CompuCom Systems, Inc. - IT Services - Category Directory

7171 Forest Lane

Dallas, TX 75230
(972) 856-3600
www.compucom.com

Sales

$1.5 billion

Business Description
CompuCom Systems, Inc., together with its subsidiaries (“CompuCom” or “the Company”) is a national leader in helping companies plan, implement, and manage multi-vendor, industry-standard computing environments. Our integrated portfolio of service and product offerings help clients reduce the costs, complexities, obstacles and risks associated with new technology adoption and acquisition, operational transition and on-going management of their information systems.

We market our service and product offerings primarily through our national sales force and service personnel. Our clients include Fortune 1000 and medium-size businesses, federal, state and local governments, technology providers and system integrators.

Our corporate headquarters and operations campus is located at 7171 Forest Lane, Dallas, Texas 75230. In addition, we operate a distribution and integration center in Paulsboro, New Jersey and approximately 35 sales and service offices throughout the United States.

We have been profitable every year since our founding in 1987. Over the past few years, we have been focused on growing the service segment of our business. As a result of that focus, the Company achieved a milestone during 2003, as service gross margin dollars represented more than 50% of total gross margin dollars for the first time.

SERVICES SEGMENT

CompuCom provides a portfolio of IT services including IT outsourcing services (“ITO”), consulting and system integration services (“IT Consulting”) and various other services.

We deliver high quality services to our clients through a technical workforce of approximately 2,500 highly skilled and trained associates. Combined, these associates hold approximately 20,000 certifications and have expertise in numerous leading edge technologies, including, among many others, Microsoft .NET, BEA WebLogic, IBM WebSphere, HP Openview and VMWare. Our engineers and consultants are located throughout the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, operating through approximately 35 service centers located primarily in major metropolitan areas.

Our services have been consistently recognized for their high quality. We are a Microsoft Gold Certified provider of support, enterprise and security services. In addition, our enterprise help desk (“EHD”) received the Hall of Fame Achievement Award in recognition of receiving our fifth Software Technical Assistance Recognition (“STAR”) Award in the Outsource Support Provider category. We are one of seven companies worldwide who have earned the Hall of Fame distinction. Our EHD also earned the Support Center Practices (“SCP”) certification from the Service and Support Professionals Association (“SSPA”) for the sixth consecutive year. Our configuration and system integration processes have achieved ISO9001:2000 certification, the recognized international standard for measuring high quality performance.

IT Outsourcing Services

We seek to provide our clients an integrated infrastructure management solution, realized through a combination of a tightly integrated IT asset management process in conjunction with a delivery model that leverages self-assist technologies, remote resolution processes and professional on-site support resulting in improved cost management and high end-user productivity and satisfaction.

Our IT Outsourcing services (“ITO”) consists of a portfolio of infrastructure management services. While our ITO model has evolved over time to an integrated managed solution approach, we recognize the importance our clients place on flexibility and as a result continue to offer these services to our clients as an integrated suite or as point solutions. These services include:

• Multi-vendor hardware and software support, including server, laptop, desktop, mobile and wireless

• Multi-vendor hardware and software deployment/migration

• Remote and on-site help desk for multi-vendor hardware and software support

• Remote network management primarily for servers, hubs, switches, and routers

• IT asset management

• Software patch management

We believe the implementation of a tightly integrated managed solution creates the most value to our clients. Our first step in implementing this integrated solution is to provide a seamless IT asset management lifecycle solution. Our closed-loop asset management process has been developed utilizing ISO certified and IT Infrastructure Library (“ITIL”) consistent standards. Our asset management solution focuses on the activities that occur over the life of an asset and includes the following:

Assess – identify the capabilities of the existing infrastructure as well as new technologies and their impact; prepare business cases to create the rationale for change

Plan – prepare the necessary resources, plans and schedules for implementation of new technologies

Design – create and verify technology architecture details of existing platform and new technologies

Procure – vendor evaluation, contract negotiation, systems integration, configuration management, purchase new technologies

Test – detail design and prototype/pilot solution, verify design

Implement – receive and stage assets, deploy/re-deploy existing assets, deploy new technologies across the enterprise

Support – provide ongoing hardware and software maintenance services; manage, install, move, add and change activity; manage automated inventory and discovery; update asset management information and process

Retire – dispose of end of lifecycle hardware and software, harvest licenses, manage contracts and conform to data and EPA certification issues, re-deploy where appropriate

To complete the integrated infrastructure management solution requires implementation of our integrated service delivery model. This model is focused on establishing with our clients a method that will minimize client management and support costs, while achieving timeliness that promotes ongoing end-user productivity. The model consists of three components – self-assist, remote resolution and on-site support.

The most cost effective way to support an end-user is by helping them help themselves. We do this through the use of on-line tools whereby the end-user can: browse best practices, standard operating procedures, known problems and FAQ’s; launch topic specific educational programs; consult or chat live with an agent; launch an instant diagnostic process; launch a self healing solution; and submit a request via phone, email, the Web or fax.

The second component of our integrated service delivery model is remote resolution, whereby the end-user calls our EHD or our network monitoring facility recognizes a problem and we are involved in resolving the problem remotely. In this case, we leverage a knowledge base to provide consistent timely resolution including best practices, standard operating procedures, known problems and FAQ’s. In addition, we may create self healing actions to resolve most common problems, leverage network monitoring information to provide event correlation information on a timely basis to the larger end-user community, launch topic specific education programs, launch self healing solutions and respond to and resolve the request via phone, email, Web or fax.

Finally, if the self-assist and remote resolution activities cannot resolve the end-user problem, we provide professional on-site support. In this case a CompuCom certified technician, armed with up to the minute problem resolution information arrives at the end-user work place to resolve the problem.

Each of our field technicians carries a wireless-enabled laptop loaded with our proprietary software known as AIRTime. AIRTime enables our engineers to receive up to date information received by the remote help desk from the particular user, communicate work order information, create administrative time tracking work orders, order parts, immediately download patches and updates, and transmit data back to us wirelessly. In addition, our engineers use AIRTime to access the client account and the client service-level requirements before service begins as well as to electronically capture client signatures when service is completed. The benefits of AIRTime include reduced costs and enhanced engineer efficiency, faster response time, improved reporting, reduced billing cycle time and fewer accounts payable issues for our clients.

Consulting and System Integration Services

Our consulting and system integration services help clients assess, plan, design, develop and deploy technologies to enable efficient and effective management of their IT infrastructure. These services include enterprise infrastructure solutions and application design and development.

Our enterprise infrastructure solutions are focused on the deployment of new technology solutions, refinements of clients’ current technology environments and process improvements. As part of these services, we offer the following activities and deliverables: assessment and planning services, design services and implementation services. These offerings are modular and are offered as either individual point or bundled solutions creating an overall engagement solution.

Examples of client issues that our enterprise solutions address include:

• Enabling platforms, including storage and servers, networking and mobile and wireless

• Consolidation and capacity optimization

• Technology architecture and design

• Operations excellence with regard to security and enterprise management

• IT investment management utilizing appropriate asset management and software license management tools and techniques

As part of these offerings, we support numerous technologies, including server and storage infrastructure such as NAS/SAN, VMWare and Data Protection; directory services such as Active Directory and iPlanet LDAP; enterprise platforms such as Windows 2000/3, NetWare and Linux; messaging systems such as Microsoft Exchange, GroupWise and Lotus Notes; network infrastructure (LAN/WAN/WLAN); thin client/terminal services such as Citrix; and client infrastructure such as servers, desktops, laptops and mobile devices. In the delivery of these services to clients, we partner with many vendors. A partial listing of these vendors includes Microsoft, HP, IBM, Network Appliances, Computer Associates, Veritas, Symantec, Altiris, Cisco, Peregrine, and Novell.

Our application design and development services consist of three primary offerings – application solutions consulting, custom application development and system integration, and application support. Activities that typically occur as part of our application solutions consulting offerings are: discovering business needs and documenting business requirements; determining technical solutioning through software package selection and custom development strategy; and planning strategies for development and implementation. Examples of our custom application development and system integration offerings include: integration of packaged applications and legacy environments; testing; development of custom application solutions to meet unique requirements; and development of customer self-service solutions (“webification”) to extend legacy systems investments. Our application support offerings are focused on performance diagnostics, tuning and optimization and business continuity.

As part of these offerings we utilize various technologies. These include: Java/J2EE and Microsoft .Net development platforms; WebSphere, WebLogic and Microsoft Transaction Server for application servers; and Oracle, SQL Server, and IBM Universal Database (DB2) for databases.

Our IT Consulting services can be delivered to clients as individual point solutions or as a part of a larger IT engagement that may also include IT Outsourcing services. We are flexible in how we contract with our clients, at times providing them with complete project management and implementation services and at other times providing them with resources they manage utilizing a staff augmentation model.

Configuration and Logistics Services

We also provide a variety of other services, including complex configuration and imaging, which involves web-enabled configuration and image management, along with image personalization, and services provided in support of certain manufacturers’ direct fulfillment initiatives. These services are primarily provided in our configuration and systems integration center located in Paulsboro, New Jersey. The center provides a single point of integration for all standard and nonstandard multi-vendor products and software, enabling us to meet client demand for advanced complex systems and network configuration technologies, as well as image management. The configuration center’s process is ISO 9001:2000 certified and utilizes root cause analysis and corrective action programs to effectively manage a quality control program. More complex requirements involving distributed network configurations, SANs, point of sale devices, routers, hubs, cable modems, customer server rack and kiosk builds, mass customization and emerging technology services including PDA’s and wireless LAN’s are processed through this center.

PRODUCT SEGMENT

Our procurement services offer clients a single point of contact for multi-vendor technology acquisition and support. These services are offered for a wide array of technologies, including personal computer products, certain Unix-based systems, servers, networking and storage products, peripherals, software-related products and licenses, and mobile and wireless computing devices. We are an authorized channel fulfillment partner for Altiris, Cisco, Computer Associates, HP, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Novell, Palm, Symantec, 3Com and Toshiba as well as other major manufacturers and software suppliers. We source approximately 20,000 different products, components and accessories consisting of leading as well as alternative brands by purchasing directly from the manufacturer or purchasing from distributors, such as Ingram Micro, Agilysys, Synnex and Tech Data. By utilizing services such as Web-based procurement and management systems, order management logistics, and advanced integrated services, clients benefit from enhanced control of IT assets and lower total cost of ownership. In addition, as one of the largest national, multi-vendor hardware and software providers, we also provide value to our clients by allowing them to choose products or components from various manufacturers that best suit their particular needs. This is in contrast to direct manufacturers’ sales organizations that generally offer only that particular manufacturer’s solutions or products.

Software-related products and licenses are an integral part of our procurement services offering. Major license publishers we represent include, among others, Microsoft, IBM, Computer Associates, Symantec and Altiris. In addition to providing software product offerings, we also provide software licensing analysis and management services, as well as software licensing contract support. We believe client value is delivered through our Cost Optimization Review (“COR”) approach to selling software-related products and licenses. Working with our client, the COR approach begins with an evaluation of the client’s current technology environment, which leads to the development of a software licensing strategy and ultimately to implementation of an optimization plan.

Other procurement services primarily include order management, logistics, and distribution services, which includes Web-based procurement, acquisition process management, product distribution and leasing solutions.

Client Assistance Center

We provide product acquisition support to our clients primarily through our two Client Assistance Centers (“CAC”) located in Dallas, Texas and Mason, Ohio. The primary goal of the CAC is to provide greater support for clients’ product needs while allowing the direct sales force to focus on soliciting new business. CAC personnel, or ISRs, may be assigned to specific client accounts or to clients in a certain geographic area. ISR’s support each account and become experts in the client’s infrastructure needs, culture, process and procedures, and tools. Pre-sales support includes product research, pricing, configuration and peripheral information. Complete administration of the client account, including verification of requisitions, purchase order creation, order entry and tracking, and image set up and management is handled by the ISR. All of this information may be communicated electronically via our Client Portal or via a toll-free telephone number. Providing post-sale support to clients, including customer satisfaction issues, completes the cycle of ISR responsibilities.