Compaq Computer Corp’s Network Services Group says it is still on track to double its services revenue to $15bn by 2002, a year after its merger with Digital Equipment Corp. Today, Compaq is set to announce the Compaq Services Network in North America, an effort to tie its services activities together and adapt to the company’s changing channel and distribution strategy. International versions of the Network will be rolled-out over the coming weeks and months, said Compaq.
Compaq’s services organization now has 27,000 employees, including 2,500 NT certified engineers, 2,500 internet and networking, over 3,000 Unix and 1,000 SQL certified engineers. The company says that by 2002 it expects to account for $100bn of the total $600bn service revenue for the IT market, $85bn of it through its channel partners. Compaq itself will concentrate on large, named accounts, but says there is a considerable shift towards partnerships. Earlier this year, Compaq reduced the number of distributors it used from 39 to four, a change that came into effect at the start of August to streamline its distribution business.
Lower down the tier, there are now four partner designations: Authorized or Premier Service Resellers, and Authorized Service Provider or Systems Service Provider. Authorized partners resell packaged services or warranties, while premier resellers and system service providers can offer customized and value-added services, if they reach an acquired level of expertise. A high- end, Professional Service Provider category will be introduced by year-end.
Compaq has set up a web site at www.compaq.com/csn to provide facilities including virtual call centers, capacity, performance and lead management, pricing and configuration, parts ordering and technical support tools. Compaq describes it as a virtual community between our partners and says the scheme takes it beyond comparable efforts from IBM Corp and Hewlett-Packard Co.
