AP recognized for excellence in service

The Associated Press has been awarded a new certification for AP ENPS, the world's most popular news production system that recognizes excellence in operations.

The ISO 9001:2008 certification, granted by the International Organization for Standardization, comes after a rigorous audit that found AP ENPS has achieved optimum service standards, including a more efficient use of resources and improved risk management. The designation identifies AP ENPS as a quality management system that consistently meets customer requirements, as well as applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. 

"Modern news production often means last minute changes or even editing stories while live on-air," said Paddy Payne, AP ENPS director of international business development. "For newsrooms that means reliability is paramount and not something that journalists want to have to think about on a day-to-day basis. Their priority is getting the news out as quickly as possible and having the right technical systems is critical for achieving this." 

ISO International Standards ensure that products and services are safe, reliable and of good quality. For AP the certification covers all of its ENPS operations, including sales, training, installation and technology processes, and provides a benchmark for its services internationally. Moving forward AP will be audited annually for the quality certification to ensure it continues to meet the high standards. 

"We strive for excellence in the provision and support of a world-class newsroom computer system that meets or exceeds expectations, not just in terms of functionality but also performance and reliability," added Trish Kerin, AP ENPS quality manager. "In previous auditing – over the period of eight years – our service availability throughout was 100 percent, and we are the first providers to achieve this certification. Ongoing auditing means that we will continue to maintain excellent response times and comprehensive support to all customers on a 24/7 basis anywhere in the world."

AP ENPS is the world's broadcast news technology leader used by more than 63,000 news professionals in more than 900 newsrooms around the world.