Ingram offers select VARs cut-price Win2000 training

Eighty of Ingram Micro's preferential small and medium-size resellers are to receive Windows 2000 training discounts as part of the distributor's plan to improve the competency of its SME channel.

Eighty of Ingram Micro's preferential small and medium-size resellers are to receive Windows 2000 training discounts as part of the distributor's plan to improve the competency of its SME channel.

The 80 resellers, all of which are members of Ingram Micro's VentureTech Network partner programme, will get 40 per cent off Windows 2000 courses from Horizon Training Services Europe.

VentureTech, which is sponsored by Compaq, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, 3Com and Microsoft, was set up in November 1998 to crack the SME market.

Darren Seward, Ingram UK's small-business manager, said the Horizon deal is intended to help SME resellers add value to their services. He said the discount will supplement a rebate Microsoft is offering for Win2000 training.

Ingram will also launch an ad campaign to promote the programme and help its VentureTech partners set up e-commerce sites. A dedicated sales team has been established to service partners.

Ingram is also trying to establish formal rules for partners that will allow them to pool and share resources, including staff, said Seward.

But Stuart Dickinson, managing director of VentureTech partner Silicon Alley, said resellers are wary of each other and much work needs to be done before resources can be pooled. He said VentureTech is a good scheme which is improving all the time.

A second VentureTech summit, to be held at the end of March, will give VARs the chance to meet the sponsoring vendors.