Media Tycoon since 1999

Chapter 9 You know a lot about channels (seek to collect and recommend various tickets)

At 8 o'clock on Saturday morning, Gu Yawen greeted the reporter to go to the restaurant for breakfast together.

At the entrance of the restaurant, he met Ouyang and several other people. After the introduction, Gao Yang knew that the two managers of COMPAQ who were interviewed had just rushed over.

Xu Yaoming, Director of PC Channel, looks about 35 years old, with a medium build and a northern accent.

The technical director of the server is a woman, surnamed Chen, who is also in her 30s. Gao Yang knew that she was probably from Baodao as soon as she heard the accent.

In this era, European and American IT companies began to implement localized management in China. From the big boss to the top management of Huaxia companies, almost all of them were Chinese, and foreigners were rarely seen.

However, Gao Yang also knows that these people are almost all from Hong Kong and Taiwan, and even Chinese from Southeast Asia. Mainlanders have career ceilings in these foreign companies and cannot reach the top level.

For example, Xu Yaoming became the channel director at COMPAQ, which is already considered amazing.

After having breakfast together, Gao Yang exchanged business cards with the two managers with more than 20 minutes to rest.

Server technical director, full name is Chen Shujie.

At 9 o'clock in the morning, the reporters were led into the meeting room, and Chen Shujie gave a PPT presentation.

What Chen Shujie preached was the ProLiant server, which is the industry standard server that COMPAQ is promoting.

The so-called industrial standard server is different from the UNIX system server. Its chip is Intel's Pentium Xeon, and its operating system is Windows.

This is the so-called wintel architecture, also known as the wintel alliance.

In the next two years, the open source Linux operating system will be popular.

Then, these servers are divided into tower type, cabinet type and soon blade type in terms of style.

In addition, according to grades, there are 2 roads, 4 roads, 8 roads, and 16 roads.

As a liberal arts student, Gao Yang's understanding of servers is only superficial knowledge. As for how powerful these products are technically and what problems they can help users solve, Gao Yang has no idea.

Chen Shujie gave a presentation on the PPT about ProLiant servers, and the speech routines were naturally familiar to Gao Yang as an IT reporter in his previous life.

ProLiant is currently the main server brand promoted by COMPAQ. Chen Shujie compared it with its competitors, such as IBM, HP and DELL, in terms of technical features and solutions, and demonstrated and instilled the advantages and benefits of its own products to the media.

Even on the 8-way server that COMPAQ is proud of, it is compared with the UNIX minicomputer.

Gao Yang also knew that the informatization construction of banks had just started in this era, and minicomputers were the mainstream, but they were very expensive.A set of minicomputers may cost tens of millions, and even the annual service fee is several million.

In contrast, industry-standard servers like ProLiant are many times cheaper, and are even expected to replace low-end minicomputers in some non-critical applications.

Chen Shujie gave a PPT presentation for half an hour, and then there was an exclusive interview time for reporters to ask questions.

The public relations company arranged for a stenographer, and Gao Yang, like other media reporters, took out a palm-sized tape-type interview machine, pressed the recording switch, and placed it in front of Chen Shujie.

In this era, there is no MP3 player in Computer City, let alone a recorder.

Gao Yang only asked two questions.

One is the sales volume of ProLiant series servers this year, which industries are the main customer groups in, and what goals are there for next year.

Second, what is the mode of channel agency, and what value-added service modes do agents or SI (system integrators) and ISVs (independent software vendors) have.

The interview lasted for more than 30 minutes, and the time pointed to 10:05 in the morning. No one asked questions from the reporters. Manager Ouyang announced the end of the interview and took a 15-minute break.

During the break, Gu Yawen took out a form, asked the media reporters to sign in, and then sent an envelope to everyone.

Gao Yang knew that the envelope contained transportation expenses, felt that the envelope was pinched today, and the content was relatively thick, so he casually threw it into his shoulder bag.

No one would be foolish enough to open the envelope on the spot to see how much money was inside.

At 10:20, back to the meeting room, Xu Yaoming gave a presentation on PPT again.

Xu Yaoming naturally talked about PCs, including desktops and laptops, and the routine was similar to that of Chen Shujie just now.

It also cites the data of professional research companies to benchmark competitors such as DELL, IBM, HP, ACER, and Lenovo to prove how powerful COMPAQ is in the PC market.

It's just that Gao Yang knows that COMPAQ's position as the number one in global sales will soon be replaced by DELL, which started out as a direct seller, and that COMPAQ will be fully acquired by HP in more than a year.

Xu Yaoming also focused on the competition pattern of major PC brands in China, and COMPAQ's various initiatives in channel development and service.

Actually, nothing new.

These IT manufacturers have to find excuses from time to time, invite media reporters to chat, write one or two manuscripts, and maintain media exposure.

If we look at the standards of the mass media, the manuscripts on the IT media are almost all the promotional soft articles of IT companies.

It's just that in this era, the main channel for many people to understand IT products is through IT newspapers and magazines, and some IT newspapers and periodicals are quite popular.

Xu Yaoming boasted for more than 20 minutes, finished the PPT, and entered the interview session.

This time, Gao Yang was the first to ask:

"Mr. Xu, I am a reporter from CPI. Mr. Xu just mentioned COMPAQ's channel management model. I understand it as a pure distribution system. From the national general agent, the first-level agent at the regional level, to the provincial distributor, Pretty much what COMPAQ has for agents.

My hometown is in Jinyang, Shuchuan, an underdeveloped third-tier city. Jinyang also formed a computer city in the past few years, and it also had an Internet cafe last year.

I used to be in Jinyang Computer City, and I saw merchants playing COMPAQ computer signboards.

I don't know whether COMPAQ's channel management system covers this kind of agents, whether they have relevant qualification certification and corresponding services? "

Xu Yaoming looked down at the reporter's business card on the table, and smiled slightly:
"It seems that Reporter Gao knows a lot about channels, so this is a good question.

COMPAQ is in the PC segment, and its current channel is basically a pure distribution model. The same is true for friends such as IBM and HP.

The dealers in the third-tier cities you just mentioned should be developed by our first-generation or provincial distribution. Its qualification certification and after-sales support are also in the charge of upstream agents.

Of course, we also have an official website and a 400 telephone number. If users have any service needs to reflect to COMPAQ, we will also give timely feedback to the agent for processing. "

Gao Yang asked again:
"Mr. Xu, DELL, which is engaged in direct sales, has been very popular this year. Recently, the channel circle is also paying attention to the general trend of channel flattening.

In the past few years, selling a PC could make thousands or even tens of thousands of yuan in profit. Now the PC market is getting bigger and bigger, the competition is fierce, and the gross profit of sales is getting lower and lower.

What I want to ask is, in the face of this market trend, is there any pressure on the multi-level channel system of COMPAQ? Will it consider reducing channel levels and carrying out flat reforms in the future? "

Xu Yaoming glanced at Gao Yang and nodded:
"It is undeniable that DELL is really fast, and direct sales are also its characteristics, but this is the only one in the world that does direct sales, and it is not the mainstream. The direct sales model has its advantages and disadvantages, such as sacrificing quality for the pursuit of price, and after-sales service. service, etc.

However, from the perspective of the current multi-level channel system, flattening is indeed the general trend, and we are also studying this aspect. "

Gao Yang asked two questions first, then rested, it was enough to get Xu Yaoming's attention.

Then, other reporters also started to ask questions.

On this occasion, the media is also a kind of competition, and they have to show their strength and level in front of customers.

　I beg everyone to vote for recommendations, monthly tickets, and investment. Rich readers also come to give some rewards. 100 coins are enough.

　　With the strong support of the readers, this book can take the lead and have the opportunity to be recommended by the platform, so that more people can see it
　　
　
(End of this chapter)