Testing and Certification
In order to guarantee that the ITSO Environment is truly national and interoperable, members need to ensure that they are using equipment which has a current certificate for use in that environment.
To gain certification, the equipment is rigorously tested for compliance with the ITSO Specification.
It also undergoes interoperability testing with all the ITSO-compliant equipment available to date, to ensure as far as is possible that all components are truly physically interoperable.
An overview of the certification process can be found here.
Why certify?
Certification provides formal recognition of a product’s conformance to the ITSO Specification.
This allows:
- Organisations to make clear and substantiated claims of conformance to the Specification.
- Buyers to specify and successfully procure conforming products that inter-operate.
Upon successful completion of appropriate testing, the equipment and/or software is awarded an ITSO Certificate of Compliance which is normally valid for a period of seven years.
ITSO scheme operators should ensure that their equipment holds a valid ITSO certificate at all times.
Applying for Testing or Certification
The first step in the process is to complete the device application form. This form provides us with the necessary details to develop a test scope tailored to the specific device you are certifying.
If any points require clarification, If clarification is required at any point, we will get in touch to discuss them further. In such cases, we’ll arrange a call with your technical resource to ensure we fully understand the requirements and can proceed effectively. Clear communication at this stage helps us create an accurate and efficient testing plan for your device.
We are still accepting applications for version 2.1.4 certification until the release of v2.1.5. If you need your device certified to version 2.1.4, please reach out to us as soon as possible. Our team will guide you through the application process and ensure your certification needs are met before the transition to version 2.1.5.
Email: certification@itso.org.uk
Testing on rail
Rail Settlement Plan (RSP) has developed a specification to detail the way that POSTs should be implemented in the rail environment.
The specification (RSPS3016) stipulates the requirements for implementing the ITSO Specification through a set of rules dictating how rail products should be mapped to IPEs.
RSPS3016 also defines the rail specific rules required for the ITSO Specification to ensure interoperability across the rail network.
For POSTs to be deployed in the rail environment, ITSO will perform testing for RSPS3016 at the same time as all other ITSO testing. This will save suppliers having to undergo two sets of technical testing with the two different specification owners.
However, it is emphasised that RSPS3016 is defined and owned by RSP, to whom any queries regarding it should be referred.
The RSP Specification can be found on the Rail Delivery Group website here.