Top Gun Fires Again

According to the DQC-CMR Channel Satisfaction Survey, it seems that

HP's x86 server customers are the ones humming with pride. The grand

vendor that it is, HP has managed to please a wide range of data centre

operators. It in fact, secured top billing in almost every parameter.

Not surprisingly, IBM beat HP in a couple of categories and followed it

closely in the rest. But where HP and IBM succeeded, Acer and Dell

failed to satisfy channel partners. While HP and IBM are leading the

pack, Dell is not held with high regards by enterprise customers. In

overall x86 technologies, HP posted the highest score in after-sales

support well ahead of its competitors. HP also won in overall online

support, although IBM almost matched HP in the overall product quality,

Acer-- finished third, and Dell brought up the rear. HP knocked all

rivals on the ever important relationship management, serviceability

and reliability fronts with IBM coming second, Acer third with Dell

bringing. These results should raise a red flag with Dell management,

given that system reliability and availability are such hot button

issues with customers. On commercial terms, Acer topped all vendors

with Dell trailing just behind it.






In services, it's obvious that HP/IBM 'big guns' are held with much
higher regard by customers than Acer or particularly Dell. Throughout

the survey, channel partners have generally blasted Dell for coming up

short on technology and customer service. It seems that they believe

that Dell is less



viable in the enterprise x86 server market than IBM, HP and Acer. Its
x86 server business simply



has not been as competitive over the past 18 months, and the lean Dell
model lets customers down, as the vendor was not flexible enough or

willing to bring on a new chip supplier.