Ameritech Corp, the Chicago Baby Bell, has formed a broadbrush alliance with IBM Corp in desktop computing and communications services, but it looks to be a big disappointment for those that had been heralding it as possibly the biggest facilities management contract ever. The two confirmed that they reached agreement for joint provision of desktop communications services, and through subsidiaries, they will jointly market integrated speech, data and video managed desktop services covering personal computers, software, telephones, videoconferencing, PABXes and local area networks. The two will also provide a combined total of some $400m over seven years in desktop services to each other. IBM’s Integrated Systems Solutions Co unit will manage most of Ameritech’s desktop computing and local area network requirements and Ameritech will provide a substantial part of IBM’s and Integrated Systems Solutions’ voice and video desktop support services at sites nationwide. They also plan a joint customer service facility, to be operated by Ameritech and Integrated Systems, to support the integrated voice, data and video services.
