jclee@cory.Berkeley.EDU (James C. Lee) (04/05/91)
Here's NeXT's NeXTedge announcemnt:
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., April 4, 1991 Q NeXT Computer,
Inc. today announced NeXTedge, a program that encompasses
all NeXT's hardware service, software support and customer
education.
NeXT also announced that it has signed an agreement
with the Field Service Division of Motorola Inc.'s Computer
Group under which Motorola will be NeXT's preferred service
provider in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, with primary
responsibility for providing hardware service to NeXT's
direct customers.
NeXTedge will enable customers to obtain support and
service from wherever they purchase their NeXT equipment:
directly from NeXT or through a value-added reseller (VAR),
dealer or other distribution channel. NeXTedge provides a
one-year warranty service that is bundled with all NeXT
equipment, as well as a menu of additional service options,
support products and education courses.
"The trend in the computer industry is for vendors
to take greater responsibility for post-sales service and
support through all channels," said Paul Vais, director of
NeXTedge at NeXT. "We decided to take responsibility one
step further, to offer our customers service, support and
training that is as innovative and high-quality as NeXT com-
puters themselves. With this goal in mind, we created NeX-
Tedge."
Motorola Agreement
In March, and as part of the NeXTedge program, NeXT
expanded its existing partnership with Motorola to include
service of NeXT computers. The two companies have a long,
established relationship: NeXT shipped the first computer
to be powered by Motorola's 68040 microprocessor, and all
NeXT computers also incorporate Motorola's 56001 Digital
Signal Processor (DSP) chip.
Under the auspices of NeXTedge, Motorola's nation-
wide network of field engineers will provide hardware ser-
vice for NeXT customers. Motorola has approximately 450
field engineers at 150 U.S. and 6 Canadian locations, who
have been trained in hardware and UNIX systems since 1981.
"Motorola has a very successful history servicing
UNIX systems," said Carol Dickson, vice president marketing
and sales for Motorola's Field Service Division, headquar-
tered in Dallas. "We are very pleased to be adding NeXT to
our program."
NeXT Computer, Inc. designs, manufactures and mark-
ets professional workstations, which combine the power and
networking of today's most advanced workstations with the
ease of use and productivity applications of today's best
personal computers. NeXT's professional workstation systems
promise to enhance the way groups of people work together in
the 1990s. NeXT is headquartered at 900 Chesapeake Drive,
Redwood City, California, 94063.