How we rank providers

The ranking formula

1. Verified field count, descending. Of the 8 fields we track per provider, how many we could confirm with a named source.
2. Confirmed certification count, descending. Used only to break ties on the first criterion.
3. Company name, alphabetically. Used only to break remaining ties, so ordering stays stable between builds.

A consequence worth stating plainly: this formula rewards providers who make information available, not providers who are best. A well-run company that publishes nothing will rank below a mediocre one with a detailed website. We think a transparent, checkable bias is better than an opaque quality score, but it is a bias, and you should factor it in.

Inclusion criteria

Where the data comes from

• Vendor partner directories published by Microsoft, Cisco, and similar vendors
• Industry registries such as the CompTIA Trustmark listing
• Provider websites, for service scope, coverage, and any published rates
• Information supplied directly by providers who have claimed their listing, labelled as self-reported

Each field on a provider profile shows which of these it came from and when we last checked it.

How we make money, in full

Two ways. Providers can pay a monthly fee for an enhanced listing, which is labelled Sponsored wherever it appears. Introductions are included in that subscription, so nothing changes hands per enquiry and no provider can outbid another for a buyer.

A provider can also pay for a Sponsored slot above the ordered list on a city page. We would rather say this plainly than let you find it out for yourself. Three things are true about those slots, and we hold ourselves to all three:

• They are labelled Sponsored, above the list, before you scroll. Not in small print, and not a word that could be mistaken for anything else.
• Nobody is pushed out to make room. A sponsored provider still appears in the ordered list below at the position the formula gives it. What is bought is visibility, not another company's place.
• The number of slots is capped by how many providers a city has: two where we list 8 or more, one everywhere else. On a page with five providers, two paid slots would be nearly half of what you see, and that is not a comparison any more.

Inside the ordered list, payment moves nothing. We do not accept payment to add a provider, remove a competitor, reorder that list, or change what a profile says. If a provider asks us to, we will say so on their profile.

The reason to be this explicit: a comparison site's only real asset is whether buyers believe it. Selling that for a placement fee is a bad trade even when it is profitable.

Corrections

If a record is wrong, email info@ubusunaworks.jp and we will correct it. You do not need an account, and you do not need to be a paying customer. Providers who want ongoing control can claim their listing.

If you would rather not be listed at all, tell us and we will remove the record.

Questions about how this works