With Kubernetes steadily gaining traction among enterprises invested in application container development, the Cloud Native Computing Foundation has named six companies among its founding class of Kubernetes Certified Service Providers.

The CNCF said the KCSP designation means that Accenture Plc, Booze Allen Hamilton Inc., Canonical Ltd., CoreOS Inc., Giant Swarm GmbH and Samsung SDS are all certified as having deep expertise in helping enterprises successfully adopt Kubernetes. The open-source software helps companies run containers, which bundle applications with ancillary software so it can run on any kind of computer no matter what operating software it runs on.

More specifically, each of the KCSPs has been vetted and certified for their competence in providing Kubernetes support, consulting, professional services and training for organizations that want to get the technology up and running, the CNCF said. It added that the program ensures enterprises can draw on the support they need to deploy applications faster and more efficiently.

“The founding class of KCSPs represents the maturation of the Kubernetes ecosystem and demonstrates that Kubernetes is ready for widespread use with enterprises of all sizes,” Dan Kohn, executive director of the Cloud Native Computing Foundation, said in a statement.

Asked about the need for certified Kubernetes service providers, Kohn explained the process represents a natural maturing of the ecosystem around Kubernetes. “The KCSP program is about establishing a baseline of competency and engagement with the community,” Kohn said, adding that the CNCF has received positive feedback about the program from both providers and end users.

The CNCF, which is the organization that spearheads the development of open-source technologies used to deploy applications as microservices, said the six companies had qualified as KCSPs after completing its Certified Kubernetes Administrator course, first announced in March. The CNCF said at the time that the course was necessary to address a skills shortage cited by 70 percent of organizations recently surveyed by Capgemini SE.

There are some notable absences from the list of certified providers, not least Google Inc., which first created Kubernetes and offers its own managed Kubernetes services. With regard to this, Kohn said that the CNCF expects to add more KCSPs to its list over time as they come to realize its advantages.

“Google has been actively engaged in the KCSP program from our first meeting of Kubernetes experts last year, when we began designing the certification curriculum,” Kohn said, though he refused to comment on whether it would become an official program member at a later date.

Image: CNCF