Vendor vs. Independent TrainingVendor vs. Independent Training

Though always budget-sensitive, training can pay off in fewer tech support calls. But where should you turn?

Who is best, the OEM/vendor or independent trainer? I have presented over 2,000 vendor neutral technology seminars, but never vendor product training. I have wondered what is the value of getting training from a non vendor organization. I asked Walt Medak of Walt Medak & Associates (WMA) of Portland, OR for his opinions. Walt, with other former AT&T/Avaya personnel, formed WMA specializing in service, maintenance, training and technical support of Avaya equipment for interconnects, technicians and businesses:

Walt, what training do you provide?
Our training classes focus exclusively on Avaya products, ranging from the legacy Definity PBX to the latest S-Class Media Servers. We have classes that provide basic administration for those students who have little to no experience with the systems, to advanced administration for those students who know their way around, but want to learn some of the more advanced features their systems have to offer. We also have classes that are specific to VoIP administration for those techs making the transition into the VoIP world, and call center applications that apply both to technicians and call center managers that need a better understanding of the call flow process.

What are the advantages of getting training from an independent company rather than the vendor?
The OEM/vendor is going to showcase their product and train on those things their system does well. I believe the biggest benefit of independent training is that not only do the students get to see the things the system does well, but also things the system might not do as well, and ways to work around those limitations. We believe in actual hardware hands-on training, not just a simulated course on a DVD loaded on a PC. We allow a maximum of only 12 students in each class. Students are provided with documentation to take home with them after the class is completed. Our classes are 4-1/2 days long. There is constant interaction between the students and the instructor, and students are encouraged to bring any questions that they have and discuss them in class. It's not just a week of training, but also a whole year of ongoing education, as students can have questions answered relating to what they learned in the class at no additional cost for up to a year after the class.

How do you divide the time between classroom and hands-on training and why?
It varies by class, but we try to spend as much time with hands-on activities as possible. I firmly believe that the students are able to absorb the material more effectively though hands-on exercises. Plus, working with the other classmates to solve problems makes the class much more enjoyable.

How has the training market changed in the past few years?
A lot of training today is being offered is through webinars instead of in a classroom setting. Also, companies are being much more selective about sending students for training. We have been getting more requests for either combining classes, or doing on-site training than in the past. I think this is mainly to minimize travel expenses. Why has the training market decreased?
I believe the economy has been the biggest factor in the decrease of the training market. The first things that are eliminated from a company's budget when times get tough are travel and training expenses.

Have you noticed any changes in the attending students that come to your training?
Yes. More and more of the students that are coming to class have backgrounds in the IT field rather than telecom. As VoIP becomes more widespread, I expect that to increase.

How do you keep up with the vendors’ products for your training?
We have legacy equipment and also purchase the latest equipment. We also keep both older and newer software so that the students will be able to apply the administration training to what they are using on the job. Keeping up with the latest products, whether hardware or software, is becoming much more difficult as vendors move from making the traditional PBX systems to newer, server-based VoIP systems. In years past, a phone system would be expected to last for many years, with minimal upgrades. Now it seems that not only the software, but the hardware as well, is considered obsolete by the OEM with one to two years. It has become almost a full time job to research the software and hardware changes.

What do you think that enterprises are doing if they do not send their employees to the training, whether by you or the vendor? What are the ramifications that ensue for enterprise that does not train?
If a company does not learn about their phone system, there are many features that they will not be aware that they have and will not use it to its potential. I think a lot of companies are expecting their staff to either train each other or gather whatever information they can from the Internet. While a lot of documentation is available online, I don't believe it is nearly as effective a learning tool as actual hands-on training. I believe companies that don't get proper training for their employees will find out in the long run that they will spend more on tech support calls than they would have on training.