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FLORIDA’S VOICE IN ELECTRONICS "WATTS CURRENT" is the official newsletter of the Florida Electronics Sales & Service Association, Inc. and is published bi-monthly. EMAIL: fesa@fdn.com We Support NESDA Awarded Best State Publication 1993,1996 & 2000 |
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FESA or Watts Current neither endorses any company, product or service - nor guarantees the validity of statements made in any advertisement - appearing in any advertisement or article included in this publication. Watts Current is published bi- monthly. All articles to be published in "Watts Current" must be received by John Eubanks, Editor, 5323-3 Firestone Rd., Jacksonville, FL 32210 by the following dates: 2/15, 4/15, 6/15, 8/15, 10/15, and 12/15 in order to be printed in the next newsletter. Otherwise, they will be published in the following issue, as appropriate. Please send any inquires or comments to the Editor. Please excuse any grammar or punctuation errors you may find as this newsletter is entirely composed and published by association volunteers. |
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| President's Message Members and Friends, Thank you for the opportunity entrusted to me to be of service to our association. It was encouraging to see, so many attending our FESA/GESDA Convention last month. I want to thank Kim Wagner for the earnest reminder of the many examples before me by my feminine predecessors. I also want to thank her for sponsoring our banquet. She is an outstanding example for me of the women in leadership roles throughout our service industry, in addition to being a very good friend. Using our FESA GESDA convention as a gage, I think we are off to a very good start. To see and speak with so many friends through out our industry was encouraging as well as uplifting. Watching the officers and members of our two state associations work and learn together is an example, however small for the rest of the industry. Though we have different approaches and locations we still have the same goals, to profitably serve the consuming public by providing the most efficient and reliable service available. I want to thank Billy Williams for all that he does for all of us. He continually amazes me, serving as Treasurer, Call Back Editor, and Convention Chairman are just a few jobs that would challenge anyone, but he goes through these duties like a weed whacker in a milkweed patch. When he’s asked to help in projects that look tough he makes them shine. He not only is our Treasurer, he is our special Treasure because his enduring example continues to be brightly seen by everyone. Although a new role for me, female leadership is nothing new for FESA. One of my feminine predecessors, Anita Parks was another example to follow. We lost Anita in an automobile accident in 1999. Without her input although a disadvantage it will be offset by Marge Bluze who has always been there whenever needed. Though I may never fill any of their capable shoes, with these examples and a little help from many dedicated members I pledge to do the very best that I can. Sincerely, Pat Eubanks FESA President |
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| Toshiba Will Have UPS Fix Its Laptops NEW YORK - What can Brown do for you? How about fix your laptop? Japanese electronics company Toshiba and delivery and logistics giant United Parcel Service today are expected to announce a curious pairing which will have UPS employees repairing and servicing Toshiba-built notebook computers. As part of the deal, UPS (nyse: UPS - news - people ) will handle not only shipping and handling of Toshiba-made laptops for service, but also the repair and service itself. Owners of Toshiba notebooks will be able to drop the machines off at UPS retail shipping locations, from which they will be shipped to a UPS facility in Louisville, Ky. UPS employees who have been certified by Toshiba will perform the service and repairs as needed. It's an unusual foray for UPS to go into the laptop repair business, but UPS executives say it's not entirely without precedent in the company's history. UPS has also done minor repairs under a similar yet smaller arrangement for InFocus (nasdaq: INFS - news - people ), the maker of digital projectors, and with Lexmark International (nyse: LXK - news - people ). The benefit, UPS and Toshiba say, will be to speed up the turnaround time required to fix a broken laptop and get it back in the hands of the customer. Mark Simons, Toshiba's vice president and general manager for its digital products division, says that under the current system the turnaround time for a repair job ranges from eight to ten days. Outsourcing the repair work to UPS should cut that time to four days. Aside from the advantage of having 3,300 UPS stores around the U.S., giving Toshiba customers a convenient place to drop their machine off for shipping, UPS also has its Supply Chain Solutions division to handle the delivery of parts to the central location in Louisville. The 2-million-square-foot facility is adjacent to UPS' world air hub. That proximity, the company says, will allow machines delivered in the morning to be sent back in time for next-day return to the customer. Toshiba sells about a million notebook PCs in the U.S. each year and has a return rate just under 5%, Simons says. But it has struggled amid increased competition in the notebook PC space from industry leader Dell (nasdaq: DELL - news - people ), Hewlett-Packard (nyse: HPQ - news - people ) and IBM (nyse: IBM - news - people ). A recent market survey by research firm IDC said that Toshiba fell out of its fifth-place position among the top notebook PC vendors last quarter. But the firm remains Japan's largest laptop maker. Earlier this month, Atsutoshi Nishida, head of the company's PC unit, said the money-losing division would undergo a reorganization that includes sending production to countries other than Japan…. Arik Hesseldahl, 04.27.04, 9:00 AM ET |
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| 2004 FESA/GESDA Convention Report The FESA/GESDA Convention was blessed with great weather, sponsors and guests who enjoyed a wonderful March weekend together at the Radisson Riverwalk Hotel in Jacksonville, FL. Clear blue skies with temperatures in the mid seventies framed this friendly gathering of our service industry while they honed their professional skills in well prepared and attended classes provided by Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Philips, and Thomson. They came from Alabama, California, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina and Florida to make this a great convention. In addition to the superb training received from Alvie Rodgers of Hitachi, Tom Fogerty from Philips, Lynn Davis from Thomson and David Perry from Mitsubishi, there was an Industry Roundtable discussion, which focused upon ways to promote independent service as the preferred alternative to any single national service provider. It was unanimously concluded that we must collectively plan and more vigorously promote the advantages of NESDA and its associates to fill the role of the prime source for national service. In attendance were FESA, GESDA, Hitachi, Mitsubishi, NESDA, Sharp, Thomson, Toshiba, and TriTronics. Each day began at 7:30 AM with an available light breakfast including coffee and orange juice in the hospitality room then concluded with snacks and drinks and plenty of friendly conversation that provided opportunities to make new friends. Our Hospitality Room for this convention was sponsored by National Electronics Warranty (NEW) who was represented by Steve Camulli. Our first sponsored noon meal featured a box lunch sponsored by FESA & GESDA so all registrants could eat promptly then return to class with a maximum opportunity to relax and enjoy time with others. Later that Friday afternoon, we rode the bus to Kristy and Joe Fowler’s beautiful home on Pottsburg Creek for a dinner of bar-b-que ribs, chicken and sliced pork with deep fried corn on the cob, BBQ beans, potato salad, cole slaw, garlic bread, and banana pudding served with tea and other beverages. They are outstanding hosts and everyone enjoyed this outing. Mitsubishi Digital Electronics sponsored our lunch on Saturday that was known as the Jaguar tailgate buffet. There were plenty of big hamburgers and hot dogs along with chili and every other condiment any one could dream of, plus an assortment of cookies and beverages that really hit the spot. David Velasquez addressed us and presented Ethan Allen with a Mitsubishi DVD player they donated for the door prize. The Officer Installation Banquet was sponsored by TriTronics, Incorporated. We enjoyed a chef’s green salad, followed by a dinner of steak, potatoes and mixed vegetables with apple pie for dessert. Ken Cisson FESA president thanked the membership for their cooperation during his terms in office then introduced the GESDA President; Ernie Kennedy who spoke briefly. TriTronics VP Kim Wagner then spoke to us on the subject of a changing industry. She emphasized focusing upon those opportunities created by change and observed an increasing role for women in leadership throughout our service industry. Our new FESA Officers, President Pat Eubanks, 1st Vice President Ethan Allen, 2nd Vice President Neil Mengel, Secretary Larry Scott, and Treasurer Billy Williams were administered the oath of office by the NESDA Executive Director, Mack Blakely. Afterwards Jo Cisson and Billy Williams conducted our prize drawings. Grand Prize RCA Projection TV Donated by Marvin’s Electronics won by Tom Brown, 30" Philips TV/DVD Donated by Philips won by Robert Rymsza, RCA DVD Player Donated by Marvin’s Electronics won by John Eubanks, Home Theater System Donated by Marvin’s Electronics won by Cindy Spikes, 3/8 Cordless Drill Kit Donated by Marvin’s Electronics won by Candy Scott, Cordless Screwdriver Kit Donated by Marvin’s Electronics won by Rudine McDonald, Cordless Screwdriver Kit Donated by Marvin’s Electronics won by Ernest Kennedy plus a Nipper and Chipper Donated by Thomson and Sharp Service Manuals on CD, Donated by Sharp Electronics. Then came a special heart warming part of this convention with the celebration of the 37th wedding anniversary by Larry and Candy Scott as they exchanged gifts and let us all become a part of this wonderful milestone in their lives. It also became an evening of concern when Tommie Spikes was admitted to Baptist Hospital with acute stomach pain. He remained hospitalized for the next five days, undergoing tests and treatment. He was finally released on Thursday the 18th of March to return home and recuperate. With medication and our prayers he will regain his health to be with us when we gather once again. It would be remiss to overlook Neil Mengel’s outstanding contribution to our association and the success of this convention. Mengel Enterprise’s provided all screens and sound equipment plus set each one up for this entire event. Needless to say his efforts and dedication resulted in reducing our bottom line costs and is greatly appreciated. He also recorded the Philips and Mitsubishi training sessions, with permission, and will soon have these available on CD for those interested. Sunday morning brought an end to this outstanding convention as everyone but Tommie and Cindy began departing for home. We want to thank each of you who came and participated with us in this event to make it our best convention in recent years. Cooperation within associations was proved to be alive and well. We want to thank GESDA and NESDA for their participation. The only way this could have been improved is for those who were not able to attend to have been there with us. This event is covered with many pictures on our FESA web page. Simply go to: http://www.fesaonline.com Then click on the 2004 FESA/GESDA Convention link there and see some of the things those who attended were able to experience. |
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| Industry Member Updates Robert "Bob" MASA CSM NESDA Past President (1993-1995) of Electra-Sound in Parma, Ohio, passed away on April 28th 2004 around 9 p.m. In addition to being active in NESDA of Ohio, his state association through out the years Bob found the time to participate at the National level, serving as Industry Relations Committee Chairman in 2002/3. He was also a NESDA Life Member. Bob was a visionary, who understood the need to diversify. He built a service company that was probably the finest in the country. He continued to provide service on consumer electronics despite his huge success in other endeavors. He loved this business and remembered his roots. No one represented servicers with more class and dignity than Bob Masa. His was the voice of reason at meetings regardless of the situation. He garnered the respect of everyone he met. We are proud to have served on boards and committees with Bob Masa and lucky enough to meet and become his friend. We are deeply saddened by the loss of this great man. our condolences to their families. This was indeed a sad day for all of us. Edited remarks of W. Markman Carl Brown of Audiometrics in New Bedford, MA passed away the morning of April 29th, 2004 after battling cancer. He served for nearly a decade on the board of PSA as the chairman of the electronics committee and was a former member of NESDA. Carl donated so much of his time for nothing more than the chance to improve the service industry for all of us. He was a pilot and an avid skydiver. He is survived by his wife Naomi who worked in the business with him. She also became an integral part of PSA. Carl was a special soft-spoken person who was able to represent our industry in a professional and dignified manner. He ran a high class service facility, which was no surprise to anyone who knew him. We attended conventions and worked together on many committees. He believed that our industry needed to be treated with respect and he led the way by treating all of our industry partners with respect while standing firm on issues of importance. Carl became a close friend as well as an ally in the battle to improve our industry. We enjoyed working with Carl and Naomi on behalf of PSA and NESDA. He was special and we can’t express how much he will be missed. Edited remarks of W. Markman. Dorothy Cicchetti undergoes major surgery at Duke University Hospital in Durham, NC. May 7, 2004 Dorothy Cicchetti EHF, NESDA Past President and President of the Electronic Industry Hall of Fame under went extensive abdominal surgery. She was resting afterwards with family by her side. The scope of the surgery proved to be greater than her primary diagnosis let on. When contacted on May, 8th and 11th she was still in great discomfort from the surgery and requested that we keep her in our prayers. Her family is with her and she knows of our continuing prayers and concerns for her recovery and healing. Editor Watts Current |
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| REQUEST FOR FESA MEMBERSHIP DATE_________ NAME_________________________________ COMPANY NAME________________________ ADDRESS_______________________________ CITY/STATE_________________ZIP_________ PHONE NO.______________________________ NO.OF EMPLOYEES_____________ Dues Per Year: 1 Person Service Center= $25.00/ 2/3 Person Service Center=$30.00/ 4/6 Person Service Center=$35.00/ 7/9 Person Service Center=$40.00/ 10 & up =$45.00. This rate schedule is for independent membership and may be affected by a chapter or affiliate in your region. Please include your dues with your completed application, this will constitute your agreement to abide by the Constitution and BY-Laws of FESA. Members will continue to receive Watts Current. For a Non Member Watts Current Subscription Only. Include your check for $12.00, write Watts Current subscription on this form and return it to: Billy F. Williams EHF 1409 Glendale Rd. W. Jacksonville, FL 32216 Phone: (904) 725-9789 |
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| Second Hand Service For those whose lives have not provided them a familiarity with "hand me downs" let me introduce you to such an understanding. The children of larger families are more likely to know its meaning more than an only child. This is the practice of purchasing items for one child, then passing the same item down to younger siblings as it is outgrown. Obviously something purchased for a girl, couldn’t be passed down to a boy. I won’t stand on that statement as fact today, but it was true when I was growing up. As the first child, and the only son in my family, you might think that I avoided hand me downs, but I didn’t, because I had a lot of cousins, that passed their stuff down to me. Unfortunately from my narrow point of view, they all had a crummy taste in attire. Now that you know the meaning let me apply it to a service situation. Although it is a hand me down job, most servicers are unaware of that fact until they subtly discover they ain’t the first one to try to fix it. That is the difference between hand me down and second hand service….the former you know...the latter you find out the hard way. Recently a dealer brought us a PTK 169 light-box for service. The complaint was this unit would not power up...It would chirp a few times...then shut off. Didn’t feel like it would take a lot of troubleshooting time with all our past experience on these units. When the technician began work on this unit, suspicion began to grow with the first observation that someone had been all over this chassis searching for the problem. Reminded me of getting a new pair of shoes from a cousin with a hole already started in the sole. Least they weren’t too tight on your foot…not nearly as tight as my jaw after it became obvious we were being snookered with a second hand service request. Seems like this is running rampant in our service industry today...with even greater subtlety. Some prospective national service sources have chosen to employ similar applications. They’re promising to handle service nationally for any product manufacturer. The problem is they can’t do it, because they don’t have the national coverage or technical ability to handle the job alone. So they depend upon augmentation by independent servicers. Such proposals supposedly handle all national service assignments, relieving manufactures of this expense. How many times have we been cautioned….when something sounds too good to be true, it most likely is? There is also another time proven adage that advises one to "practice what you preach." Seems now that some of those who have previously shared such wisdom with us may be overlooking their own advice. Oh what a tangled web is woven! What chance does an independent servicer have in these deals. They are certain to receive second hand service assignments after they are "cherry picked" by some "national service provider’s scheduling agents. In these schemes, the hole ain’t pre-drilled in the sole of these, it’s in your cash drawers. Well back to the problem that sent me into this tirade, that non functioning RCA PTK169 litebox which someone had tried to service before leaving it with us without mention of any of these circumstances. After extensive troubleshooting a missing negative source voltage was found and traced to the switch mode power supply transformer winding. It along with everything else in this circuit had been removed, replaced or re-soldered. Appling POAWT’s theory which states, When in doubt, take it out, allowing us to confirm the negative source winding on this transformer to be open. Soon the reason it was open became clear, the wrong transformer for this chassis was installed. It didn’t even have a winding, only a dummy pin. Kind of lets you know why they named it a dummy pin doesn’t it. It’s probably bugging you, so let me clear up the meaning of my acronym POAWT. It stands for Proverb Of A Wise Technician. Ironically these PTK 169 chassis have such an array of different audio systems, they require several versions of this transformer to accommodate varying source voltages for them. Further complicating the matter is the fact that the only permanent numbers affixed to this transformer is the drawing number and that differs only by the numbers following the dash. Combine this with the fact that the pin array appears to be the same for all versions and you can understand how someone, mistakenly installed it, to create a problem that he couldn’t overcome and the tech following him would not spot quickly. Replacing the transformer with a proper one, revealed the same two defective electrolytics, (15UF/63V & 2.2UF/100V) that normally cause this unit to fail to start. When these were replaced the unit still shut down. Further troubleshooting lead to a defective high voltage block. Replacing the HV block returned normal operation to our unit. Seems there is a lesson to be learned here. Second hand service is a non profit venture when billed at regular rates. Multiply every second hand service assignment from a national service provider by distance and an area fuel cost factor, then see who hollers, unless you think they will be sending you their cherries, if so better check under your pillow too. Article by Editor Watts Current |
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| Here We Go Again! Don’t know how one small independent service company can continuously run into so many "cans of worms"? I suppose others must confront them too! Guess they just pass over them and let the chips fall where they may. This approach may have merit but then all others are left to fall into the same open pit, and that ain’t ever been our style. We received a RCA Direct View Model F38310/DTV306 chassis for service. The complaint was intermittent. The customer stated the set would not always come on when turned on. It tried to come on, the fans briefly ran, high voltage developed, till it stopped only to repeat this cycle indefinitely. Then it may occasionally come on and play as it should. After troubleshooting this unit the deflection-SIP PWB (250725) became our prime suspect. Now we needed someway to prove it. We checked with other respected servicers, who suggested that we first inspect both the board plug and receptacle interfaces for poor solder joints before condemning the board itself. We did and although finding none resoldered every pin at the interfaces of both. This changed nothing. We had a scrapped RCA PTV Model D52130/DTV 307 chassis with a very similar intact deflection-SIP PWB, however besides having a different part number (256899) it also had less components installed on it. There was only a blank mounting pad to accommodate an unused U14356 along with three unused blank resistor mounting pads. After checking as closely as possible, we decided to try this SIP PWB in the defective F38310/DTV306 to verify the cause of this problem. As we suspected the set came right on demonstrating none of those intermittent cycling problems, but our screen was not fully filled out horizontally, a problem we attributed to the SIP PWB with the different part numbers. At least we could now be sure of the part that was defective and proceeded to order a replacement part. The fun began as we attempted to place our order, only to discover that this part is (NLA) no longer available. How can that be? This unit was manufactured in August of 2000! It is a recent top of the line Model with a built in satellite receiver, the customer has owned it barely three years. It is not a cheap leader model. We turned to the best help available for any independent servicer, the nesdanet, a forum of servicers and manufacturers working together 24/7 to solve these type problems. A simple email request soon found that the only out there are those being used on test jigs, and they aren’t available. A national rebuilding firm and one of our sponsors contacted us to let us know they were set up to rebuild these boards. We now began checking our bad SIP PWB more carefully, hoping to repair it. Eventually finding that the defective PWB would work whenever installed with a very slight amount of twist applied to it. We gained complete control of the defect, able to induce or eliminate it at will allowing us to be sure when this problem was overcome. We tediously proceeded to resolder every joint in sight without altering the problem. Then we began inserting wires in the external feed through joints with no better success. Eventually we concluded our problem on this PWB was of an internal nature. Since the board is multi-layered it precluded all options of having it rebuilt by any board refurbishing company. Going that route could unknowingly result in sending this problem to another unsuspecting servicer. No one deserves that. I suppose that those who determine which parts will be eliminated from stock pay absolutely no attention to the category assigned by their own engineers to any specific part. Foreign bean-counters seem to be routinely making these decisions without respect to their own cautions. The Safety instructions for this model state: "Parts Replacement - Many TV electrical and mechanical parts have special safety-related characteristics, some of which are often not evident from visual inspection, and the protection they give cannot necessarily be obtained by replacing them with components rated for higher voltage, wattage, etc. Parts that have special safety characteristics are identified in this service data by a ( /!\ ) on schematics and in the parts list. Use of a substitute replacement that does not have the same safety characteristics as the recommended replacement part in the service data parts list may create shock, fire and/or other hazards. Always consult the appropriate current service literature for the latest information." Worse than that, imagine that you own one of these models which contain this component only to find that your 3+ year old product must be replaced because stocking an essential safety part have been discontinued. These parts are labeled with the ANSI caution symbol shown above. When you think of the number of local state and national agencies that supposedly are responsible for oversight of product warranties, looking out for the consumer, it is obvious they ain’t operating with there eyes open or their vision is degraded. Since we couldn’t locate another board and we had one version, albeit the wrong one, seemed our best shot was to add those missing components to the version we have making it the same as the NLA 250725/690 version we needed. That means removing two S/M resistors and adding three onto the blank pads plus installing U14356/74HC4066 on its blank pads too. The resistors were no problem but the missing IC looked like it was going to be. After trying to remove U14356 from the defective board and realizing it would probably be damaged since this surface mounted part was well glued and removal seemed certain to rendering it useless, we sought a replacement. After looking up the part number 236657 and finding it wasn’t in stock either a stroll through our parts bins was in order. We found we an ample stock of MC4066 IC’s on hand. These circuit wise are identical, however physically the body of this sm IC is about a 32nd of an inch wider. We then laid our MC4066 over the blank pad it would have to mount upon to gage our chances for success. We were pleased to see that this one would fit perfectly. After placing these components on our modified def-sip pwb and then installing it, the unit now worked perfectly. When we consider the overall scope of this service request, it certainly gives legs to the statement, "Nobody Does It Better." Think any national service source will devote this type time and effort to overcome a NLA part situation on a product they didn’t sell? Not even on one they did sell. This is the type service the American consumer expects and it will remain as long as proper parts are available to our Independent Service Community. At some point this problem will occur to one of those, charged with the regulation of warranties and then, and only then, will these problems be seen as detrimental to the consumers who purchased them. I would pay to hear the "Official" it happens too, just to listen when told this top of the line expensive three year old product is un-repairable because a safety critical part is No Longer Available. Where is the EPA when you need them?. Its just a matter of time till we hear many screams. Article by Watts Current Editor. |
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www.tritronicsinc.com |
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| FESA SERVICE INVOICES PRICE LIST - MEMBERS ONLY INVOICES ARE CARBON FOUR PART WITH CLAIM AND HARD FILE COPY ZONES 4 & 5 #1 (SMALL) 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 63.50 125.00 183.00 218.00 275.00 IMPRINT 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 26.50 48.00 69.00 85.00 102.00 Sub Total 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 90.00 173.00 252.00 303.00 377.00 S/C 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 7.50 12.50 15.00 20.00 22.50 TOTAL 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 102.50 190.50 272.00 328.00 404.50 UPS PREPAID FREIGHT COLLECT Please note: The price increase announced previously is now in effect. We delayed the increase until the forms previously contracted have been depleted. All form requests from this time forward will be at the posted prices, freight collect. We no longer have a supply of the LARGE invoices. We are in the process of locating new a source for our large invoices. Until we find a new source the FESA-Large invoices are NO Longer Available. NEW ORDERS TAKE 3 TO 4 WEEKS --- INCLUDE IMPRINT INFO WITH CHECK REPEAT ORDERS TAKE 2 TO 3 WEEKS RUSH ORDERS WILL NOT BE PLACED UNTIL I RECEIVE YOUR CHECK! MAKE CHECK PAYABLE TO F.E.S.A ALL SERVICE INVOICE ORDERS SHOULD BE MAILED WITH YOUR CHECK DIRECTLY TO THE FESA TREASURER: Mr. Billy F. Williams EHF 1409 Glendale Rd. W. Jacksonville, FL 32216 Phone & Fax: (904) 725-9789 NOTE: Small Invoices are 5:5/8"W X 9:1/8" H / You must be a Member of FESA to order forms from FESA. |
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| Industry Update IBM to Transform and Manage Service Activities for Philips Consumer Electronics, North America KNOXVILLE, TN, and SOMERS, NY -- Apr 14, 2004 -- Philips Consumer Electronics today announced an agreement with IBM to transform and manage Philips' Service activities in North America. This strategic partnership is part of the overall Business Renewal Program to increase efficiency and cost productivity. This agreement will serve as a platform to further drive increased consumer and customer satisfaction and brand loyalty and will further enable Philips to meet or exceed the expectations of its consumers, consistent with the Philips position as a premium brand. As a key part of this initiative, IBM business consultants and Integrated Technology Services specialists will work with Philips to apply state of-the-art process redesign to Philips customer service processes. This service transformation process will apply to all service processes, including parts logistics, contact centers, warranty entitlement and claims processing, field service management, depot repair, web self-help, and enablement of electronic routes to market for extended warranty and value-added services sales. IBM will further integrate and transform those processes to improve the brand experience, service quality and response times, and optimizing Philips' service operations. In addition, IBM will manage those transformed business processes for Philips in its state-of-the-art service delivery centers. This multi-year agreement, valued at approximately $300 million, is expected to begin in May 2004. "The Service Transformation is consistent with the Business Renewal Program of the Consumer Electronics division, which includes a global Service strategy to pursue a broader partnering approach across the total service value chain in order to simplify the organization, streamline processes and remain competitive in the marketplace," said Rudy Provoost, Senior Vice President, Royal Philips Electronics and CEO, Global Sales and Services Consumer Electronics. "We are pleased to partner with IBM in this process in North America." "This agreement with Philips is indicative of a new wave of services relationships for IBM with its clients, focused on delivering transformational business value in addition to cost efficiencies," said Kathy Hegmann, General Manager, IBM Global Business Transformation Services. "IBM will provide Philips with a new level of after-sales service, recognizing that the consumer electronics trend toward digital technology and embedded software requires new skills and service capabilities. Building on IBM's own experience in this area, this agreement underlines IBM's leadership position in this emerging business services marketplace." About Royal Philips Electronics: Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands is one of the world's biggest electronics companies and Europe's largest, with sales of $32.8 billion (EUR 29 billion) in 2003. It is a global leader in color television sets, lighting, electric shavers, medical diagnostic imaging and patient monitoring, and one-chip TV products. Its 164,500 employees in more than 60 countries are active in the areas of lighting, consumer electronics, domestic appliances, semiconductors, and medical systems. Philips is quoted on the NYSE (symbol: PHG), Amsterdam and other stock exchanges. News from Philips is located at: www.philips.com/newscenter About IBM Business Consulting Services: With consultants and professional staff in more than 160 countries globally, IBM Business Consulting Services is the world's largest consulting services organization. IBM Business Consulting Services provides clients with business transformation and industry expertise, and the ability to translate that expertise into integrated, responsive, on demand business solutions and services that deliver bottom-line business value. Over the past several years, IBM Business Consulting Services has developed industry-leading transformation consulting skills and delivery capabilities in key areas, including Human Resources, Financial Management, Customer Relationship Management and Procurement. For more information, visit www.ibm.com |
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Nashville, TN July 27th - August 1st 2004 NPSC 2004 Tentative Agenda
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www.nesda.com |
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| PUN INTENDED Poetry is averse to me. He drove his expensive car into a tree and found out how the Mercedes bends. A bicycle can't stand on its own because it is two-tired. When cannibals ate a missionary they got a taste of religion. When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds. Those who jump off a Paris bridge are in Seine. A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat. Show me a piano falling down a mineshaft and I'll show you A-flat minor. Every calendar's days are numbered. Will this computer last five years? Obsoletely! It's tough to be in the computer business when the chips are down. He dropped a computer on his toes and had megahertz. ( Taken from www.punoftheday.com ) |
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