Big Blue PC Arm Steps up Pace for Better Place in European SME Race

The European head of IBM?s PC operation admitted the company needs to work harder to win bigger market share in the lucrative small to medium business market.

Jean-Claude Malraison, European general manager of the IBM PC Company, said: ?We?re going to address this IBM credibility gap. People see us as blue suits selling to big business, but that?s not true.?

He added that the firm?s telesales group generates 400 leads a day for its two-tier channel structure, but as it employs 400 people, one lead per person per day was not enough.

David Winn, UK general manager of the IBM PC Company, said: ?The SME market is where the red meat is.?

Last year, IBM CEO Lou Gerstner set up a special unit last year to exploit a market worth $100 billion in EMEA.

This week Big Blue will introduce a replica of its System Care scheme, already rolled out in the US, which provides financing schemes, service and support aimed at the small and medium sized markets.

But Winn said IBM will not follow Compaq and sell direct to micro businesses. ?It?s not entirely clear what Compaq is doing, but in any case we will not follow a direct model.?