MPE Education.com readies for class load
December 12, 2006
Independent MPE/iX trainers are still getting inquiries about teaching HP 3000 skills, according to Paul Edwards and Frank Alden Smith. The two HP 3000 veterans operate MPE-Education.com, a third party instruction company which cut a deal with HP this year to offer classes on MPE Fundamentals.
Like so many other parts of the 3000 ecosystem, HP's gotten out of the 3000 training business. But the customers still rely on their systems even while migration projects lope along at varying speeds. Much of the 3000 marketplace relies on staff which never got HP 3000 instruction. Birket Foster of MB Foster calls the situation "the flight attendants flying the airplane."
This venture got onto the taxiway this summer, but couldn't muster real expenditure commitments from several prospects. The newest plan will let classes form as customers sign up.
Edwards and Smith announced a new business plan for their venture, which will teach HP 3000 skills online using the same interactive software HP uses for its own offsite training and remote meetings. Since the bandwidth for the software requires a capital outlay — not to mention the 40 hours per week of airtime on a voice dial in network — MPE-Education.com will now schedule a remote class when it gets three customers to commit with payments.
While some in the 3000 community contend there's no demand at all for a 3000 training program, Edwards said he engaged prospects for the training this fall, as recently as last month's HP 3000 conference sponsored by GHRUG.
"Our new approach to make MPE courses available to the HP 3000 community will now take course reservations without specifying a date," Edwards said. "As soon as the minimum number of students register and prepay for the course, we will confer with those students and set a mutually agreeable date for the course. This will allow us to deliver the MPE/iX training to larger audiences more often. When you register you can be sure the course will be held — there will be no disappointing course cancellations because of low enrollment."
HP called off its scheduled HP 3000 training classes regularly while the vendor was offering the training. MPE-Education.com is also offering a discount of more than 20 percent off of HP's classroom pricing. Edwards said the education he and Frank Alden Smith will offer — both veterans will lead sessions in a class — will cost about $500 less than what HP was charging for its in-person HP 3000 training.
The first class to offer the new registration option from MPE-Education.com is the MPE/iX Fundamentals (H3217S) course. To register for the course, click on this link: