Kingston to launch Platinum service

Manufacturer promises 24-hour value-added service

Memory manufacturer Kingston Technology is to launch a Platinum service for large corporations in a bid to add value to the memory market.

The scheme, which will go through Kingston resellers for customers buying over £100,000 worth of memory a year, will provide a round-the-clock service, free on-site memory replacements and reimbursement of installation and service costs.

Two resellers in the UK and one in Germany are currently testing the programme, which will be launched next month.

"Customers need peace of mind," said Jackie Barrera, European workstation and service business manager. "Kingston will put everything in writing, sign a contract with the reseller and if a server failure is Kingston's fault, it will pay for the service call and all other payments. Some companies offer cash for memory failures but that just covers cost, it doesn't solve the problem."

If successful, Kingston could easily add lower-end Gold and Silver schemes to the project, the company said.

In addition, Barrera attacked the server memory prices charged by vendors and claimed that Kingston can reduce costs by up to two thirds.

"The price for vendor server memory is outrageous, but it comes with the machine. Customers don't believe they have a choice. This is not true. It is not a breach of warranty to ask for third-party Ram, but most customers are not even given the option," she said.

Backing Kingston's scheme and its pricing claims Graham Fisher, senior analyst at Bloor Research, said: "The scheme is very good. It shows a great deal of justifiable confidence in the reliability of its product because memory rarely goes wrong.

"What it says about vendors' memory pricing is true, but customers must remember that third-party memory can be fitted only by a qualified engineer as self-performed installations will invalidate the warranty."