The partnership between Comztek and XpertEase, a premier Microsoft Certified Partner for Learning Solutions, is intended to ensure that resellers are better able to service end-users.

XpertEase says that it will offer a suite of Microsoft technical courses specifically targeted to educating IT professionals within the Comztek channel.

The fundamental question companies should ask about prospective technology investments is not about the power of the technology, but whether they have the skills to use it, says Jan Viljoen, XpertEase's MD.

Technology today requires cutting-edge skills to ensure that it functions seamlessly. The first objection most companies have to employing new systems is a lack of skilled staff.

Comztek chose to partner with XpertEase because the company is flexible enough to custom-fit high quality training classes for our resellers," says Mark Dorfling, manager of Comztek's Software Infrastructure business unit.

As well as conventional training courses, Comztek will offer added value free training courses, called Xpert Briefings, to resellers and customers.

Resellers do have access to various free 'training' sessions, but often these are no more than marketing exercises, and 'trainees' leave with little real value, says Dorfling. We guarantee that attendees will walk away having gained real product knowledge.

Dorfling hopes the training will enable resellers to provide added value services, for example by no longer doing simple default customer installations, but applying what they have learnt during implementations.

The partnership between Comztek and XpertEase came about because of the synergy between the two companies, says Dorfling.

All parties benefit from the relationship. Resellers and their customers will obviously gain from the free training, Comztek from reseller relationship-building, and XpertEase from the additional business.

Initially training will focus on Microsoft products and solutions marketed by Comztek, but Dorfling says that if the partnership proves successful, it will be extended to cover other products within the Comztek stable.