Computacenter - Re Alliance Partnership

RNS No 8656t
COMPUTACENTER PLC
5th October 1998

               Computacenter becomes  Microsoft Alliance Partner
                           creating 1,000 new jobs

In a move that deepens  their  long-standing relationship, Computacenter
announced today that it has been appointed as one of  Microsoft's Alliance
Partners.  This will extend the range of value-added Microsoft services
Computacenter will now provide to its customers  and  lead Computacenter to 
create an additional 1,000 new jobs over  the  next  three years.   Around 
900  of these jobs will be in the UK  with  the  balance  in Computacenter's
operations in France and Germany.

Computacenter  is  the largest UK-owned distributed IT systems  and  services
company and has worked with Microsoft, the world leader in computer software,
since  the  early  1980s.  This development of the joint  relationship  makes
Computacenter  one  of only a handful of Microsoft Alliance  Partners  
worldwide.

Details of the alliance will be announced at a Computacenter Information  
Technology Conference today, which will be specially attended by Steve
Ballmer, President of Microsoft  and The Rt Hon Peter Mandelson, Secretary of
State for Trade and Industry.
                                                                    
Commenting,  Mike Norris, Chief Executive, Computacenter  plc, said: 

"We  are  delighted  to  become one of Microsoft's  Alliance
Partners.  This is a natural step forward in our long-standing
partnership.  Computacenter  is committed  to  developing  its
service-led  approach in providing solutions  for  distributed
desktop  computing among those organisations whose success  is
dependent on IT."

Steve Ballmer, President, Microsoft Corporation, said:

"Our alliance with Computacenter is key to the implementation
of  Microsoft's  distributed IT solutions in  those  European
organisations  with  large IT infrastructures.   Computacenter
has  been  chosen  as  an  Alliance  partner  because  of  its
excellent track-record in planning, installing and maintaining
complex IT systems using our software." 

The  alliance will focus on three areas - business operations,
knowledge  management and e-commerce.  Microsoft  will  supply
software  and  technical  expertise  and  Computacenter   will
provide planning, implementation, and support services to  its
corporate  and  government customers in  the  UK,  France  and
Germany.  The focus in all three areas will enable the company
to further extend the range of its higher-value services.

Rt  Hon  Peter  Mandelson, Secretary of State  for  Trade  and
Industry said:

"Today's  announcement by Microsoft and  Computacenter  will
create  900  new jobs in the  IT sector.  The availability  of
high  quality  IT  support is vital for British  companies  to
compete successfully in the global economy.

"I welcome any initiative which increases skills levels within
the   economy.   We  can  only  compete  successfully  on  the
international stage if employers are able to exploit  all  the
technology available to them."

Creating 1000 jobs

Over  the  next three years, over 900 jobs will be created  in
the   UK   at  Computacenter's  offices  including   Bristol,
Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Manchester and Reading.
Up  to  a  further  100  jobs will be created  in  France  and
Germany.  This will more than double Computacenter's  team  of
Microsoft  certified engineers and consultants. 525  technical
consultants  will be put through Microsoft's Certified  System
Engineers  (MCSEs)  training accreditation  programmes  and  a
further  475 support engineers through the Microsoft Certified
Professionals (MCPs) accreditation.

The  newly-created jobs are part of Computacenter's investment
programme,  announced earlier this year, to cope with  current
and future growth. 626 new positions were created in the first
half of this year.

Media Enquiries - Computacenter

Louise Lawson
Computacenter
(0171) 593 4157

Teresa Horscroft / Julie-Anne Church
dPa Corporate Communications
(01483) 456666

Media Enquiries - Microsoft

Simon Skinner / Andrea Edwards
Microsoft Press Office
0181 242 4100

Analyst Enquiries - Computacenter

Tony Conophy, Finance Director
Computacenter plc
(01923) 256040

Technical Notes

The Alliance focuses on three technology areas:

Business Operations

Using  Microsoft's SQL Server (Microsoft's database management
system  for Windows NT), Computacenter will extend its current
resource   investment  to  build  client-server  systems   for
customers based on SQL Server. These will be brought to market
in  collaboration with Microsoft Independent Software  vendors
(ISVs) and other Enterprise Application Software Vendors.

Knowledge Management

Computacenter has provided many of its customers with a  range
of  Microsoft  Exchange  based workflow  and  data  management
systems  for  many  years covering the  full  spectrum  of  IT
services   from  initial  planning  and  design   through   to
implementation,  management  and  support  of  such   systems.
Increased resource investment by Computacenter and the  closer
relationship  with Microsoft further strengthens Computacenter's 
capabilities in the following areas:

  .    Migration  of installed customer  legacy  systems  to
       Microsoft Exchange based messaging and groupware systems
  .    The  integration of Microsoft Exchange with  customer
       installed   e-mail  systems  and  other  line-of-business
       application software
  .    Integration  of  Microsoft  Exchange  with   back-end
       databases and reporting tools

E-commerce

In  its  interim  statement earlier this  year,  Computacenter
announced the formation of its e-business  division  in response to the
growing  demand  from customers  for  corporate  Internet/Intranet  based  
systems. Building  upon  continued investment in this area  and  closer
collaborative links with Microsoft, Computacenter is extending
its capability to offer customers a range of bespoke solutions
based around Microsoft Site Server Commerce technology.

These include:

     .    Systems to enable the management of corporate information
          and the streamlining of business processes.
     .    Systems to enable the communication and trade  with
          customers via state-of-the-art web sites and online stories. 
     .    Systems to enable businesses to achieve new levels of
          efficiency in dealing with suppliers.

Under  the  agreement, Microsoft and Computacenter  will  work
together  on  external  marketing efforts,  sales  and  client
engagements in these three business areas.

About Computacenter

Computacenter is the largest UK-owned distributed IT systems
and services company. The company provides a full range of
value added services at each stage of the technology life
cycle  Planning, Requisition, Integration, Support and
Management (PRISM).  This modular offering is designed to give
customers the flexibility to choose one, several or all of the
services as and when required.  The company s corporate and
government clients are served by a network of 30 branches
across the UK, France and Germany and, through the
international joint venture ICG, at locations throughout
Europe, Asia Pacific and North America.  Visit Computacenter's
web site www.computacenter.com

About Microsoft's Digital Nervous System

Today, you can gather the best thinking from everyone at all
levels of your organisation and create a new kind of corporate
intelligence - one informed by correct, up-to-date, actionable
information.  When a technology system delivers that result,
Microsoft call it a Digital Nervous System.

A Digital Nervous System relies on connected PCs and
integrated software to make information flow rapidly and
accurately.  It helps everyone act faster and make more
informed decisions.  It prepares your company to react to
unplanned events.  It helps close that gap between your
company and its customers.  It lets people focus on business,
not technology.

About Microsoft

Founded  in  1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ  "MSFT") is the  worldwide
leader in software for personal computers.  The company offers
a  wide  range  of  products  and services  for  business  and
personal  use,  each designed with the mission  of  making  it
easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of  the
full power of personal computing every day.

END

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