Hard Facts: May 27, 2002

The April channel satisfaction index stood at 28.7 percent, up from 28.3 percent in March but still below the recent high of 30.7 percent in January. A higher figure indicates better overall satisfaction with the channel programs.

Vendors such as IBM, Sun Microsystems, EMC, 3Com and Hewlett-Packard recorded gains in April, while Intel, Advanced Micro Devices, Cisco Systems and Toshiba slipped. Networking vendors 3Com and Cisco continue to receive the highest satisfaction ratings from solution providers, earning 44 percent and 43 percent, respectively.

The results are also positive for a merged HP and Compaq Computer. Solution providers who have been either HP and/or Compaq partners were asked to predict their satisfaction with the combined company. The solution providers believe they will be more satisfied by a margin of 38 percent to 22 percent, with the remainder expecting no difference.