LinuxVar scheme to lure SMEs to OS

Interactive Ideas to fill open source certification gap with online service

Distributor Interactive Ideas has signed up more than 40 open source-savvy resellers ahead of launching an online service providing Linux help for SMEs.

Its LinuxVar information resource is officially open to resellers from today and will be available to SMEs from next week.

LinuxVar is tailored to SMEs that have an interest in moving to Linux but lack the knowledge to make an informed choice.

Mike Trup, managing director of Interactive, said there is a gap in the market because the resellers that mostly support these SMEs have only Microsoft skills, while those with Unix and Linux skills typically support only larger enterprises.

"Smaller resellers tend to be quite specialist. A typical response to an SME asking about Linux is, 'We have a couple of Microsoft-certified engineers but not Linux-certified'," he said.

As well as the VAR database, which is accessible by geographical area, LinuxVar carries a description of what Linux does, written in non-technical language for customers with limited technical understanding.

Steven Whitehouse, a director at Linux reseller ChyGwyn, said: "For a small Linux reseller, this is a good place to get more exposure.

"ChyGwyn has supplied quite a lot of open source software on behalf of small computer shops because their customers had approached them for Linux, which they could not supply."

Trup expects the site to provide an incentive for small resellers to acquire Linux expertise because otherwise they could lose existing customers.

Both Red Hat and SuSE are backing Interactive Ideas' initiative. Paul Salazar, director marketing EMEA at Red Hat, said in a statement: "LinuxVar is simple, yet inspired.

"We see it playing a significant role in breaking down the perceived barriers that stop SMEs from taking full advantage of Linux's business benefits."