D&H Distributing is opening the doors of its Solutions Lab, a small training facility at the distributor’s Harrisburg, Pa. headquarters. The first event for partners is Tuesday, Feb. 22.
According to D&H, the Solutions Lab can accommodate up to 36 in-person guests. In addition, it is equipped with video and Internet equipment necessary to stream video to offsite partners.
The Solutions Lab will be used for various trainings, according to D&H. For example, partners will be able to attend live, interactive sessions in which D&H representatives demonstrate SMB solutions. Training solutions will also be recorded in the space for streaming video broadcast.
“Sessions will include marketing and sales information as well,” says D&H in a statement submitted to Channel Pro-SMB. “Attendees can ask questions in person or via streaming and, depending on the training, resellers can build their own system right along with the D&H engineers.”
The first reseller-based, hands-on event in the new space is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 22. Cisco will lead a training session for its UC500 product. UC500 is part of the company’s Smart Business Communications System solutions, providing VoIP and unified communications to SMB office environments.
During the session, attendees in groups of two will use individual UC540W “pods” to assemble a complete SBCS solution. The presentation will also include discussion regarding the SBCS small business customer and how to market these solutions. After the training, VARs can use the configured system for demonstration purposes in the future.†
PRODUCT “RECIPES”
In addition to providing training sessions, the new Solutions Lab will enable D&H to provide partners with specific lists of components necessary for a certain solutions. These lists will be offered with complete BOM (bill of materials) lists similar to the “recipes” offered through D&H’s “System Build Challenge” program.
According to D&H Distributing, resellers that purchase the bundle will then be able to attend or stream a live Solutions Lab event in which D&H’s Server Specialists walk those customers through the build for that specific system.
The first D&H Solutions Lab reseller training event is planned for the latter half of Q1.† D&H plans to offer sessions several times per year, with hopes of eventually presenting at least one Solutions Lab event per quarter.† The systems will feature products from industry leaders such as Microsoft, Intel, Cisco, HP and new D&H partner gloStream, and will focus on vertical markets and specific solutions.†
GEOFFREY OLDMIXON is a Massachusetts-based business and technology writer.
