Microsoft man poached by Red Hat gang

Linux vendor Red Hat has continued its reseller push in the UK by poaching Microsoft's distribution manager to expand its channel strategy.

Linux vendor Red Hat has continued its reseller push in the UK by poaching Microsoft's distribution manager to expand its channel strategy.

As Microsoft gears up to launch Windows 2000, Iain Farthing has officially joined the company as UK channel sales manager.

Farthing said he made the transition from Microsoft to Red Hat because "the opportunity was phenomenal". He said distributors including SphinxCST, Ilion and Unipalm had already contacted him. A deal with online supplier WStore is also expected within weeks.

"I've had lots of incoming calls from guys I just never would have touched at Microsoft. I'm also talking to people I have never heard of before and they are all asking what they have got to do to feature in the Red Hat channel," Farthing said.

Ensuring the channel has all the right skills to sell Linux is the main priority, he said, since his appointment four weeks ago. He added that the vendor will have a reseller certification programme up and running by the end of the year and is looking for at least two or three more training centre partners to offer the course.

John Winters, owner of Linux reseller Linux Emporium, said Farthing should concentrate on increasing market penetration into the corporate arena.

Peter Dawes, managing director of reseller LinuxIT, said Farthing should "concentrate on rationalisation and put his efforts behind commercial Linux organisations".