Official, source-supported, and unverified labels
The difference between a brand-confirmed relationship, a source-supported mention, and a stored claim with no public badge.
Read the methodology first
Every public badge is defined on How we verify listings. This page restates those four statuses so you can compare them while you are looking at a hub such as Hikvision or Ajax Systems.
The label describes the evidence we recorded for that brand relationship. It is not a claim about the company's quality or about the brand's full channel.
Officially confirmed
This status means an editor recorded a brand statement or a direct confirmation that names the company for a market. You should still open the stored source when one is present.
It does not mean we audited the contract, and it does not mean the company is the only channel in that country.
Source supported
This status means we found the company on a brand-owned page — a distributor finder, partner locator, or press release — and stored that URL. Re-open the URL from the listing or from the Sources block on a combination page such as Hikvision in the UAE.
A source-supported mention can become stale. Use How to verify a distributor listing to walk the source and the review date.
Company claimed and unknown
Company claimed means only the company itself says it carries the brand. Unknown means we recorded the brand from a third-party source and have not checked it against the brand. Most relationships start as unknown.
Neither status gets a public authorization badge. Treat them as research leads. For the broader meaning of a published row, see What a listing on this directory means.