Compaq sets Capp at resellers
Vendor launches four-tier accreditation programme
Compaq is to launch an expanded version of its Accredited System Engineer (ASE) technical training programme for resellers. Called the Compaq Accredited Professional Programme (Capp), the scheme will affect nearly 17,000 UK IT staff.
The company uses Capp to train resellers' engineers, consultants and support staff. To qualify for overall Compaq accreditation, a business must have at least one Capp-trained employee.
The programme offers four levels of accreditation. Accredited Platform Specialist is an entry-level qualification for installation and services, and Accredited Platform Integrator boosts skills to a systems integrator level.
The higher levels are Accredited Systems Engineer (ASE), the company's flagship small to medium sized enterprise (SME) training programme, and Master ASE, which covers enterprise-level qualifications.
Additional pre- and post-sales training means that end users and application programmers will be eligible for Capp accreditation for the first time. ASE had previously offered Accredited Compaq Technician (ACT) training, ASE and ASE Professional qualifications.
Jane Culcheth-Beard, Compaq's business development manager, said resellers had found the steps between ACT and ASE accreditation too great.
"The market is more complex now and the catalogues were too simplified. Businesses internationally will know there is a worldwide benchmark of skills that can be applied to their chosen solutions anywhere in the world," she said.
According to Culcheth-Beard, 17,000 of Capp's 50,000 worldwide trained reseller staff are UK-based. Certifications will be renewed annually, and the programme is available now.
Trevor Pugsley, hardware manager at Computacenter, explained that the jump from ACT to ASE had been a headache. "Capp fits in better with the way resellers look to develop employees' skill sets," he said.
Simon Barry, managing director of Compaq reseller Sinergie, also backed the scheme. "There are a lot of SMEs that Compaq does not have the right relationship with. They need more flexible programmes. This is a step in the right direction," he said.