Microsoft has announced that it will invest more than US$30 million (NZ$48 million) in a new training programme to boost the number of certified Microsoft technologists among its channel partners and resellers.
The program, called Athena, aims to increase by 45,000 the number of IT professionals not working at Microsoft who are certified as proficient or expert with the company’s products. Those technologists will be able to provide technical support to Microsoft’s enterprise customers.
Targeted at high-in-demand roles, the multi-year program will double Microsoft’s investment in partner training from last year, the company says.
Analyst firm IDC released a forecast in March stating that a "pervasive" lack of IT talent by 2010 could limit the ability of IT service providers to grow their companies.