Computacenter eyes ASP model

Computacenter has reduced its operations in an effort to create a more efficient service and has revealed that it will develop an application service provider operation during the coming year.

Computacenter has reduced its operations in an effort to create a more efficient service and has revealed that it will develop an application service provider (ASP) operation during the coming year.

The company has grouped its three main UK divisions - managed services, supply-chain services and professional services - under one umbrella to create what it called a "single, customer-facing organisation".

Phil Williams, director of corporate development at Computacenter, said "operational and marketing" effectiveness would be improved by the move.

Jobs will be lost, he admitted, but a number of new positions have been created, and will lead to a recruitment drive for the company.

"All staff affected are being offered alternative roles," said Williams.

"With the new jobs created, we predict that we will have more people than the company started with by the end of the year."

Computacenter has focused on business in the UK, he said, and aims to become focused more on the vertical market.

"There will be less people working with each customer, which will mean a faster response time on our part and a more efficient service to our clients," Williams said. "The changes are relevant only to the UK at present."

Computacenter is looking at market opportunities for its planned ASP service, and will not offer any services until next year, he said.

"ASPs are very typical of IT trends. They come with a lot of hype. Research indicates that most people in the industry have a different understanding of what ASP means and what benefits can be gained from it," said Williams.

"Most customers like an end-to-end service-level agreement from a partner that they can rely on and has total control of all the components of the value chain, such as application, structuring, licensing and billing.

"That is the ASP model we would look towards."

First published in Computer Reseller News