By understanding the structure and nature of the TBT market a little better, and the purchasing options available to you, you will be in a stronger position to make a purchase which meets the needs of your organisation within any budgeting constraints you may have. Usually, if you pay more the courseware will have greater depth and perhaps more sophisticated programming. CD-ROM courseware usually delivers audio and video. Video programmes also vary in price according to their length and the quality of their production. Producers and distributors The TBT 'industry' consists of a number of producers and many more distributors or re-sellers.
Producers develop the courseware but few have particularly large direct sales teams.
Consequently they appoint distributors to handle their sales activity. Most distributors sell courseware developed by several different producers. This means that they are able to offer you a choice and can therefore be in a good position to suggest the most appropriate 'match' to your training need. Going direct to a producer will usually mean that you are only told about their own products, so you may miss out on other opportunities. Nevertheless, no distributor can supply everything that is available, so it might pay to shop around.