The training centre, which is housed at Track’s Dubai Internet City regional headquarters, is part of the distributor’s value-add offering to the Middle East solution provider channel. The lab will offer training to select system integrators (SIs) around data centre infrastructure from (Cisco, APC and NetApp) and virtualisation technology from VMware.
In addition to the data centre and virtualisation training facility, Track will as from February 2011, unveil a Data Centre Alliance Programme for channel partners who are part of this initiative. Although details of the programme will be communicated to the channel at the launch, Track states that the initiative will change the way the company incentivises and offers rebates to its partner community.
Shailendra Sainani, deputy GM at Track Distribution says the lab has been designed to enable SIs that would like to grow their data centre offerings especially in the SMB space.
Sainani says the training will offer partners a hands-on experience on how they can build data centre infrastructure and solutions.
He says that aside from channel enablement, the training centre will assist partners in attaining the required certifications and specialisations that the four vendors supporting this initiative offer to the channel at large. “We are delighted at the fact that as a VAD, Track is living to its expectations of aiding channel partners to become competent implementers of data centre and virtualisation solutions,” he says.
Sainani explains that the training will be offered to a select number of partners to ensure that they maximise the opportunity of working with Track. “When we started developing the lab, we wanted to engage with partners that are more solutions focused and not box movers,” he says. “As a result, our approach in recruiting partners to the programme is based on stringent consultation with the vendors and the capabilities of partners themselves.”
He points out that training sessions will be held fortnightly and will focus on data centre infrastructure, storage, security, virtualisation and cabling.
Sainani adds that ultimately, Track would like to build a channel community that is comfortable and competent to sell and implement solutions at end-user level. “We believe this value add offering is only a start in the many undertakings that the company is going to make available to partners,” he concludes.
Track Distribution Middle East, a regional VAD and subsidiary with the Aptec Holdings Group, has teamed up with APC, Cisco NetApp and VMware to launch a dedicated Data Centre Lab and Virtualisation Training Centre for channel partners in the Middle East.
