Fujitsu Siemens Computers (FSC) is keen to reassure its partners that it is business as usual following Fujitsu’s buyout of the company.

Earlier this month CRN reported how Fujitsu had bought FSC outright from its German partner Siemens for about €450m (Channelweb, 4 November).

The firm reiterated that it will hold onto the FSC name until 1 April 2009, when it will become a branded Fujitsu company. However it will also hold onto the FSC brand for the next 12 months to ensure continuity of service.

Speaking to CRN, Paul Parrish, managing director of infrastructure sales and services at FSC said: “We will become part of a massive company with $53bn revenues. Combined with the FSC business the company will generate over $60bn in revenues. This will give us more scope for investment in our products.”

He added that despite growing industry rumours the firm had no ‘short term’ plans to spin off its consumer PC division and was definitely “not in talks with Lenovo”.

Parrish insisted there would be no downside for the channel when the brand changes.

“We will be able to offer our partners everything we do now, plus a whole new product portfolio,” he said.

Gary Fowle, marketing director at FSC, added: “We will maintain complete post sales support for all products sold under the FSC umbrella and it will allow us to sell out the existing stock.”

Initiatives set to come from the vendor in 2009 include a investment in services – particularly virtual desktop, storage and infrastructure-as-a-service – all of which will be pushed through the channel.

Fowle added that despite still acting as a volume player, Fujitsu is working hard to push its channel up the value chain.

“Two of the many initiatives we have launched recently include the Lifebook for Life scheme with our value mobile range, where customers are guaranteed a new Lifebook every three years, and also Primergy No Worries, which supplies a five-year warranty with every server. These are just two things we are doing that help the channel to compete head to head with the competition,” Fowle said.

He added: “Our direction is clear. We want to be the vendor that evolves the channel into more of a value add rather than a volume play. A lot of resellers are concerned that value is being stripped out of the channel and we want to bring that value back."