Forgive the after school special title of this post, but we’ve been extremely focused on training & certifications lately. The skill level of our service pros is crucial to our success. And we know that many VARs and solution providers choose their contract techs based upon key IT certs. So by establishing learning opportunities, we enable our pros to improve their skills and win more work through the OnForce marketplace.

Recently, we announced a partnership with Microsoft to promote new opportunities between our two communities. Among other things, this deal enables our pros to access Microsoft Small Business Specialist certifications. We this this is a growth area in the future, so we’re encouraging our service pros to get trained and certified ahead of the curve.

Then, last week at Breakaway, we announced an ongoing partnership with CompTIA to raise the technical and business skill levels of IT professionals. The initial program enables OnForce pros to get exclusive discounts on training and certification bundles, including CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+ and Server+.

We also announced last week that we’ve selected DirectPointe’s e-learning solution to create and manage our future training programs. This will enable us to quickly roll out world-class training programs, including custom e-learning content to meet the needs of OEMs, solution providers and IT firms.

Much, much more to come in this area.

2:48pm: Big crowds around the OnForce booth during the first hour. We were three people deep the entire time. We just gave away our 2nd Nintendo Wii a few minutes ago… congrats to Michael Lewellyn from Indianapolis!

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1:47pm: So many ‘ON’ t-shirts… it’s become the unofficial uniform of Breakaway ‘08.

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A Future Pro???

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1:12pm: This guy is rockin’ the OnForce green ‘n black. I call him… Captain OnForce.

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12:45pm: We’ve made it back for day two… the show floor opens in a few minutes (this is my first post from actually IN our booth). We had a great day yesterday, and we’ve already seen a dozen or more ‘ON’ button tees throughout the hall.

I got to chat briefly with Michael Proper, CEO of DirectPointe for a few minutes as the show wound down yesterday. As was announced yesterday, we’re collaborating with them on all of our upcoming e-learning initiatives.

We also sat down with the mysterious VAR Guy for a couple of hours last night — an illuminating conversation, as always. While I’ve been sworn to secrecy about his true identity, I can tell you that he wears all black, is 7′ tall, and has an eye patch… at least that’s how I remember him.

7:07pm: We gave away our first Nintendo Wii at 6:45pm tonight! The lucky winner is Ric Johnson of Waynesfield, OH. We’ll be giving out three more Wiis tomorrow to those attendees who we spot wearing their black ‘ON’ t-shirt around the exhibit hall.

So the exhibition floor is closing up, and day one is nearly in the books. I got to meet dozens of VARs, solution providers and IT pros today, as well as having a quick chat with industry guru Heather Clancy , and our friends over at Autotask. Now, I’m off to an undisclosed location for a meeting with The VAR Guy. I can only assume that, since he didn’t win today’s Wii, we’re going to have some explaining to do. Looking forward to another great day tomorrow. Cheers from Orlando!

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6:18pm: The area around our booth at Breakaway has been packed for the past hour and a half. There are black ‘ON’ t-shirts and buttons being worn in every area of the show floor. Check out these three gents sporting the finest in OnForce wear… from our summer 2008 collection

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5:12pm: The doors opened about 75 minutes ago. The show floor was fairly calm and quiet for the first 1/2 hour, but the last 45 minutes have seen a major increase in foot traffic and energy level. There’s a lot of activity and noise around the hall right now.

We’re about four or five people deep at our booth, giving multiple demos at all times, and handing out ‘ON’ tees left and right. There’s an audible buzz (and a serious crowd) right now. That always makes our neighboring booths happy… regardless, it’s very interesting and educational to meet so many VARs, OEMs and IT professionals in such a short window of time.

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3:00pm: The OnForce crew has made it safely into sunny Orlando, our booth is set up and looking sharp, and we’ve been having some interesting discussions with media and channel players throughout the day.

Earlier today, we had a great chat with Chris Loringer, Editor for Network/Security & Storage at Business Solutions, discussing solution providers who focus on serving retailers, and the opportunities / challenges they face in offering POS, storage and CE-oriented solutions, as well as how media in the channel is evolving.

Show starts in less than an hour!

Who’s going to Breakaway ‘08 next week in Orlando? OnForce will be there in full force, spreading the good word, giving away all sorts of prizes and even handing out Nintendo Wiis to several lucky attendees.

Yours truly will be blogging live from the show floor throughout the two-day event. If this year is anything like Breakaways past, our booth will be swamped with traffic most of the day and somehow, hundreds of attendees will end up wearing OnForce shirts and buttons.

It’s always a blast to meet VARs, solution providers and IT professionals in person. We’ll be there talking with industry media pundits and analysts, as well taking meetings with OEMs, retailers and channel players. And, if we happen to meet any mysterious industry celebs, we’ll share that too.

Channel Insider ran an interesting piece this week, citing a continuing shortage of IT skills. The author, citing CareerBuilder and none other than Fed Chairman, Ben Bernanke, offers a compelling description of the causes of this shortage in skilled, experienced IT workers:

CareerBuilder also reports that 45 percent of IT employers have open positions for which they cannot find qualified talent. It’s that old skills-shortage problem again.

So what’s going on here? According to CareerBuilder CTO Eric Presley explains it thusly: “The pervasiveness of and reliance upon technology continues to escalate, and the amount of graduates in IT is trailing behind the demand for their knowledge and expertise.”

Interesting stuff… but more interesting to me is the effect that this shortage has on VARs and solution providers. Even in a down economy (I won’t use the “R” word) when demand isn’t near peak levels, these firms that have historically stockpiled deep benches of W-2 technicians are finding it almost impossible to find the IT skills and experience they need to have skills where and when their clients need them.

I’ve heard this same story from many VARs and solution providers in the past few months. While some of them have come knocking at our door to take advantage of the cost savings that come from using contract techs, most come to us simply because they can’t find service pros in specific geographic areas or skill sets like VoIP, Vista or flat panel TVs.

Regardless of the reason, it’s an interesting time in the overall market for IT and consumer electronics service professionals. And while Channel Insider also articulates a long-term solution to the shortage of skilled technicians, most insiders within the IT channel and the industry media don’t seem to anticipate supply catching up with demand anytime soon.