic changes in the upcoming months to ensure compliance with ANSI standards. One of the most significant changes is creating an independent committee designed to solely oversee certification programs. “I am pleased to appoint InfoComm past president Spencer Bullins, CTS, of AMX, as the chair of InfoComm’s new Certification Committee,” said Pagnan. “His extensive knowledge of the AV industry and strong management skills provides InfoComm with the talent needed to elevate its robust certification program.”
