13. Certification benefits

First of all, it's important to remember the difference between the two terms certification and accreditation.

Certification consists of issuing certificates to service providers by a certification body (duly accredited to do so). The certificate attests to the service provider's compliance with a standard (in this case, ISO/CEI 20000).

Accreditation is a form of authorization granted to a certification body by a national authority (COFRAC in France). Accreditation attests that the certification body is competent to issue certificates of conformity.

There are several categories of certification. Here's...