Magirus: recession drives virtual uptake

Distributor reports upturn in end-user demand for virtualisation training courses

Binding: It is a way for a reseller to differentiate itself

Pan-European distributor Magirus says the recession has led to an upsurge in demand for its virtualisation training programmes.

The firm said it had witnessed a 21 per cent inc­rease in demand for its virtualisation training programmes last year – and that growing numbers were taking part in order to stand out in the job market.

Andrew Binding, vice president of Northern Europe at Magirus, said: “There has been a growing number of students with established IT backgrounds that see these courses as a career opportunity.”

He added that the firm had also been working with resellers interested in packaging training into virtualisation projects.

“It is a good way for a reseller to differentiate itself by offering end users training in how to get the most out of a virtualised environment,” said Binding.

Sam Routledge, services director at Magirus reseller Softcat, said his firm offers the training the distributor provides as part of every virtualisation project it works on.

He said: "We get a reasonable return on it because people are keen to know how to get the most out of the investment they have made in the technology."

Paul Harman, solutions team manager at distributor Westcoast, said he was “not surprised” by Magi­rus’s findings.

He said: “The cost saving and functionality that virtualisation offers is relevant to all end users and we have seen a significant increase in resellers wanting more information on the technologies and the onsite training the firm offers.”