Unipalm urges VARs to get into ComputerLinks
Distributor plans to broaden course offerings in its ComputerLinks training division
Distributor Unipalm is extending its training facilities, and has claimed that VARs are missing out on a golden revenue opportunity.
Unipalm has a training division, ComputerLinks Training, which was set up three years ago in preparation for the distributor’s name change this summer (CRN, 30 January).
David Ellis, director of e-security at Unipalm, said: “Resellers are leaving money on the table when it comes to offering training. They don’t give training enough thought, and are losing out on margin opportunities as a result. They are too focused on closing a deal. It is just a case of asking one more question when a deal has been sealed.”
Ellis added that the distributor is launching a number of new courses around its vendor stable, including WebSense (CRN, 1 May), Clearswift, Check Point and Aruba. The firm will also offer courses from non-Unipalm vendors such as Juniper and Cisco.
“We are planning to offer non-vendor-specific courses on generic subjects,” Ellis said. “We are also looking for new vendors to partner with.”
Viv Francis, channel manager EMEA at Check Point, said: “Not everybody can deliver effective training, and that is one of the biggest positives that Unipalm delivers. It is a real value-add for Check Point.
“They know so much about the market and security technology as a whole,” she added. “We have seen training revenue drop off over the past year, but it did start to pick up towards the back end of the year. It is not just the resellers, but also end-users that are looking to be educated.”