Apache Spark, the open source platform for in-memory, cluster-based big data processing, has taken another step toward readiness for prime time with the announcement of a new certification program from Databricks that focuses on Spark systems integrators.

Databricks announced the program, which comes in the wake of another certification program for Spark engineers that the company introduced in September, Nov. 12. But while the first program certified individuals, the new one is for systems integration companies.

The criteria for certification, detailed on Databricks’s website, include enterprise experience with Spark deployment, the number of Spark engineers a company has on staff and their specific areas of expertise and participation in the Spark community.

At the time of the program’s announcement, Databricks has certified the following nine companies through the new program: AgileLab, Cloudwick, Big Data Partnership, Lateral Thoughts, Metistream, Silicon Valley Data Science, Softnet Solutions, Think Big Analytics and Zaloni.

In essence, this certification program, which is unlike most other initiatives of the same name because there is no formal testing or training involved, is simply an out-of-the-box strategy for Databricks, whose founders are the original Spark developers, to build a partner network around the big data technology. But it’s also a sign that Spark, which until now has taken somewhat of a backseat to Hadoop when it comes to enterprise-ready big data solutions, is fast becoming a player.