Compaq Targets E-Commerce -- Offers
software, server bundles, vendor alliances
By Mary Hayes
Compaq Computer moves into the electronic-commerce market this week
with new software, server bundles, and alliances with other E-commerce
providers.
Most of Compaq's Windows NT-based products will be packaged for
companies that want to set up their own E-commerce infrastructures.
Products include ProLiant servers bundled with firewall software from Raptor
Systems Inc. and with Microsoft Site Server Commerce Edition 3.0, which
will be widely available on April 27.
Offerings from Compaq's Tandem unit include iTP Virtual Store,
E-commerce software designed for banks, telephone companies, and Internet
service providers.
To fill gaps in its offerings, Compaq says it will train and certify more than
1,000 ISPs, 100 resellers, and hundreds of Web developers to set up
Compaq-based E-commerce systems. Customers will be able to find
information on companies participating in this ClubWeb program at
www.compaq.com/clubweb.
The strategy is welcome news to some Compaq customers who want help
developing systems to conduct more business over the Internet. "We've been
very committed to Compaq, and I was a little concerned," says Steve Tyler,
network manager at Riverside Health System, a Newport News, Va.,
company that uses 3,000 Compaq desktops and 150 servers in its three
hospitals. Riverside hopes to eventually let patients schedule appointments
over the Internet, and it's counting on Compaq to offer systems that protect
patients' privacy.
Analysts say the weak spot in Compaq's offering is the absence of midrange
Unix systems. The high-end Tandem offerings are best suited to large
E-commerce providers, while some companies that want to set up their own
infrastructures may shy away from NT and its scalability limitations, says
David Card, an analyst with Jupiter Communications. But if Compaq's deal to
acquire Digital Equipment is approved, Card notes, "Digital will be able to
address the midrange issues." |
