What C Spire's Triple ISO Certification Means for Customers

Certifications don't usually make for exciting reading. But this one is worth a closer look, because it says something concrete about how a company operates behind the scenes and what customers can actually count on.

C Spire Business (TekLinks, Inc. dba) has achieved three ISO certifications for its managed services at the same time: ISO 9001, ISO/IEC 20000-1 and ISO/IEC 27001. All three were awarded by Schellman Compliance, LLC, and C Spire passed with zero nonconformities on its first attempt, meaning auditors found nothing to flag or fix.

Why three certifications?

Each of these standards covers a different piece of how a technology provider runs its business:

• ISO 9001 (Quality Management) provides independent verification that C Spire has established and maintains a formal, repeatable process for delivering services that meet customer and regulatory expectations — and for catching and fixing problems before they become bigger ones.
• ISO/IEC 20000-1 (IT Service Management) provides independent verification that C Spire has established and maintains a formal, repeatable process for delivering IT services effectively, staying aligned with what customers need, and continually improving over time. This one is especially notable because relatively few providers earn it.
• ISO/IEC 27001 (Information Security) provides independent verification that C Spire has established and maintains a formal, repeatable process for protecting customer information through a structured, risk-based security program, not ad hoc practices bolted on after the fact.

Individually, each certification validates a different discipline. Together, they show that within C Spire’s integrated management system, quality, service delivery and security aren't separate departments doing their own thing, but one operating model working in sync.

What this looks like day to day

For customers, ISO certifications are an independent, third-party confirmation that:

• Services are delivered to a consistent, defined standard — not dependent on which team member happens to be handling a request.
• Commitments made in a contract are the same commitments felt in daily service.
• Information security is built into daily operations, governed by ongoing risk management rather than reactive fixes.

"Achieving all three ISO certifications concurrently reflects the deep expertise and disciplined operating model our team brings to every customer engagement," said Brad Carpenter, Chief Operating Officer and EVP of Business Technology at C Spire. He added that upholding these standards is a way of showing customers that transparency, ownership and accountability are built into how the company operates.

Setting a higher bar

The ISO/IEC 20000-1 certification in particular sets C Spire apart from many regional and national competitors, since it's a standard fewer providers pursue or achieve. Earning it alongside ISO 9001 and ISO/IEC 27001 — and doing so with zero nonconformities — signals a level of operational maturity, independently audited and verified.

The audit approach Schellman Compliance used is based on a sampling process of the available information provided by C Spire to meet the audit objectives, and C Spire understands that there is a sampling risk based on this approach.

Learn more about C Spire Business solutions and how our certified operating model supports the technology your business depends on.