Gateway Partners With GE Capital

Gateway said today it has entered a partnership with services company GE Capital IT Solutions that will target enterprise corporate accounts. Under the arrangement, the two companies will sell customized versions of their products and services.

GE Capital IT Solutions will provide customers with services including pre-sale infrastructure analysis, network and systems integration, and support. Gateway will then assess the customers' needs and build customized desktop, mobile, and workstation systems.

The PC vendor is hoping that GE Capital's focus and penetration in the Fortune 500 market will open doors to enterprise customers. "In the corporate sector Gateway is only about 2 years old. We have about 2% market share and we're looking for ways to get into this market better and faster," says Phyllis McCullagh, Gateway's VP of corporate and partner sales.

McCullagh acknowledged that competitors such as Compaq are moving in the opposite direction by going the direct route, But, she said, those vendors' market share afford them a cushion that Gateway lacks.