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Technology Stocks : Compaq -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Night Writer who wrote (67530)	9/11/1999 12:43:00 AM
From: Captain Jack	Respond to of 97611

Sep. 10, 1999 (Electronic Buyers News - CMP via COMTEX) -- Packard Bell NEC Inc. has named Stephen Blanchette, formerly of Compaq Computer Corp., to head the server business unit of its computer systems division. Editors' Choice -- Simplicity, speed from Compaq, TCE Sep. 10, 1999 (Computer Reseller News - CMP via COMTEX) -- The CRN Test Center split its Editors' Choice award between the K7- 600 system from TCE Company Inc., powered by Advanced Micro Devices Inc.'s Athlon processor (formerly known as the K7), and the Deskpro EP 6600+ from Compaq Computer Corp. This is the first time the Test Center has ever awarded Editors' Choice to an AMD-based system. Running at 600MHz, the Athlon was stunning in the Test Center's battery of benchmarks, actually beating by a considerable margin all of Intel Corp.'s 600MHz Pentium III systems on BAPCo SYSmark. The first system to ever break 500 in the Test Center labs, TCE's K7-600 scored 524. Also interesting is the fact that the Athlon system beat all of the Pentium III systems on the BYTEmark benchmark, which allows performance comparisons to be made between different platforms, such as PCs and Apple Computer Inc.'s Macintoshes. Macs usually shine on this test, and a 450MHz G3 Mac used as a baseline was about twice as fast as any Pentium III system for integer-based performance. The AMD Athlon system turned out to be even faster than the G3 for floating-point performance, but not quite as fast as the G3 at integer performance. While a high benchmark score is impressive, all decent PCs today are more than fast enough for most applications. Serviceability and expandability are more important issues, especially to the reseller. Therefore, engineers decided serviceability and expandability would count more toward the Editors' Choice award than performance. The Athlon's performance was so overwhelming compared with its peers that, coupled with scores for serviceability and channel program, the TCE edged out the competition. As with all Test Center reviews, the Editors' Choice is the best combination of technical attributes and channel support. With the industry's shift toward service, the Test Center all but eliminated margin from the channel-program analysis. In the channel, TCE gives resellers quite a bit of flexibility and services for a second-tier vendor, including dedicated account managers, extensive custom-configuration assistance and little things like a CD taped to the inside of the box with all the manuals and drivers that inevitably get lost once a system is installed. Resellers also have almost immediate technical support from Certified Novell Engineers and Microsoft Certified Systems Engineers. The Compaq system also is no slacker in performance or channel-program analysis. Compaq is one of the most reseller-friendly vendors, and the system it submitted to this roundup turned out to be one of the fastest 600MHz Pentium III systems tested. The Deskpro's strength is its highly serviceable case that can be configured as a desktop or tower, depending on resellers' needs. That reduces SKUs, and the fact that it carries a brand name can make a difference with clients. Compaq also provides resellers with leasing options and trade-ins. Given the highly competitive desktop environment and frequent upgrading, this is a valuable service. Another standout in this review was the Vectra VLi8 from Hewlett-Packard Co. Powered by a 550MHz Pentium III, the HP unit lagged behind all but the Toshiba system. The Vectra's tower case is one of the easiest to service. A side panel on the Vectra pulls right off. Then the bottom panel can be opened, which allows the motherboard to slide out of the chassis. Servicing does not get any easier than this. While speed was not the only consideration in this review, engineers did not feel comfortable giving the award to one of the slowest systems in the roundup. The HP system featured motherboard-based graphics acceleration, which is not ideal for a high-end system. (COMTEX) B: Best-Selling Servers -- Percentage Of Resellers Citing Ea B: Best-Selling Servers -- Percentage Of Resellers Citing Each Sep. 10, 1999 (Computer Reseller News - CMP via COMTEX) -- Compaq maintains a firm grip on the small- and midsize-company server market, running well ahead of its major rivals. In contrast to the desktop market, white boxes are running behind Compaq on the best-selling server list. Issues such as quality control and certification have not been as fully resolved for white-box servers as they have for white-box desktops. As a result, brand names still hold considerable power, even in the small-company market, although more and more VARs are recommending white-box server solutions to their clients. Base: 220 to 290 reseller respondents per period Source: CRN

To: Night Writer who wrote (67530)	9/11/1999 12:48:00 AM
From: Captain Jack	Respond to of 97611

(COMTEX) B: Best-Selling Desktops -- Percentage Of Resellers Citing E B: Best-Selling Desktops -- Percentage Of Resellers Citing Each Sep. 10, 1999 (Computer Reseller News - CMP via COMTEX) -- During the July-August period, there was a significant increase in the percentage of resellers citing Dell or Hewlett-Packard as their best-selling desktop vendor in the small- and midsize-company market, compared with the same period in 1998. IBM also saw its percentage increase, while white boxes maintained a firm hold on this market segment. CRN survey data shows that this gain has come partly at the expense of Compaq, but also at the expense of second-tier vendors, as the pace of market consolidation continues unabated. Base: 220 to 290 reseller respondents per period Source: CRN (COMTEX) B: Worth Mentioning B: Worth Mentioning Sep. 10, 1999 (Computer Reseller News - CMP via COMTEX) -- - Compaq Computer Corp. formed an alliance with Crucial Technology, a division of Micron Technology Inc., to supply standard system memory for Compaq's Presario 5300 Series and provide a 15-percent-off coupon for memory upgrades on all Presario Desktop Internet PCs.

To: Night Writer who wrote (67530)	9/11/1999 12:49:00 AM
From: Captain Jack	Respond to of 97611

Sep. 10, 1999 (Computer Reseller News - CMP via COMTEX) -- Houston - Enterprise VARs have heard Compaq Computer Corp. talk the talk. They now are waiting for the vendor to walk the walk. While Compaq has pledged its commitment to the Alpha platform, those promises have yet to produce tangible benefits, said former Digital Equipment Corp. VARs. Houston-based Compaq acquired Alpha with its purchase of Digital in 1998. "We haven't seen, felt, touched the results of any of that talk," said Mike Griffiths, president of Mikon Computer Systems Inc., Torrance, Calif. "[The integration of Digital VARs] is nowhere near where we hoped it would be after this much time," he said. VARs' primary complaint is Compaq has failed to convince customers it is an enterprise player and not just a PC company. Another criticism is the vendor needs to provide more support to ISVs so they can port their applications to the Alpha platform. "If we're trying to break into a non-Compaq shop, it can be an uphill battle. Outside of their installed base, they don't get the instant credibility an IBM [Corp.], Sun [Microsystems Inc.] or [Hewlett-Packard Co.] gets for Unix applications," said Dave Richardson, director of business development at Berkshire Computer Products Inc., Hopkinton, Mass. Compaq's recent decision to drop Alpha support for Microsoft Corp.'s Windows NT gave some customers the perception Alpha is dwindling, said Griffiths, adding Alpha sales are down about 25 percent. Mikon had Alpha/NT orders in hand when Compaq made its announcement, but the vendor gave its partners no warning the change was coming, Griffiths said. "Our customers found out at the same time we did," he said. "I understand why [Compaq] did it, they just didn't execute it well." VARs said they need Compaq's support to strengthen enterprise relationships. "They have to throw a heck of a lot of money at advertising and knock on some doors to get people in the enterprise comfortable again," said Jeff Morgan, president of National Computer Resources Inc., Wixom, Mich. That is exactly what Compaq has promised to do, pledging $100 million to provide development tools to ISVs and to increase general market awareness. Implementation of ISV funding already has begun, but the advertising and marketing campaigns have not, said Kyle Ranson, director of U.S. reseller sales for Compaq. "We're evaluating what the best timing is to hit the market, but the budgeting is already set aside," said Ranson. For the most part, Compaq has finished its integration of the Digital VARs and now is fine-tuning its programs, said Ranson. Compaq will stringently enforce its accreditation criteria to keep traditional Compaq desktop VARs from offering enterprise products and services, an effort to protect the enterprise VARs' certification investment, said Ranson. But Compaq needs to go one step further and educate customers on the difference between enterprise and traditional Compaq VARs, said Mikon's Griffiths. Compaq desktop VARs still can find Alpha products and do business on them with customers who think all Compaq VARs are authorized for all Compaq products, he said. Enterprise VARs Want Compaq To: - Commit to the Alpha platform with actions and programs, not just words. - Give VARs early warning of impending changes. - Educate customers that only Enterprise Solution Providers are Alpha-certified. -0-