Dell Taps Compaq Services VP

Lynn, who held the title of vice president and general manager of Compaq's services strategy, started his new job as vice president of Dell professional services earlier this month, a Dell spokesman said.

Dell, Round Rock, Texas, is on track to see between $2 billion and $3 billion annually in services revenue, the company said, with a long-term goal of reaching the $10 billion mark.

In leaving Compaq, Lynn moves from a company that is seeking to merge its services business with that of another rival, Hewlett-Packard, after failing last year to grow through acquisition.

Dell has been moving aggressively to market its services capabilities, acknowledging that it often employs larger, third-party outsourcing firms including IBM Global Services and EDS to handle field-level work. However, the company said it considers itself the owner of all of its services accounts, regardless of whether it outsources.

Jim Kennedy, owner and CEO of Network Support, a Danbury, Conn.-based solution provider that has worked accounts where Dell Services has maintained a separate relationship with the same client, has heard mixed reviews of late on Dell's services effort.

"Some of our clients just haven't been thrilled with the level of service they've received [from Dell; others are absolutely happy with them," Kennedy said.