With the application window for the FCC’s E-rate program opening later than it ever has, there is still time for value-added-resellers (VARs) and partners of Comstor and the Westcon Group to pitch solutions. In addition, according to Ron Sheps, Director of Government, Education, and Medicine for Westcon, E-rate funds are at an unprecedented level.
As he mentions, there is a tremendous influx in e–rate funding this year. Historically, it was a $2.25B program to fund voice and data activity in schools, but funding has now grown to $5B dollars. “Also significant this year is that past years’ funding that was unused will be eligible to roll over for an additional $1.8B in funding for E-rate projects,” Sheps says. “It’s an unprecedented opportunity that aligns with a new interest from schools to tap into these funds to create better infrastructures for their organizations.”
Sheps explained how Westcon/Comstor can help partners and VARs and says that his team helps VARs hone in on their market opportunities by offering access to databases of schools and libraries that are seeking funding, along with contact information for potential buyers. The Westcon/Comstor team helps VARs identify their market by defining their targeted geography and assists them in outlining best-of-breed solutions to build scalable, foundational technology infrastructure for schools.
An important component of that infrastructure is cloud solutions and services. Sheps says there is a tremendous drive to move services to the cloud. In fact, the FCC will soon sunset E-rate support for “traditional” technology services, so cloud is the future for schools.
Learn more about how Sheps and his team at Westcon/Comstor support VARs and their efforts to capitalize on the E-rate program with a tailored closed-loop ROI solution that allows a VAR to evaluate progress and make changes in approach as needed.
Sign up to listen to the webinar here.
