Tech Data U.S. Gives Cisco SMARTnet Resellers a Hand With New ARM Training

Leading IT Products Distributor’s Sales Force is the First to Adopt Cisco Systems ARM Training to Help Resellers Profit from SMARTnet Service Agreements and Renewals

Tech Data Corporation (NASDAQ:TECD) today announced it was the first U.S. IT products distributor to begin training its sales force in the Cisco Systems ARM (Attach, Renew, Multiyear) Service Incentive Program. More than 100 Tech Data sales representatives have completed the ARM curriculum, which Cisco established to educate resellers on high-margin revenue opportunities and other business-building incentives available when attaching SMARTnet(R) technical services contracts to Cisco hardware sales.

“By participating in the same ARM training available to Cisco resellers, Tech Data’s sales representatives are much better equipped to help our customers enhance their profitability as they pursue increased Cisco SMARTnet attach and renewal rates,” said Chuck Bartlett, Tech Data’s vice president, Networking Product Marketing. “Enabling resellers to more profitably deliver professional IT services like Cisco SMARTnet support is a key value-add we provide our customers, and we’ll continue to do so as we place a greater emphasis on helping them grow their services business.”

The ARM program is designed to help resellers educate their sales teams on the benefits of selling, renewing, upgrading and establishing multiyear Cisco service agreements. Now, Cisco resellers and their sales forces can leverage Tech Data sales representatives to uncover new service revenue opportunities and ensure they are taking full advantage of a wide array of incentives, rebates and marketing development funds that may be available to them through ARM.

“Tech Data has definitely taken the lead in ensuring its sales representatives are familiar with the profit-building opportunities and benefits Cisco’s ARM Service Incentive Program offers our reseller customers,” said Raja Sundaram, senior director, Cisco Services Channels. “Cisco has shown that partner sales staff participating in the ARM program have increased their service contract sales over $100 million and grown service sales in the commercial space by 24 percent by simply positioning services at the time of sale. We know from Cisco customer satisfaction surveys that customers with support contracts are more satisfied and loyal when covered with a service contract, so ARM is helping our partners increase customer loyalty.”

“We’ve had a great deal of success incorporating Cisco SMARTnet support into our solutions,” said Steve Robb of LaSalle Business Solutions. “When Tech Data goes the extra mile to train its sales team to be experts in a program like ARM, that’s a tremendous advantage for Cisco VARs like us. It demonstrates how Tech Data is aligning itself with our goals. They’re keenly aware of the services opportunities we’re pursuing.”

Tech Data and Cisco Channel Firsts

For years, Cisco has chosen Tech Data to be the first distributor to bring numerous programs, products and services to the channel. Most recently, Tech Data announced it had been named the first U.S. IT products distributor to offer Cisco MDS 9000 Family solutions to Cisco Advanced Technology Program (ATP) Partners. Tech Data offers the entire line of Cisco MDS 9000 fabric switches, multilayer fabric switches and directors. These products are available to authorized Cisco ATP Partners when sold in conjunction with qualifying network-hosted or network-assisted intelligent applications using the Cisco Storage Solution Module (SSM) in the MDS platform.

In 2004, Tech Data introduced Cisco Advanced Integration Services (AIS), which enables the distributor to quickly configure an array of Cisco products including routers, switches and CallManager IP telephony servers. Available exclusively through Tech Data, AIS utilizes intelligent agent technology in Cisco IOS and Cisco CNS Management products to provide centralized template-based configuration, security features and other customer requirements at dramatically faster rates than traditional manual configurations. AIS configuration fees start as low as $20 for Cisco 800 Series routers; $45 for Cisco 7000 Series routers; and $250 for Cisco CallManager Media Convergence Server series.

Through its exclusive COMET program, Tech Data offers Cisco resellers serving small-to-midsize businesses (SMBs) an array of sales, marketing and technical support; free accelerated training for Cisco’s CallManager Express and VPN/Firewall Express solutions; and education opportunities for selling managed services and hosted IP communications.

Dedicated team of professionals

Tech Data’s award-winning Cisco team has been recognized by the manufacturer for outstanding support in the areas of technical services, e-commerce solutions, inventory management, education and sales. These dedicated teams of specialists cover all aspects of the business including product marketing, purchasing, sales and technical support. For further information call the Cisco Support Team Hotline at (888) 213-3630, option 1, or visit techdata.com/business/cisco. Resellers also can visit cisco.com/go/arm-yourself and select Tech Data as their preferred distribution choice.

About Tech Data

Founded in 1974, Tech Data Corporation (NASDAQ:TECD) is a leading distributor of IT products, with more than 90,000 customers in over 100 countries. The company’s business model enables technology solution providers, manufacturers and publishers to cost-effectively sell to and support end users ranging from small-to-midsize businesses (SMB) to large enterprises. Ranked 107th on the FORTUNE 500(R), Tech Data generated $20.5 billion in sales for its fiscal year ended January 31, 2006. For more information, visit http://www.techdata.com.