Strengthening its ability to support digital signage integrators, as well as IT resellers just starting their own digital signage solutions practice, Tech Data Corporation (NASDAQ:TECD) today announced more than 60 members of its Sales Division are now Digital Signage Certified Experts. These Inside and Field Sales representatives join the Digital Signage and Projectors Specialized Business Unit (SBU) sales and technical professionals who already have this certification.

“Through the Digital Signage Certified Expert program, we’re ensuring Tech Data is well versed when it comes to digital signage,” said Tech Data Vice President, Peripherals Product Marketing Wendy Linsky. “As an emerging, in-demand technology, digital signage is an opportunity more and more resellers are pursuing. However, it takes the right knowledge and expertise to design, deploy and support effective solutions. Whether we’re assisting a reseller building a digital signage practice or a more experienced integrator with a unique challenge, Tech Data has the products, knowledge and expertise to help them profitably bring these dynamic solutions to market.”

The Digital Signage Certified Expert training and certification is administered by the Digital Signage Experts Group, an industry organization providing vendor-neutral education and certification standards for the digital signage industry. Digital Signage Certified Experts are required to master a broad slate of disciplines related to digital signage. These include a proven understanding of networking, displays, software, content creation and the other technical components of a digital signage solution, as well as how to conduct a needs assessment, scope projects and provide end users with measurable ROI.

“Tech Data has stepped up to the plate and hit a home run certifying over 60 of their sales staff in digital signage,” said Alan C. Brawn, principal of Brawn Consulting LLC and member of the Digital Signage Experts Group Board of Directors. “This permits their newly certified crew to better serve the digital signage community to which they are dedicated.”

New Solutions

Tech Data also continues to expand its Digital Signage and Projectors SBU solutions offering by establishing new distribution agreements with Canvys–Visual Technology Solutions and NComputing Inc.

Canvys is a global value-added touch screen and protective shield integrator of branded and non-branded LCD displays. With Canvys, resellers will deploy a broad range of interactive digital signage solutions that meet the custom design requirements for a variety of venues where demand for these solutions continues to grow, including retail outlets, schools and universities, hotels and healthcare facilities. Canvys also offers VARs installation, post-sales support, maintenance, troubleshooting, calibration and other services.

From NComputing, Tech Data will distribute the manufacturer’s x550 PCI card kit with vSpace software, which enables resellers to turn a standard PC into a digital signage media player by directly connecting it to as many as 11 “SmartVine” monitors from LG Electronics via Cat 5 cabling. Unique content can be streamed to each monitor. Resellers can leverage the NComputing’s x550 PCI card kit and LG monitors to offer quickly deployed and easily managed solutions ideal for small-business customers.

Dedicated Support, Specialized Solutions

Tech Data’s Digital Signage and Projectors SBU offers resellers all the components of a digital signage solution, including a broad array of commercial LCD and plasma displays; content management software; digital media players and PCs; video distribution, switches and signal converters; cabling, mounts and other hardware; and complete “digital signage in a box” bundles for SMBs. The SBU is comprised of dedicated resources to assist resellers in designing, scoping and building solutions.

The SBU also supports a broad array of HD-TVs and DLP, LCD and LED projectors from leading manufacturers. To learn more about digital signage and other presentation solutions supported by Tech Data’s Digital Signage and Projectors SBU, call 800-553-7935.

About Tech Data

Tech Data Corporation (NASDAQ GS: TECD) is one of the world's largest distributors of technology products from leading IT hardware and software producers. Tech Data serves more than 125,000 IT solution providers in over 100 countries. Every day, these value-added resellers depend on Tech Data to cost-effectively support the technology needs of end users, including small and medium businesses (SMB), large enterprises and government agencies. Ranked 102nd on the FORTUNE 500(R), Tech Data generated $24.1 billion in net sales for its fiscal year ended January 31, 2009. To learn more, visit www.techdata.com.