Newsflash 01.15
n A closer look… n •
an education establishment did not meet the requirements of those using it on a daily basis – the challenges that this would present for the teacher in front of a classroom of 30-plus students on a daily basis. It is by having this appreciation that vendors and resellers can and will establish collaborative and long term relationships with their education customers and become trusted partners.
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Technology seems to be much more important to schools now than it was say, five or ten years ago. What’s been driving and changing that? How do you see things changing in the next few years?
One of the biggest drivers has been the new computing curriculum that is now in place
and going hand-in-hand with this, is the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) skills shortage that has been recognised and the future impact that this will have on our economy if it is not addressed. Te digital skills agenda has also been put in place to support this and education establishments recognise that they must have the right technology in place to enable students to develop these skills.
How important do you think it is for the IT industry to have the best interests of children/students and education in general at heart? And how much of a difference can that make to schools if you do take that approach? Have we (IT suppliers) taken too much of a sales-led approach in the past?
Technology impacts every part of our daily lives. IT is now seen as something that will attract the top young talent in every field of learning and future employment. It is a way to stand out from the crowd. However, it isn’t the technology alone, and this is where links into industry have a vital role to play. Fujitsu is one example of a global business working within the local communities in which we operate to support education establishments at all levels in developing the relevant IT and digital skills that our economy requires. Many of our partner companies are also doing this and over the coming years it is only likely to increase. By setting up links between education establishments and industry now we can ensure that we are developing young people with the right skills to move into industry in the future.
01256 788 000
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What are you doing at Fujitsu to try and help reseller partners to open up and build opportunities in education?
Our account management team offers dedicated support to our partners pre- to post-sales, which means that all requirements, questions and challenges can be addressed in a timely manner and the desired outcome
can be achieved for all parties. Tis is evidenced in the CRN Vendor Report 2014 and of course more recently in Fujitsu being awarded Vendor of the Year at the CRN awards. Further endorsement is through our new education wins in the past six months. We have brought on board over £12 million of additional revenue in the summer through our partners.
By working closely with our partners we are able to develop further opportunities off the back of an initial win. For us it’s about leveraging the strong relationships that we work to grow alongside our partners to develop with end customers. Marketing support, materials and campaigns are available to all resellers. With Tech Data specifically we continue to deliver joint campaigns into the public sector to help drive pipeline.
What advice would you give to resellers looking to break into or further develop their education business? What’s the most important thing they should do?
As the buying patterns and decision criteria in the education sector are different to those of a traditional business, a truly vertical approach should be adopted. Tis should be
reflected through marketing materials and the sales people who interact with the customers – knowing the language used in the sector, the daily demands and the specific educational content and applications that teacher and students interact with.
If you’d like to know more about Fujitsu’s education focus and how Tech Data can help you make the most of the tremendous opportunities that exist in the sector, please contact Chris Bates, Senior Category Manager for Fujitsu on 01256 864207 or by emailing
chris.bates@
techdata.co.uk
www.techdata.co.uk
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