Computacenter plc is the parent company of a group of European companies which provide computer services to public and private sector customers. Despite the spelling of the word "center", it is a UK company based in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. Its competitors include Fujitsu, Getronics, Cap Gemini and CSC, as well as resellers such as SCC. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.
History
Computacenter was founded in the UK in 1981 by Philip Hulme and Peter Ogden.[1] In 1990, it opened Europe's largest PC outlet; in 1991, it was listed by The Independent newspaper as one of the fastest growing independent companies in the UK and, by 1994, it had grown to became the largest privately-owned IT company in the UK.[1] Computacenter was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1998.[1] In 2006 the company extended its service facilities to include a new International Service Centre in Barcelona, Spain, and a customer help desk and remote management facility in Cape Town, South Africa.[1]
The following year the company won BT’s inaugural Supplier Innovation Award for its work on virtualising and consolidating a number of their UK datacentres, helping BT reduce the carbon footprint of its Windows datacentre estate by 85%.[2]
Principal activities
The company is engaged in the supply, implementation, support and management of information technology systems.[3]
Computacenter advises customers on their IT strategy, implements appropriate technology from a wide range of vendors and manages their technology infrastructures on their behalf.[4]
Operating Countries
Service Facilities
Computacenter also runs a partner network that covers 120 countries worldwide.[5]
Strategy
Computacenter's strategy to "ensure long-term earnings growth"[6] is to focus on five goals:
- Accelerated growth of its contractual services business
- Improved efficiency of its service operations
- Broadened range and depth of its service activities
- Extended presence in markets that offer greatest growth opportunity
- Reducing the cost of sale in its supply chain activities
Clients
Computacenter's customers include:
Careers
Computacenter is a major employer, with over 4,000 staff in the UK and around 10,000 across Europe.[19] Because of the company’s managed services/outsourcing business, many of these people work on customers’ sites. Computacenter employs technical consultants, project managers, field engineers, sales admin and account managers and help desk staff.[20]
Computacenter is an Investor in People and in addition to its normal recruitment process, the company has an entry scheme for people it considers to have the most sales potential. Under this ‘Sales Associate Programme’, candidates are given an intensive 18 months training under the direct sponsorship of the company’s CEO. It says the successful candidates’ earnings could exceed £70,000 in their first year as an Account Manager.[21]
Computacenter is:
"CeeCee", the fire investigation dog, as a puppy.
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In the past, Computacenter has sponsored:
Charitable activities
Computacenter’s charity partners are Willow Foundation, Macmillan Cancer Support and The Children’s Trust. The company supports and organises fundraising events such as dress down days, charity races and sponsored staff expeditions, which have included an expedition to Everest base camp.[34] Computacenter donated £87,000 to charity in 2008[35]
Corporate Social Responsibility
Computacenter is a constituent of the FTSE4Good index series[36], which measures the performance of companies that meet globally recognised corporate responsibility standards[37]; it has retained its membership for 5 years[38].
During 2007, the Computacenter group committed itself to the 10 core principles of United Nations Global Compact[39], which illustrates the company's adoption of sustainable and socially responsible policies, especially in relation to human rights, labour rights, the environment and anti-corruption.
The company also works with its customers to help them meet their 'sustainable IT' objectives. In November 2007 Computacenter won BT’s inaugural Supplier Innovation Award for its work on virtualising and consolidating a number of their UK datacentres, helping BT reduce the carbon footprint [40] of its Windows datacentre estate by 85%[41]. Computacenter says its cost-neutral service to Marks & Spencer has also helped M&S meet its WEEE requirements and its 'Plan A' environmental objectives, sending zero IT waste from M&S head office to landfill in 2008.[42]
Subsidiaries and brands
Computacenter operates subsidiaries and brands that address specific market segments:
Subsidiaries
In addition the following companies were acquired by Computacenter and are now integrated within their business:
- Digica, which provides outsourcing and managed IT services to the corporate mid-market and the Public Sector.[46][47]
- Allnet, which specialises in network integration and structured cabling services[48][49]
Partnerships
Vendor partners
The tables below list a selection of Computacenter's vendor partners and examples of the accreditations held with each:[50]
| Hardware vendor partners |
Accreditation |
| 3Com |
Gold Partner |
| Acer |
Executive Partner |
| AMX (UK) Limited |
Major Reseller Status |
| APC |
Elite Partner – Datacenter |
| Apple Inc. |
Authorised Direct Reseller |
| AverMedia |
Elite Level Partner |
| Avocent |
Premium Partner |
| Belkin |
Platinum Partner |
| BlueCoat |
Authorised Partner |
| Brand-Rex |
Value Added Reseller |
| Brocade |
Alliance Partner |
| Brother |
Alliance Partner |
| Alliance Partner |
| Check Point |
Gold Level Partner |
| Cisco |
Gold Partner |
| Clearswift |
Authorised Reseller |
| Commscope |
SYSTIMAX Prestige Business Partner |
| Dell |
SME Certified Status |
| Eizo |
Strategic Eizo Reseller |
| EMC |
EMC Velocity Partner
Velocity Signature Solution Centre Partner
Authorised Service Provider
Value Added Reseller
|
| Emulex |
Gold Partner |
| Epson |
Premier Business Partner |
| F5 |
Gold Advantage Partner |
| Freecom |
Freecom Business Partner |
| Fujitsu |
Centre of Excellence
Authorised Service Provider
Gold Qualified Imaging Partner (Scanners)
|
| HDS (Hitachi Data Systems) |
Platinum Partner |
| Hewlett Packard |
2010 Gold Preferred Partner Status
DataCenter Solutions Specialist (DSS
Computing Systems Specialist (CSS)
High Performance Computing Specialist (HPC)
StorageWorks Solutions Specialist (SSS)
PSG: Workstations Specialist
Office Printing Specialist (OP)
Office Printing Solutions Specialist (OPS)
ProCurve Networking Specialist: Professional
HP Service Sales Specialist (HPS)
HP Authorised Service Partner (ASP)
|
| Hypertec |
Authorised Reseller |
| IBM |
IBM Premier Business Partner
IBM System p Accredited Partner
IBM System z Accredited Partner
IBM International Business Partner
Approved Distributor of IBM PSG
Member of IBM Powernet Programme
Member of IBM's Alliance Partner Programme
IBM ISV Porting Centre
|
| Juniper |
Elite Partner Security
Elite Partner Network / Infrastructure
|
| Ironkey |
Gold partner |
| Kingston |
Kingston Authorised Reseller |
| Kodak |
Authorised Document Imaging Reseller |
| Konica Minolta |
Partner |
| Kyocera Mita |
Strategic Service Partner
ClubKM Strategic Business Partner
Solutions Partner
Colour Centre
|
| Lenovo |
Tier One Business Partner |
| Lexmark |
Expert Partner |
| LG |
Service Partner |
| Logitech |
Authorised Reseller |
| Motorola |
Business Partner |
| NEC |
Solutions Plus Accredited Partner |
| NetApp |
Authorised Service Provider
Star Partner
|
| Netgear |
Powershift Partner |
| Netvoyager |
Platinum Partner |
| Nokia |
Gold Partner |
| Nortel Networks |
Gold Solutions Partner Enterprise IP Telephony Solutions (Communications Server 1000 R5.x)
Gold Solutions Partner Ethernet Routers & Switching Solutions
|
| Panduit |
Certified Installer |
| Plantronics |
Premium Partner Status |
| Promethean |
Premier Partner |
| Samsung |
Power Partner |
| SMART Technologies |
Elite Level Partner |
| Sony |
Sony Value Added Partner
VAIO Business Accredited Reseller
|
| Sun Microsystems |
Executive Partner
Sun Authorised Solutions Centre
Infrastructure Delivery Option (IDO) – Installation Provider
|
| Tandberg |
Gold Partner |
| Toshiba |
Premier Partner
Authorised Service Provider
|
| Xerox |
Premier Corporate Reseller |
|
| Software vendor partners |
Accreditation |
| Adobe Systems |
Authorised Licence Centre Reseller
Licence Management Partner
|
| Appsense |
Gold Certified Solutions Partner |
| Becrypt |
Platinum Partner |
| BMC Software |
Strategic Partner |
| Brother |
Alliance Partner |
| CA |
Enterprise Solution Partner
Premier Partner
|
| Check Point |
Gold Level Partner |
| Citrix |
Platinum Solutions Advisor |
| Clearswift |
Authorised Reseller |
| Corel |
Authorised Reseller |
| Filemaker Inc |
FilemakerPlus Authorised Reseller |
| Hummingbird |
Corporate Partner |
| IBM |
IBM Premier Business Partner
IBM International Business Partner
IBM Software Premier Partner
Member of IBM's Alliance Partner Programme
IBM Leader for Linux Partner
|
| Ipswitch |
Authorised Partner |
| McAfee (Network Associates) |
McAfee Elite Partner |
| Microsoft |
Microsoft Gold Certified Partner:
Advanced Infrastructure Solutions
Information Worker Solutions
Network Infrastructure Solutions
Business Process & Integration OEM hardware
Data Management Solutions
Mobility Solutions
Security Solutions
Licensing Solutions
Training Partner
Software Asset Management
Microsoft Certified Support Centre (MCSC)
Large Account Reseller
Microsoft Enterprise Software Advisor
|
| MySQL |
Enterprise Ready Partner |
| Novell |
Gold Partner |
| Oracle |
Certified Advantage Partner
Joint Partner Engagement (JPE) Program Partner (Software Asset Management)
|
| Quest |
Platinum Partner |
| Red Hat |
Advanced Partner |
| RSA |
Signature Level Partner |
| SAP |
Crystals Reports Reseller
Hosting Partner
|
| Sophos |
Gold Partner |
| Symantec |
Platinum Partner
Enterprise Security Partner
Corporate Partner
Symantec Security Partner
Software Asset Management Partner
|
| Trend Micro |
Affinity Plus Partner |
| VMWare |
Premier Enterprise Partner
Authorised Consulting Partner
|
|
Training
Computacenter delivers its training services through a partnership with a specialist training company, Xpertise[51][52].
External links
References
- ^ a b c d Computacenter website, key dates. Retrieved March 27, 2009
- ^ Computacenter plc Annual Report & Accounts, 2007, p24, Computacenter plc Annual Report & Accounts, March 31, 2008. Retrieved: March 27, 2009
- ^ Computacenter plc Annual Report & Accounts, 2007, p40, Computacenter plc Annual Report & Accounts, March 31, 2008. Retrieved: March 27, 2009
- ^ Computacenter plc websiteRetrieved March 27, 2009
- ^ Computacenter plc website Retrieved March 27 2009
- ^ Computacenter plc Annual Report & Accounts, 2008, p2, Computacenter plc Annual Report & Accounts, March 31, 2009. Retrieved: June5, 2009
- ^ Computer Weekly. Retrieved March 30 2009.
- ^ Channel Register. Retrieved March 30 2009.
- ^ Computacenter plc website. Retrieved March 30 2009.
- ^ ZDNet. Retrieved March 30 2009.
- ^ Yahoo UK News. Retrieved March 30 2009.
- ^ Computacenter plc website. Retrieved March 30 2009.
- ^ computing.co.uk. Retrieved March 30 2009.
- ^ Yahoo Finance. Retrieved March 30 2009.
- ^ Yahoo Finance. Retrieved March 30 2009.
- ^ Computacenter cited as the DfT's "IT solutions partner" in Computerweekly (July 4, 2008). Retrieved July 6, 2008
- ^ Computacenter cited as assisting the college to to form its technology strategy and plan its new IT network (July 2, 2008). Retrieved July 7, 2008.
- ^ Computacenter cited as designing and implementing the college's "state-of-the-art" IT systems; Doncaster College website.Retrieved October 12, 2008.
- ^ Computacenter Annual Report & Accounts 2007, page 56, Note 6 Retrieved March 31 2009.
- ^ Computacenter website careers pages
- ^ Computacenter website careers pages
- ^ Professional Rugby Players' Association website. Retrieved: April 23, 2008
- ^ Hertfordshire County Council website, Hertfordshire County Council website. Retrieved: April 26, 2008
- ^ Team Storm's sponsorship webpage, Team Storm website. Retrieved June 30, 2008.
- ^ Article describing Team Storm's ambitions to compete in the USA, from the Evening Star (Ipswich), June 13, 2008. Retrieved June 30, 2008.
- ^ Computacenter website. Retrieved June 30, 2008
- ^ Spring Proms website. Retrieved: April 22, 2008
- ^ British Legal Awards 2007 website, Incisive Media, organisers of the British Legal Awards, website. Retrieved: April 26, 2008
- ^ Image of the Team Marcos-Computacenter LM95-002, which ran in the 1995 Le Mans 24 Hours race. Retrieved May 10, 2008
- ^ History of Marcos Cars. Retrieved May 10, 2008
- ^ Image showing Computacenter's credits for match analysis on UK terrestrial broadcasts. Retrieved May 10, 2008
- ^ Computacenter website, Six Nations press release. Retrieved May 10, 2008
- ^ European Tour website. Retrieved May 10, 2008
- ^ Computacenter plc website Retrieved: March 27, 2009
- ^ Computacenter plc website. Retrieved March 27, 2009
- ^ Computacenter Annual report, 2007 (p21). Retrieved July 1, 2008
- ^ FTSE4Good Index Series webpage, FTSE website. Retrieved July 1, 2008.
- ^ List of FTSE4Good constituents, as of September 2002, published by the Co-operative Bank. Retrieved July 1, 2008.
- ^ Computacenter plc Report & Accounts 2007, Corporate Sustainable Development report, page 21
- ^ Supplier Innovation Awards, November 2007. Retrieved July 8, 2008
- ^ Computacenter Corporate Sustainable Development, 2007 (p4). Retrieved July 8, 2008
- ^ computacenter plc website Retrieved March 30 2009.
- ^ RDC website. RDC website. Retrieved June 22nd, 2008
- ^ The Queen's Awards for Enterprise website. The Queen's Awards for Enterprise website. Retrieved June 22, 2008.
- ^ Operating Partners & Subsidiaries webpage, Computacenter website. Retrieved June 22, 2008.
- ^ Channel Business Retrieved March 30 2009.
- ^ Computacenter plc website on retirement of Digica brand Retrieved March 30 2009.
- ^ Computacenter press release on the acquisition of Allnet from Cable & Wireless. Retrieved June 23, 2008.
- ^ Computacenter plc Report & Accounts 2007, page 18, 'Acquisitions' paragraph on integration of Allnet Retrieved March 30 2009
- ^ Computacenter partners webpage. Retrieved November 16, 2009.
- ^ Computacenter training webpage, Computacenter website. Retrieved June 30, 2008.
- ^ Xpertise interim results for the six months ended June 30, 2007 (published August, 2007), pp. 3 & 4. Retrieved June 30, 2008.
