CertAlarm, an organization offering a pan-European quality mark in the fire protection and security systems industry, and ALTER TECHNOLOGY TÜV NORD (ATN), one of the leading companies in the world when it comes to the engineering, procurement, inspection, and certification of highly reliable electronic components for satellites, today announced a long-term partnership. By welcoming ATN on board as a Contracted Certification Body and Recognised Test Laboratory, CertAlarm again expands its partners network enabling its customers to co-operate with an increased number of renowned test laboratories and certification bodies. For Madrid based ATN, who is also offering services in the security, safety, aerospace and nuclear industries, the partnership will allow them to provide European-wide recognized certifications and open new markets in the fire and security sectors.
Today, manufacturers who plan to sell their fire and security products in different European countries are frequently faced with uncertainty regarding the standards against which their products should be developed, tested and certified. Take security products where there are no harmonized EU-wide certification procedures and standards. Instead, there are some EN-standards plus a variety of country-specific requirements forcing manufacturers to prove compliance by having their product re-tested and re-certified by local test and certification bodies – a highly expensive and time-consuming process that needs to be repeated in each country.
With CertAlarm, fire and security products need to be tested and certified only once. Manufacturers simply ask approved CertAlarm partners for a quote. The selected CertAlarm partner then tests and certifies the product according to the CertAlarm scheme. Once the product has successfully passed all tests, the partner issues a CertAlarm certificate, enabling the manufacturer to sell the product throughout Europe while having spent a fraction of what would normally have to be paid to obtain the various national marks.
As a new CertAlarm partner, ATN will facilitate its customers the market entry and free movement of their security products within the European Union and contribute to the harmonization of these regulations. “The fact that certification standards and procedures are not harmonized within Europe has in the past made it hard for us to understand the differing local situations and to offer the respective services in other countries”, says Luis Gómez, CEO of ALTER TECHNOLOGY TÜV NORD. “We therefore strongly support the concept of a single, independent testing scheme recognised throughout Europe as offered by CertAlarm”, he adds.
“We are more than pleased to welcome ATN as our new partner. With its wide spectrum of testing and certification services, more than 25 years’ experience in the space sector and integra¬tion in the renowned TÜV NORD GROUP we feel that ATN will contribute considerably to the know-how and expertise of our partners network”, adds Anja Kinsky, General Manager of CertAlarm.
