Future Tech Launches 'Insourcing' Labor Program

Solution provider Future Tech Enterprises officially launched two major projects Wednesday: a first-of-its kind solution center between IBM and a channel player, and a separate, unique, "in-sourcing" business that will expand its help desk operations by hiring employees from government assistance programs.

The Holbrook, N.Y.-based company cut the ribbon on both operations, in an unveiling that drew support from U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, and was open for business a scant three weeks after Bob Venero, Future Tech's president, decided to launch the center.

"We're talking about 100 jobs for people just from this area," Venero said at the unveiling of his company's "Insource America" help desk program. Under the program, Future Tech and the State University of New York at Stony Brook will help train future employees who have been collecting public assistance.

After the training is complete, Future Tech hires them as Level-One Help Desk technicians. They'll work for Future Tech for six months at a lower wage, but, at the same time, continue to receive public assistance checks to help pay the bills.

Venero said opportunities will exist for those entry-level workers to be promoted within the company. Immediately, it will grow Future Tech's help desk capabilities several fold and, Venero acknowledged, put the company on a more competitive footing with Tier 1 vendors and service companies that outsource similar jobs overseas."I'm not looking to turn this into a profit center," Venero said. "If I break even on it, I'm happy."

Clinton, who has begun to make offshore outsourcing a signature issue, lauded Venero's efforts and said as success stories like Future Tech's begin to emerge, competing firms will see value in a new model for creating jobs domestically.

She said the efforts of businesses like Future Tech's "is an important commitment to keeping jobs in our country." Both local and federal governments " in addition to other companies " will soon be able to look at companies like Future Tech and rethink how much off-shore outsourcing they seek to do.

"Bob will give them another alternative," Clinton said.

Already, Venero said, the program has graduated its first new help desk employee and more will come on board as they complete training.Simultaneous to the new help desk program, Future Tech unveiled its new IBM ThinkVantage Technologies Solution Center with its partner, the Armonk, N.Y.-based computer giant. The site will provide demonstration units of IBM products ranging from high-end servers to ThinkPads, as well as its Tivoli and Lotus software.

Greg Adams, vice president of Business Partners for IBM Americas, said the center was the first such collaboration between the vendor and a solution provider partner. Ultimately, Adams said, IBM would seek to bring new customer business to the Future Tech site for full-blown client demonstrations and sales efforts.