5
reasons to do so (such as a broader portfolio
purchase with leveraged discounts). For pen-tablet-
based vertical solutions, Fujitsu/Fujitsu Siemens
should be considered as a supplier, regardless of
customer location.
Gateway
Gateway is in the Niche Players quadrant. Since
acquiring eMachines, Gateway has expanded its
operation to Western Europe, Latin America and
Japan; however, it remains primarily focused on
retail and has shown no signs of building the
capabilities needed to be a global enterprise
notebook supplier. Gateway’s enterprise product
portfolio is good, and its direct sales capabilities
within the U.S. are adequate, although limited. The
lack of a strong track record with large-enterprise
customers is a barrier to Gateway strengthening its
position with this customer group.
Recommendation: Gateway is not recommended for
new global notebook PC contracts, but it should be
considered as a prospective supplier for small-to-
midsize quantities in the U.S. market. Outside North
America, customers should expect limited supply
capability.
HP
HP has well-balanced scores for Ability to Execute
and Completeness of Vision. HP achieves one of the
highest scores for its service and support
capabilities. HP maintains excellent account
management for its largest global enterprise
customers, but the complexity of contracts when
channel partners are used can create confusion for
some customers. While coordination challenges may
still exist for smaller-enterprise customers, the
patchy account management seen through 2004 has
disappeared, showing that the underlying
organizational issues are resolved. HP has a broad
product offering with a variety of form factors and is
regarded as best in class for its ongoing efforts to
understand user needs and customer satisfaction.
Recommendation: HP should be considered a
prospective supplier for global enterprise customers
regardless of size of the business. Customers with
multilocational requirements that involve use of third
parties should expect detailed contracts.
Lenovo
Lenovo has the highest score for Completeness of
Vision; however, its Ability to Execute score is below
that of its leading competitors. Lenovo’s high score
for Completeness of Vision is because of its product
design/development capabilities and the level of
meaningful innovation it delivers with its enterprise
notebook products. Lenovo’s ThinkPad brand,
together with its ThinkVantage technology, is well-
regarded for IT deployments. Lenovo’s main
weakness is its high dependency on IBM for direct
sales, although the use of IBM's global services
organization means customers usually have access
to high-quality services. With IBM as its primary
distribution channel to global customers, Lenovo now
has less-direct access to and feedback from all but
its largest enterprise customers.
Recommendation: Consider Lenovo as a
prospective supplier for all business notebook
requirements. Organizations should also investigate
the potential advantages and licensing costs of
extending use of ThinkVantage utilities to their PC
installed base. Customers that had originally
purchased notebooks from IBM should monitor
performance against associated service
commitments to ensure service levels and qualities
continue to be maintained by Lenovo.
MPC
MPC is positioned in the Niche Players quadrant.
MPC offers good products, and its support capability
is well-regarded by customers. It has well-organized
mechanisms for customer feedback and is “high
touch” for its limited customer base. However, MPC’s
focus is the United States only, and the company
plans no global expansion.
Recommendation: MPC should not be considered for
global notebook contracts or for high-volume
deployments over short intervals. MPC’s capabilities
and customer approach mean it should be considered
as a prospective supplier for U.S.-only, midvolume
notebook contracts, or as a second source.
Toshiba
Toshiba is positioned in the Visionaries quadrant.
Toshiba’s engineering gives it excellent product
design and development capabilities, which boosts
its Completeness of Vision score. However, Toshiba’s
