Training for a more informed channel

18.04.2005
Von Nicolas Callegari

We often hear the names of companies and distributors being accredited by various vendors, or channel partners that are certified to sell certain product lines.

But what does this all actually mean? From one point of view, certain certifications can be seen as nothing more than a branding and marketing exercise, aimed at improving credibility and brand awareness within the channel, but there are certain certifications that genuinely mean something.

The industry agrees that proper training and certification is by far one of the best value-adds, especially in an industry that is still dominated by a number of box-dropping resellers, which could ultimately do more damage to a brand than the little good of pushing up sales figures.

New technologies

Especially when considering the various up-and-coming vertical sectors, certification and training play a very important role in differentiating skills, aiming to ensure that a reseller or channel partner does not over-commit themselves just to close a deal.

It is here that the challenges come in, according to Chris Rogers, business development manager for telecoms at Comztek. He says that while certifications and training are highly sought after, the channel can be hesitant to ?pay to play?.

"Convergence," he says, "is also changing the playing field altogether, because resellers that were always strong in the telecoms and voice market are being forced to become tech-savvy because of the convergence of data, which is another ball game altogether."

This, distributors agree, is one of the driving reasons for the need to be properly certified and trained. It is logical really; you cannot possibly create the right amount of value around a product or service you know nothing about. It is that simple.

Michael Yates, MD of Titan IT, adds that everyone in the channel is under the same pressures at the moment, which requires the ability to provide a better level of service and higher level of qualified staff than their competitors. "I see this as a leveller in the field, which means that smaller vendors are not generally at a disadvantage, as long as they can offer equally or better qualified staff," he says.

"Through the more comprehensive partner programs that the big name vendors are offering, quality training has definitely become available to everyone. But ultimately it is up to the distributors/resellers to take advantage of these programs, and to ensure that their staff become certified, and that they are continually improving their skill sets," Yates continues.

Particularly with technologies such as VoIP and even Open Source and Linux coming to the fore, the channel needs to be better equipped to be able to take advantage of the need for these new technologies, and the sustainable revenue that could be generated.

Obsidian MD, Muggie van Staden, adds that with the emergence and subsequent rise of Linux, for example, his organization has seen a marked increase in interest around the Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) qualification.

"This type of training has become very accessible to the public. We have seen candidates that range from school kids right up to IT professionals, all of whom want to find out more about Linux and Open Source," he says.

Choosing the right certification

According to Graham Duxbury, CEO of Duxbury Networking, there is a cost consideration: While certification training is often conducted by local institutions, many examinations need to be taken overseas.

While the end result is undoubtedly worthwhile for the student, Duxbury says, it adds to the cost of the training, and tends to limit the exercise to already-skilled and long-term employees - ruling out newcomers without proven track records.

"In order to bring certification training - and the value it delivers - to a broader pool of students, training institutions themselves must increase their levels of expertise in order to persuade international vendors to permit certification examinations to be held in this country, under appropriate supervision," he says.

When it comes to course selection, particularly accreditation and certification courses, the most popular are usually associated with the top brand names, Duxbury adds.

Students reason that by opting for training on these products, job security is optimized and, when job-hunting, they will be more marketable as a result.

The bottom line

It is important to remember that accreditations, in most cases, sit with a specific person, rather than with a company as a whole. Customers should be savvy about those things, when considering where to buy equipment and services.

Additionally, the need to educate the channel on just how valuable training and certification actually can be is large in today?s market, where adding value, and making the most of products and functionality, is paramount to growing a sustainable business.

SIDEBAR

When establishing a channel, one of the critical success factors is building and protecting a sustainable brand. Organizations wish to purchase from, and partner with, reputable organizations which possess an extensive skill set, and which they can trust.

As a result, training is imperative to enabling the channel to support their customers in choosing the right solution. This is not a tactical approach, but rather a strategic one, which aims to ensure that long term relationships are built with both the end-user and channel.

A good channel program, with the relevant skills development and certification, is crucial within the IP telephony industry, to ensure that customers realize the full value of their implementation. This requirement is greater when rolling out open source software (OSS) solutions, as many local organizations still need to be educated around the cost, scalability and reliability benefits that OSS can deliver. For OSS to reach critical mass in terms of uptake, it is important that the businesses providing these products and services ensure that customers experience service levels which exceed those that they would receive from a traditional voice service provider. This will be key in driving OSS into the local market.

(Source: openVOICE)