This document is a guide to the steps for an individual registering
themselves for certification against the S/MIME Secure Messaging
Certified Product Standard.
Standards.
There are two routes to being certified as noted
in the Product Standard:
By applying as an individual directly to The Open Group.
As part of a Group Application from an Examiner.
Summary
The route to becoming certified as an individual is as follows:
You need to enter the Web Certification system once only to enter
your details and select to register for the S/MIME Secure Messaging Certified
Product Standard.
The fees due are payable at this stage and non-refundable.
After receipt of payment The Open Group will
then request the issue of an examination paper to you. The examination
paper will be sent to you by the Examiner normally within 6 business days. You
have 60 days from receipt to return the completed paper direct
to the Examiner. Upon receipt
The Examiner will then assess the examination paper and if
the answers demonstrate a satisfactory knowledge of the core
syllabus you will be certified. If the answers are not
satisfactory you will receive detailed feedback and
you have one opportunity to rework and resubmit the paper to the Examiner.
Once certified you can download your pdf certificate from your entry
on the public Certification register.
Certification lasts for two years. At the end of that
period you may elect to renew certification subject to
completion of accredited refresher course credits in the
applicable period.
Registration
Accessing the Web Certification System
The Certification Authority provides a web based certification system
through you can register for individual certification.
The entry point to this is at http://www.opengroup.org/ssm/cert/.
The first step is to select "Enter", which then gives you an
intermediate screen with various help information, from which you
can then proceed to access the secure web server.
Submitting Initial Certification Information
To access the web certification system you need
a valid username and password
on the Certification Authority's web server.
If you don't yet have an account, you may obtain one from the certification web site by selecting "Enter secure site" to enter the
secure web site (if you have not already done so), then selecting "New User" to create your username and password.
Once you have your username, from the secure web site, select "Login" to
login.
Registering yourself for S/MIME Secure Messaging Certified
Once you have successfully logged in you will see a screen
with two sections , Company Registration Account and Individual
Registration Account.
You should select the link within Individual Registration Acccount.
If you have not yet commenced a registration this will allow you
to
"Start a New Registration". If you have already commenced a registration
then you can select a link to maintain the registration in progress,
or see the status of registrations submitted.
When you commence registration you must then select the Product
Standard, you wish to register for. At this time this is S/MIME
Secure Messaging Certified, in the future additional Product Standards
may be added.
If you wish to send any notes to the Certification Authority about this registration you may do so on this form. Such notes are held confidential
between you and the Certification Authority.
After you select the "Select the Product Standard" button, you are then presented with the Certification Agreement, which must
be accepted in order to proceed with this registration.
Entering Registration Details
You are then returned to your home page where you will see the new
registration listed with an "CID" (Certification ID) and status Temporary (Temporary Status means you have started a
registration but have not yet confirmed payment details. If you do not
input payment details within 30 days the registration information is
automatically deleted) . You should then select the "Next" logo to perform
the next step in the registration process which is to input payment details.
Confirming Payment
The certification system then displays a
form into which you can enter your payment details.
This is done in three stages:
Stage 1:This form allows state how you intend to pay.
You can also signify that
you wish the registration to be kept confidential prior.
You will need to consult the fee schedule and enter the
amount of the certification fee due, and also indicate the credit card type you intend to pay with or that you wish to pay by an
alternate method.
If you intend to pay by an alternate method other than credit card,
select unspecified for the card type.
Stage 2: The next screen is the payment screen. Depending on your choice
of credit card and the fee amount you may be switched
directly to our credit card processor or asked to give card details
directly to The Open Group. If you wish to pay by an alternative method
you will be asked to state whether that is by wire transfer or check.
Stage 3:The third and final part is to affirm your commitment to the terms and conditions of the program as stated in the
Certification Agreement and the committments
as required by the Product Standard.
Certification fees are due at this stage.
Payment
Payment is required to complete a full submission for
registration. Payment may be either by credit card at the time of
registration, or by purchase order, check or wire transfer received by the
Certification Authority in advance of registration.
See http://www.opengroup.org/ssm/cert/docs/Fee_Schedule.html for the
fee schedule.
Please note that if you use a payment method other than by credit card, your submission cannot be processed until the
payment is received by the Certification Authority.
Completion of Certification
The steps for completion of certification are as follows.
The next step is for the Certification Authority to pass your
details to an Examiner who will issue you an
examination paper electronically.
You must complete and return the examination paper to the
Examiner within 60 days.
The Examiner will assess the completed examination
and if it demonstrates that you have
a satisfactory knowledge of the core syllabus you will be
certified. The Examiner is responsible for submitting your
details for certification.
If for any reason the submission was not complete or
unsatisfactory, you will be notified so that
any corrections can be made and resubmitted direct to the
Examiner. Such a resubmission needs to be done within one month unless an extension has been
granted by the Certification Authority. The initial fee covers one set of corrective actions.
The details of your certification will then be put on the Certification Register, which is a public document, unless you have
requested that it remains confidential. To keep the certification confidential, this option must be selected in the web
certification system at the time your registration is submitted.
When a certification has been made public, you will be sent
a URL from where you can download a certificate.
You should note that certification is valid for a defined period as stated in Section 9.1, Duration of Certification of
the Certification Policy. At the end of that period if you
wish to remain certified you need to renew , part of the renewals
process is that you must present evidence of attending accredited
courses during the period.
Appeals Process
You may appeal decisions made by The Open Group Certification Authority as stated in Section 11, Appeals Process of the
Certification Policy. Any request for appeal should be sent by electronic mail to ssm-cert@opengroup.org . Receipt of such
a request will be acknowledged within 6 working days by the Certification Authority and the appeals process invoked.
