How To Build A Virtualization Practice

WHICH VENDOR?
Some vendors such as VMware are harder to sign up with than others, Kadlec says. Therefore, he suggests going beyond online sign-up. "We met VMware at Avnet's New Frontiers conference," he says. "It helps to get with them face-to-face."

The server virtualization vendors each take a slightly different approach to training and certification, with some offering courses free of charge and others charging for the training.

Solution providers with server and storage infrastructure experience will find server virtualization a natural fit, says Carl Eschenbach, executive vice president of worldwide field operations at VMware. "If you have a server business and knowledge about storage and networking, it's a pretty easy migration to server virtualization," Eschenbach says.

VMware has a couple of programs for solution providers looking to get started. The first is the VMware Sales Professional (VSP) program, which offers four to six hours of online self-training, Eschenbach says. "We've seen partners sign up, take the VSP course, talk intelligently to customers within a week and close their first sale in one or two weeks," he says.

Solution providers that want to implement VMware Infrastructure 3 (VI3) infrastructure and do customer training will need the VMware Certified Professional (VCP) certification, he says. This includes a four-day hands-on training course taken at an authorized training center at a cost of $2,700. After completing the course, partners can take the VCP test at $175 per attempt.

Solution providers that get only the VSP certification can partner with other solution providers to do the implementation, Eschenbach says. "Or it's intuitive enough that, if you have a technical background, you may be able to implement it relatively easily," he says.

Virtual Iron offers Web-based training and testing, as well as hands-on tools, says Bill Simpson, vice president of channel sales. "In general, if [VARs] have some grounding in technology, within a day they can be very competent with our solution," he says. "But this doesn't make them an expert. If they want, we offer a three-day training that can make them an expert."

Virtual Iron does not charge for the courses, but that doesn't make them free, Simpson warns. "That's a billable person getting the training," he says.

Tech Data's Advanced Infrastructure Solutions group, which is the exclusive distributor for XenSource and Virtual Iron, and which also offers SWsoft's Parallels as well as VMware through reseller agreements with HP and IBM, hosts Webinars and recruitment programs for solution providers, says Pete Peterson, senior vice president and general manager of the group.

Tech Data also has internal people certified with most of those vendors' software to help solution providers with technical expertise, Peterson says.

Jack Zubarev, COO and founder of SWsoft, which offers both the Virtuozzo and the Parallels virtualization product lines, says that moving to server virtualization is "a natural step" for VARs that provide services like capacity planning, disaster recovery, infrastructure management or that design infrastructures.

Solution providers with infrastructure experience typically do not require extensive training, Zubarev says. But those that provide services related to ERP or business line applications will find it more difficult. "So virtualization is not for every VAR," he says.

SWsoft offers sales and technical certification programs for solution providers, Zubarev says. Those with experience may be able to get certified free of charge. Otherwise, the company offers for-charge courses on operating systems, networking, SANs, and designing or architecting infrastructure in conjunction with other vendors like Microsoft, he says.

Solution providers that sell storage and servers and that have professional services capability other than maintenance will find server virtualization a natural progression, Simpson says.

Virtualization software can be easily downloaded to get customers up and running quickly, Simpson says. "The key is mapping it to applications and SLAs [service-level agreements]," he says. "That's where solution providers add value."

Next: Short And Sweet: Guide To Server Virtualization?