New MPC Computers Division Aims For Custom System Space

The Nampa, Idaho-based direct manufacturer of desktop and mobile PCs and servers on Monday unveiled a new division, DirectCM, aimed at providing custom manufacturing and distribution of such equipment to OEMs, system integrators, and solution providers.

Ross Ely, vice president of marketing for DirectCM, said that while the vast majority of MPC's business comes from direct sales, it has seen an opportunity to use its own supply chain and manufacturing capabilities to help smaller custom system builders improve their competitiveness.

"We've seen over the years that the custom PC business is always a big part of the market," said Ely. "But we also know that the smaller system builders have trouble competing in price with the likes of Lenovo and Dell."

While a separate division of MPC, DirectCM is using its parent company's 340,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art direct and build-to-order manufacturing and distribution facilities to serve the system builder community, Ely said.

Custom system suppliers can order barebones servers, desktop PCs, and notebook PCs from DirectCM for final configuration at their own offices, or they can order complete systems that can be drop-shipped to the customer, said Ely.

DirectCM is also looking to become a distributor of components to the custom system builder space. "Because of volume and our direct relationship with component suppliers, we feel we can offer system builders better prices," Ely said.

Acknowledging that the custom system space is already crowded with distributors and component manufacturers who custom-build systems to sell to solution providers even as it continues to consolidate, Ely said that DirectCM is depending on unique designs, such as othe picoBTX small form factor PCs, as well as its end user custom manufacturing experience to differentiate itself.

"MPC's business was built to do custom configurations at large volumes," he said. "We can support such things as asset management and the pre-loading of customers' system images."