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05 Feb 2007
Channel players could share best practice with their counterparts across the world if they sign up to a new trade association created to represent the international channel.
The International Technology Channels Association (ITCA) is an organisation open to resellers, distributors and vendors.
Founded by Frank Garrelts, former founder of German channel organisations ComTeam and Akcent, ITCA is based in Germany.
“Although recognising the needs of hundreds of thousands of solution providers worldwide, ITCA will not be a trade-purchasing cartel,” Garrelts said. “We put great value in the fact that this organisation is seen as a neutral forum for knowledge exchange and the initiation of international merchandising activities.”
Founder members consist of groups covering Europe, the US and India, such as the ASCII Group, Synaxon, and the Professional Computing Association (PCA).
Keith Warburton, chief executive of the PCA, told CRN: “Members of the PCA will now be able to tap into the benefits of an international trade body. Companies can also sign up individually; they don’t have to be PCA members.”
ITCA offers three types of membership: basic membership is free, while premium and platinum members pay for an extended range of services.
“ITCA will offer training on various business issues,” Warburton said. “We will give members a free newsletter and we hope to offer benchmarking processes and share best practice, but we’re really looking for members to tell us what they want.”
Nick King, chief executive of reseller Apex, said: “It sounds interesting, but it would need to be supported by the major vendors for it to carry some weight.”
Mike Gammie, IT services development manager at reseller Misco, said: “The principal doesn’t sound bad, but in reality will people use it? It also sounds similar to the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA).”
Warburton said: “My understanding is that CompTIA is primarily focused on the US, whereas we are intercontinental at launch and we fully intend to go global.”
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