BANGKOK--MAR 6--DATAMAT DATAMAT AND COMPAQ SIGNED AGREEMENT APPOINTING DATAMAT AS THE FIRST SYSTEM SERVICE PROVIDER IN THAILAND FOR ALL TYPES OF COMPAQ'S PRODUCTS RANGING FROM PORTABLES, DESK-TOPS TO SERVERS. THE APPOINTMENT CAME AFTER A THROUGH EVALUATION BY COMPAQ OF DATAMAT'S HIGH CAPABILITY IN TERMS OF TECHNICAL BACKGROUND, EXPERIENCES AND SYSTEM MAINTENANCE EXPERTISE WHICH MET COMPAQ'S STRINGENT SSP QUALIFICATION CRITERIA. THE SYSTEM SERVICE PROVIDER AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED BETWEEN PRITHEP SOSOTHIKUL, PRESIDENT AND CHARK TINGSABHAT, DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR FOR DATAMAT PCI AND PEERAPONG OEUSOONTHORNWATTANA, MANAGING DIRECTOR AND CHAIYARIT PIYABOOTR, TECHNICAL MANAGER FOR COMPAQ COMPUTER (THAILAND) CO.,LTD. AT GRAND HYATT ERAWAN HOTEL. ACCORDING TO COMPAQ MANAGING DIRECTOR PEERAPONG, COMPAQ COMPUTER CORPORATION IS THE WORLD'S LARGEST SUPPLIER OF PERSONAL COMPUTERS, OFFERING DESKTOP PCS, PORTABLE PCS AND SERVERS. COMPAQ PRODUCTS ARE SOLD AND SUPPORTED IN MORE THAN 100 COUNTRIES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. THE SSP PROGRAM IS TO PROVIDE QUALITY SERVICE AND SUPPORT TO ORGANIZATIONS AND PRIVATE USERS OF COMPAQ PRODUCTS. "COMPACT WILL GRANT SSP AUTHORIZATION ONLY AFTER RIGOROUS SELECTION AND EVALUATION TO ENSURE THAT THE CHOSEN SERVICE PROVIDERS ARE ABLE TO FULFILL ALL OF COMPAQ'S STRINGENT PROGRAM REQUIREMENT," COMPAQ MD PEERAPONG SAID. "SSP SCOPE IS NOT LIMITED ONLY TO HARDWARE SERVICING. SOFTWARE SUPPORTING IS ALSO A KEY PART OF SSP. COMPAQ'S SSP THEREFORE MUST HAVE HIGH CAPABILITY IN THE SOFTWARE FIELD FOR THE FULL RANGE OF COMPACT PRODUCTS FROM SERVERS, PORTABLES, DESK-TOPS TO PROVIDE SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS AS VALUE-ADDED SERVICES," HE SAID. DATAMAT PRESIDENT PRITHEP SAID, "DATAMAT HAS MORE THAN 150 ENGINEERS IN 8 SERVICE CENTERS IN THAILAND. THEY ARE WELL- TRAINED, EXPERIENCED WITH MAINFRAME SYSTEMS, MINI-COMPUTER SYSTEM, BANKING SYSTEMS AND RETAIL SYSTEM SERVICE. THEY WILL BE A STRONG FORCE IN PROVIDING SERVICE TO CUSTOMERS, WHO USE COMPAQ SYSTEM." ACCORDING TO PRESIDENT PRITHEP, DATAMAT WILL PROVIDE SERVICE ON SYSTEM INSTALLATION, SYSTEM MAINTENANCE, WHICH INCLUDES PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE AND CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE. DATAMAT WILL ALSO PROVIDE HELP-DESK SERVICE AND OPERATING SYSTEM SUPPORT SERVICE, WHICH COVER HELP-DESK CONSULTING, CARRY-IN REPAIR SERVICE, HIGH LEVEL ON-SITE PREVENTIVE AND CORRECTIVE SERVICE, AS WELL AS 24 HOURS STAND-BY SERVICE. "THE STRATEGIC ALLIANCE BETWEEN DATAMAT AND COMPAQ WILL STRENGTHEN DATAMAT'S SERVICE ABILITY TO EXPAND THE SERVICE BUSINESS. THE ALLIANCE WILL ENHANCE COMPAQ'S STANCE ESPECIALLY IN THE SERVER MARKET. THIS WILL ALSO BENEFIT THE CUSTOMERS WITH THE GUARANTEED SERVICES," PRITHEP CONCLUDED. END