Merchants are the Winners in the Qualified Integrators and Resellers (QIR) Program
If you are a merchant with a third-party system integrator or software reseller that installed or manages your PA-DSS-validated payment application, you want to know about the PCI Council’s Qualified Integrators and Resellers (QIR) program.
Third-party integrators and resellers play a critical role in the security of merchants’ point of sale (POS) systems. They are the experts who install the application, configure it to operate securely, troubleshoot problems, manage upgrades and answer merchant questions.
Unfortunately, sometimes integrators and resellers make mistakes or do not install and maintain payment applications according to the vendor’s PA-DSS Implementation Guide, exposing merchants to expensive and reputation-damaging cardholder data breaches. The Council has developed the QIR program to provide specialized PCI and PA-DSS training to address the risks. In addition to the training, QIR employees will need to pass a written test.
Merchants will be the big winners here. They can use the list of approved QIRs (both companies and individuals will be listed) to find a resource they can trust. Merchants also have an online feedback form where they can tell the Council about their experiences with a particular QIR.
If you want to learn more (or if you want make sure your current integrator or reseller qualifies), you can register for one of the two upcoming QIR webinars. One is Thursday, August 16, and the other is Wednesday, August 29.
