CHANNEL NEWS
COMPAQ MAKES ROUTER MARKET ENTRY Compaq Computer Corp.'s new Netelligent 8500 Communication Platform will be available immediately across the General Services Administration supply schedule, says Gary Newgaard, the company's director of federal sales. The unit, Compaq's first entry into the router marketplace, is based entirely on industry-standard hardware components and Cisco Systems' Internetworking Operating Systems. The router is bundled with Compaq's Netelligent Management Sof
INTELLIGENT CHOICE FOR DISTRIBUTION HEAD
Intelligent Electronics Inc., Exton, Pa., has recruited one of Compaq Computer Corp.'s top sales executives to clean up its distribution business. Mike Norris, Compaq's vice president of sales, North America, was named president and chief executive of Intelligent Electronics' Reseller Network Division late last month.
At Compaq, Norris had recently been working to build the infrastructure needed to support Compaq's assent into enterprise computing. Norris' familiarity with the integrator community may help Intelligent Electronics enlarge its integrator fulfillment role, industry executives said.
Norris recently spoke with WT about Compaq's plans to enhance its partnerships with systems integrators. "We have partnered with Electronic Data Systems Corp. more than any other large integrator over the past couple of years, and we have worked more and more with them. As we position our product into the same enterprise opportunities they are positioning themselves in, we're finding that working with them has been very effective," said Norris.
CHANGES IN THE RANKS OF DISTRIBUTOR GIANTS
Two of the industry's largest distributors have made changes within their top management ranks. Ingram Micro Inc., Santa Ana, Calif., has recruited Jerre Stead, former chief executive of Legent Corp., to lead the $8.6 billion master distributor as it prepares to make its initial public offering this fall. Meanwhile, at Merisel Inc., El Segundo, Calif., the distributor's chief operating officer and president, Ron Rittenmeyer, announced he will resign Oct. 1. The company said the distributor no longer needs two top executives. Merisel's chairman, Dwight Steffenson, will essentially be doing the same job, a spokesman for the company said. Rittenmeyer's resignation came just days after Merisel completed a $160 million sale of its European unit to CHS Electronics Inc. of Miami. At Ingram, Stead replaces Chip Lacy, who resigned as chairman and chief executive of Ingram Micro last May. Lacy was named president, chief executive and director of Micro Warehouse Inc., Norwalk, Conn.
GTSI CHOOSES HAYSTACK LABS FOR INCLUSION IN GSA SCHEDULE
Haystack Labs Inc., Austin, Texas, developer of Stalker and WebStalker computer security products, has been selected by Government Technology Services Inc., Chantilly, Va., for inclusion on its GSA Schedule. WebStalker version 1.0 is an automated Web server monitoring tool that protects the integrity of the server seven days a week, 24 hours a day.
EDS Lowers PC-1 Prices
Electronic Data Systems Corp.'s government group has modified its PC-1 pricing for government buyers to better compete against archrival Sysorex International Inc., Mountain View, Calif. The integrator reduced the price of its P-100 bundle from $1,899 to $1,795. Also, EDS upgraded its P133 bundle to a 32MB system at no increase in price. The bundled system is $2,349. The integrator also lowered its memory pricing; 16MB has been reduced from $430 to $249, and 32MB has been reduced from $860 to $439. At the time of EDS' price reduction, Sysorex was charging $284 and $551 respectively for the same products.
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