Westcon Group: LEAP Trains VARs on Virtualization, Cloud
Westcon Group, know for specialty distribution in the fields of data, networking and security, has launched a "LEAP" effort that's focused on virtualization and cloud infrastructure solutions, complete with VAR training. Read on for the potential implications.
As part of the effort, Westcon Group has launched US-based "Centers of Excellence" which are designed for VARs to get "hands-on" training for the solutions targeted solutions, especially upcoming virtualized data centers. "LEAP" (Learn, Experience, Architect and Plan) is Westcon's moniker for the excellence center, and Westcon stressed that they can provide a solid base of training, testing, and collaboration resources for their VARs to thrive in, covering both Cisco, and other "leading data center" solutions.
You might be asking yourself — like I did — how do they do this? Westcon says that their LEAP Centers are "engineered to replicate real-world scenarios" in deployment, which essentially boils down to playing with the products in a way to familiarize yourself with them. Still, Westcon is offering a lot with NetApp, EMC, VMware, Microsoft, Oracle and SAP all fully functional and ready to tinker with.
Westcon believes that the VAR will learn enough to reduce the time-to-revenue, overcome virtualization and data challenges, along with being able to sell more, due to comprehension of more complicated technology, leading to shorter sales cycles and more prudent investments.
Resellers can also play host their own data center demos with Westcon, without paying for their own data center. If you want to get into Westcon's US LEAP Center, you can contact Westcon and Comstor reps, and check out the site here.
VARs, let us know if you think hands on training and help from your distributor can leverage more sales. Is training and understanding the key to selling more virtualization, or do companies understand virtualization but just don't want to make the investment yet?
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Hmmm…is this the same Westcon that along with Cisco agreed to pay $48M to settle charges that they paid kickbacks and referral fees to win government contracts and then overcharged the government to recover the costs of their bribes? I’ve been in this business long enough to remember when Tom Dolan co-founded Westcon. Westcon built an excellent reputation as a distributor that VARs could rely on for top flight service and support. Now they are paying back millions for illegally overcharging the government for their services. What a shame that the company has discredited itself by engaging in illegal activity in order to “get the business.”