Is APMG an accreditor or a competitor for ITIL ATOs?
For all those who have paid lots of money to be accredited ITIL V3 training organisations (ATOs), be aware that APMG-International the Examination institute (EI) - as compared to their parent APMG Group the official OGC accreditor of all EIs - is not directing any business your way if you accredited through another EI. You know who your friends are in the ITIL world.
Now APMG will protest that the webpage is solely to list the ATOs accredited by APMG the EI and has nothing to do with APMG the parent company who administer and accredit the entire scheme for OGC.
But how many average punters just seeking advice on who to pay for their training will understand that distinction?
Made in New Zealand 
Comments
APMG is doing nothing 'wrong'
Skep
While I appreciate you bringing this to the attention of many who may have felt they are joining a cosy club when they became accredited through a local EI, its not new, and frankly I feel, part of the decision a prospective ATO has to make when deciding who to accredit via. Its a business decision.
Many of us (my accreditation was the first in the USA and dates back to 1996), committed to what we thought was the EI that helped us most in succeeding. I started with ISEB and helped bring much of the ITIL wave to the US. Later, I switched to EXIN mainly because they had a much stronger marketing strategy and presence. They were, and remain truly worldwide.
APMG is doing nothing wrong. But not worldwide - yet.
It has always been my guess (prediction?) that APMG will eventually be the one and only accreditor for ITIL (any other PRINCE2, MOR accreditation bodies???). It will just take time to fund that type of growth. The EI's are basically marketing/distribution channels. I must admit if I were a customer I would view APMG as more 'official' than EXIN, ISEB, or anyone else.
The long term business strategy might be to gradually take control over the customer relationship and elbow out the EIs... But with that comes added risk and costs... so networking makes sense today....
This all smacks of the way supermarkets work... you can buy the tin of beans labeled Heinz, but its 50% more in price than the store no-name brand.... but then again the store no-name doesn't taste as good does it... or does it? All I know is that when my wife sends me shopping I am instructed to buy the name brand... because its "better".
EIs and ATOs - beware the beans....!!!
Don't agree...
In my opinion, APMG is doing something wrong: unfair competition.
They are not as agile, not as worldwide, and doing a very poor work with the V3 Foundation. I'd really hate to have a single provider and not having the ability to choose the one I prefer.