YOUR IBM i TRAINING SOURCE

Manta Technologies: Your Resource for IBM i Training

Manta offers a complete library of courses for programmers, operators, system administrators, and users of the IBM i operating system, which runs on IBM Power Systems.

All of our courses are web based and run in all popular browsers.

Save 20% During Manta's
Spring Combo-Pack Sale!

Save 20% off any Manta Combination Package, including the complete IBM i Training Library. The sale ends April 30.

Combination Packages

Rather than acquiring a license for one course or one series at a time, most customers are interested in all of the courses that apply to a particular job function. Manta makes these available in the form of a combo pack. Normally, a combo pack sells for 10% less than the courses and series which comprise it. During our spring sale, you save an additional 20%.

In addition to the complete IBM i Training Library (which has a built-in 35% discount), the following combo packages are available:

In general, each combo pack includes all of the Manta courses that apply to a specified job function. Each package is self-contained, in that it includes all prerequisites needed by any course in the package. You can click on each package name for a complete list of its contents.

Three options are available for application programmers. In addition to the packages for RPG and COBOL programmers, the Program Development Combination Pack includes all of our programming-related courses. This package includes all of the RPG and COBOL courses as well as our courses on Java and web programming (HTML, JavaScript, and CSS).

The IBM i Training Library includes every Manta course. This includes every course within any combo pack plus the System i Access for Windows series, which is the only series not in any combo.

Multi-User Licenses

Manta courses have a concurrent user license, meaning that you may train any number of students — just one at a time. With sufficient scheduling, most customers have no problem using a single-user license to train as many as 5 or 10 people.

If your organization prefers to train students in groups, rather than one at a time, consider a multiple-user license. Unlike the single-user license, the multiple-user license lets multiple students use the same product simultaneously.

The user limit applies to whatever product(s) you order. If you buy a one-user license for the entire library, for example, only one student can use the library at a time. To increase the number of students who can train simultaneously, you can move to a five-user license for the library or buy additional user capabilities for only those products used by multiple students. A popular combination is a single-user license for the library and a five-user license for the Program Development Combination Pack.

For any product, moving from a single-user license to a 5-user license increases the price by only 50%. Each additional student over 5 increases the price by 10% of the single-user price.

If you are not sure what you need, there is no problem in underestimating your need. If a student cannot access a course because it is currently being used, he or she will be told to try again later. In addition, you will receive an email to alert you to the potential problem. If you get the email frequently, you can upgrade to a larger license at that time.

Save on Renewals

Manta's basic license gives you access for a full year. This is generally more than enough time for operators, system administrators, and programmers to complete all of the courses in their respective subject areas. Doing so, however, requires most students to commit to finishing one or two courses each week. Depending on the number of students sharing a license and individual job requirements, it is possible that not everyone will complete training on time. Moreover, most organizations have ongoing training requirements, due to new hires and the need for experienced employees to learn new topics. We see this fact reflected in the large number of customers who have renewed their licenses for 10, 15, or even 20 years.

To support such ongoing training needs, Manta makes it easy for you to extend your license as long as you need it. We will send you a renewal invoice automatically, thirty to sixty days before your license expires. The second-year price is one half our listed first-year price to reflect the expected drop in usage after the initial training demand. For the third and subsequent years, the price is one fourth of list, reflecting our efforts to keep the courses up to date and to add new courses as suggested by our customers.

Rather than waiting for a renewal notice, you can prepay for the second and, optionally, the third year of training. A 10% savings is built into the price for each additional year. Moreover, if you opt for additional years during a sale — such as the current 20%-off sale — the discount is applied to the full price. This is a great way to lock in your savings for years to come!