Computer Reseller News Research Shows Largely Untapped Channel Market for IT TrainingPerson-to-Person Training Preferred to Internet InstructionPRNewswire Data from the 1999 Technical Training Survey conducted by CMP Media's (NASDAQ: CMPX) Computer Reseller News show that while an overwhelming majority of resellers offer technical training to their clients, the training market remains largely untapped by the channel. According to the research report being published by the technology newspaper today (May 10), training is not a major source of revenue for most small resellers but is becoming a greater source of profits for the channel. Some 86 percent of resellers responding to this year's survey said they provide technical training to their customers, up from 77 percent last year. "As resellers continue shifting their business models toward profit-rich services, look for training to account for a higher percentage of revenue and profits in the future," said John Roberts, Ph.D., CRN's director of editorial research. "The door of opportunity is wide open. The survey results also show that the channel has yet to really tap into the small/midsize company training market." Despite all of the Internet hoopla, only 19 percent of resellers are using the Web to deliver training to their customers, barely up from the 18 percent figure in last year's survey. "When it comes to the way resellers deliver training to their clients," Roberts added, "person-to-person contact still predominates. Just four percent of respondents said that the Internet is their most important method for delivering training." This is consistent with survey results showing that 60 percent of businesses said that at least half of the technical training received by their employees is delivered in house. The survey results strongly suggest that the personal touch is still important to resellers' business clients when it comes to training. The exclusive Computer Reseller News research also shows that customized content is by far the single most important concern businesses have in area of technical training. Pricing is a distant second. Comparing these results with those from the 1998 survey shows that resellers believe customized content has become relatively more important to their business clients over the past year, while pricing has become relatively less important. The findings are based on responses from 303 smaller resellers surveyed by CRN in March. The table of contents and executive summary of the 1999 CRN Technical Training Survey can be viewed at the newspaper's Web site, http://www.crn.com, by clicking on the "research" tab. Information about purchasing the complete report is available from Roberts at jorobert@cmp.com. Published by CMP Media Inc., Computer Reseller News has a circulation of more than 115,000 and reaches readers with the product trends and industry news needed to sell comprehensive technology solutions. It is the only technology newspaper with an in-house editorial research capability geared exclusively toward providing valuable data and analyses to members of the IT distribution channel. Advertising Age's Business Marketing named Computer Reseller News among "The Best of the Business Press" for 1999, the only technology-channel publication to be honored in the competition's two-year history. It was selected for its editorial excellence, circulation, service to marketers and brand extensions. CMP Media Inc. (NASDAQ: CMPX) is the leading high-tech media company providing essential information and marketing services to the entire technology spectrum -- the builders, sellers and users of technology worldwide. With its portfolio of newspapers, magazines, custom publishing, Internet products, research, consulting and conferences, CMP is uniquely positioned to offer marketers comprehensive, integrated solutions tailored to meet their individual needs. Online editions of the company's print publications, along with products and services created exclusively for the Internet, can be found on CMPnet at http://www.CMPnet.com. NSTL, the company's independent testing lab and consulting organization, serves government, corporate and technology vendor clients around the world. SOURCE: CMP Media, Inc. Contact: Barry J. Zusman, 516-562-7040, or bzusman@cmp.com, or Alexandra Website: http://www.crn.com/ Website: http://www.cmpnet.com/ Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/181993 NY.html or |