Compaq is continuing its push to gain recognition as an enterprise services organisation, yesterday detailing a new networking services strategy.
The company is determined to become a one-stop shop for the enterprise design, piloting, integration and project management of "next generation network" infrastructures.
Debbie Joy, Compaq's director of network technologies, claims some enterprise users still overlook the importance of building network infrastructures designed to cope with future business goals.
For example, she says companies will focus their entire IT efforts on implementing a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) application or fixing the supply chain, without considering the network.
"The IT infrastructure of today can't support those business models," Joy said.
Compaq is partnering with a host of vendors to offer services in four key areas: Internet network services, network transport, security and management.
The vendors include Microsoft, Cisco, Nortel Networks, Novell, AltaVista, CheckPoint, Entrust, Computer Associates, Tivoli and BMC.
"We really pride ourselves on the fact that we are agnostic as far as different technologies and vendors are concerned," she said.
Joy said Compaq will not take advantage of the opportunity to use its services arm to exclusively promote Compaq PCs, servers and notebooks.
"If somebody said they wanted IBM, we'd sell them IBM," she said.