Qualified Service Provider

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Discussion

A Qualified Service Provider represents the organization or accountable party responsible for one or more Qualified Nodes. The term supports economic accountability because compensation, chargeback, reimbursement, settlement, and provider comparison usually apply to an accountable organization rather than only to a technical runtime component.

A Qualified Service Provider meets the governance, contractual, policy, security, residency, sovereignty, operational, and accounting criteria applicable to the governed work it provides. This qualification allows the Cost Recovery, Compensation, and Settlement Plane to associate work performed by Qualified Nodes with the responsible participant.

A Qualified Service Provider also supports competitive substitution. Multiple providers can offer equivalent governed functions when their Nodes satisfy the same qualification criteria and produce the required evidence.

Definition

accountable participant recognized as eligible to provide one or more governed functions

Source

FX Demo Reference Architecture, Part 6: Cost Recovery, Compensation, and Settlement Plane

Note

A Qualified Service Provider differs from a Qualified Node. A Qualified Node performs a defined governed function. A Qualified Service Provider carries organizational accountability for one or more Qualified Nodes. Qualification of a service provider does not, by itself, qualify every Node operated by that provider. Each Node still requires recognition for its defined governed function.

Example

A regulated technology provider operates two Qualified Nodes for sanctions screening and evidence retention. The architecture recognises the provider as a Qualified Service Provider for those governed functions and associates compensation claims with that accountable participant.