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Distributor Ingram Micro on Thursday introduced its Training-Development-as-a-Service program, which it successfully piloted with IBM and Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPE), and now is available for other established and emerging vendors.

Ingram Micro’s Greg Richey

The program aims to speed time to market, making it easier for IT vendors to customize and scale their partner training programs. It offers a growing portfolio of flexible integrated training tools including Fit Live, 3-D learning and lab environments, as well as Fit game-based learning.

The ongoing advancement of today’s IT solution providers and MSPs is “critically important to the growth, health and value of the IT channel,” said Greg Richey, director of Ingram Micro professional and training Services.

“Demand for more advanced and readily available e-learning and e-training is rising, but for many vendors, supply is falling short of partners’ needs and expectations for a variety of reasons including bandwidth and budget constraints,” he said. “Our new Training-Development-as-a-Service program resolves this challenge by developing and delivering the e-learning and e-training resources channel partners want on behalf of the IT vendors and telecom providers.”

In 2014, Ingram Micro became one of only five authorized IBM global training providers, Richey said.

“Fast-forward to 2017, Ingram Micro training is offering IBM training in more than 100 countries and has introduced two game-changing initiatives under our Training-Development-as-a-Service program that have reshaped and re-imagined IBM’s training efforts – 3-D learning and digital credentials, also known as open badges,” he said.

After completing the training, channel partners receive a “digital credential” that can be shared on social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, Richey said. The digital credentials can help partners differentiate and clearly define their expertise in areas such as cloud, security, networking and more, he said. It also can help in job searching and job placement by providing validation of the credentials held by a technician.

Available globally, Ingram Micro said the program makes it “simple and affordable” for emerging and established IT vendors and telecom providers to bring to market real-time, relevant training programs in record time.

Last week, Ingram Micro announced its purchase of The Phoenix Group, moving more into ScanSource’s barcode territory.