Several VMware partners have welcomed the vendor’s new competency-based training launched under its Partner Network program.
The competencies are specifically based on four core technology areas: Infrastructure virtualisation, business continuity, virtualisation management and desktop virtualisation. The vendor aims to cover support for a wide range of VMware partners including solution providers, corporate resellers, system builders, service providers, system integrators and OEMs.
Most partners agreed specialised training is a must, particularly when it comes to specific technology areas such as desktop virtualisation.
“It’s important to have training specialisations in place and certifications because otherwise it opens the product up to the mass market that might not service it very well,” principal of Sydney integrator Nexus IT, Sean Murphy, said. “There are a few failed VMware implementations in the market place, which is crazy because it’s not a hard product when it’s properly put in and properly managed.” Murphy pointed out each of the competency areas VMware specifi ed required specific skills. “It’s a good thing for VMware to preserve its
brand value with competency training because the cowboys are going to try to sell solutions they can’t properly implement as they haven’t got the skills,” he said. “I like protection from the cowboys, which is important because otherwise I’m competing with others that don’t understand what it takes to get the job right, and go in cheaply because they’re putting in engineers instead of experts.”
Technical Architecture Solutions director, Tony Wilkinson, saw competency training as a good move for licence-driven partners, but less relevant for services-oriented players.
