Compaq Exec's Remarks
By Scott Campbell, CRN
New York
3:28 PM EST Thurs., Dec. 13, 2001
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If Compaq Computer wants to engage more with the channel, CDW Computer Centers is ready.
John Edwardson, chairman and CEO of Vernon Hills, Ill.-based CDW, was happy to read Compaq Executive Vice President Mike Winkler say last week that Compaq may have focused too much on the direct model.
"I think we were far out ahead of our ability to even do it and we were probably playing more to the analysts than we were to the channel," Winkler told CRN.
"That is every encouraging. That's good news for the channel," Edwardson said at the Raymond James/CRN IT Supply Chain conference here.
CDW, which said it is Compaq's biggest customer, has not seen a drop in Compaq sales since the proposed merger with Hewlett-Packard.
"Since the announcement, we've tracked vendors pretty carefully and we've seen zero change in our Compaq and HP market shares. And we thought there would be a change," Edwardson said.
In other news, Edwardson hinted that CDW is looking at several prospective acquisitions."We have a great balance sheet. No debt and in excess of $300 million in cash," he said.
An acquisition could help CDW broaden its product line, geographic coverage or customer segments, Edwardson said.
"We're talking with companies in Canada, but even in the U.S. we want to reach some areas where we don't have a large presence," he said. "The problem is that most people think their companies are worth what they were worth a year and a half ago." |
