The SIF Certification Program has been designed to certify SIF-enabled software applications.
A SIF Certified application is one that meets the conformance requirements and has been certified as conformant through the SIF Certification Program. As a condition of participation in the program, the applicant must warrant and represent that their product meets the applicable conformance requirements, which include conformance to the applicable SIF Implementation Specification(s) as interpreted by the SIF Association from time to time, and a passing result from a current version of the approved SIF Test Suite(s).

Click on the information below to find out more about the SIF Certification Program.

• What is SIF Certification?
• Why is SIF Certification important?
• Where can I get SIF RFP language?
• Where can I get a list of SIF Certified Applications?

The SIF Certification Program involves a series of formal tests that validate that software applications properly implement the SIF specification. A software program which successfully completes the program will be able to display the SIF Certification logo on its package, website and in promotional literature. The SIF Certification logo is your indication that this particular version of the software program has been tested and certified to properly communicate and share information with other SIF-certified software programs.

It is important to note that software programs will be certified only to a particular release of the SIF Specification. The particular release of the specification will be indicated on the logo, for example: "SIF Certified, Version 1.1", indicating that this version of the software program has been certified as conformant with SIF Specification Version 1.1.

In completing the Certification Program, each company must complete a Conformance Statement Questionnaire which indicates which SIF data and messages the company´s application supports. The application will then be tested against this questionnaire to confirm the company´s statements. The completed questionnaire will be available on The Open Group´s website for you to review.

In order to continue to use the SIF Certification logo, each company must support a ´conformance guarantee´ which states that they will continue to keep their application in conformance with the specification throughout the duration of their certification period.

For software companies, SIF Certification verifies that their software applications will be able to properly share pK-12 information with other vendors SIF-certified software applications. This is an important product differentiator to the growing number of school districts who have made commitments and investments to a SIF-certified solutions and data interoperability.

As you craft your RFP, it would be helpful to the respondents if you would include a description of your current involvement with SIF, your future plans for your SIF implementation, and if your district requires purchasing only SIF-certified products.

If you use this RFP language similar language in another form, the SIF Association would appreciate receiving an electronic copy so that we may make them available as a model to other institutions.

Also, please be aware that a public institution that posts an RFP may be requested to provide copies of any responses to those who request them. This may result in a reluctance of some vendors to provide client information that may compromise private business relationships.

SIF RFP language is available here.