Gateway business customers to get custom Web pages

LAS VEGAS -- Gateway Inc. early next year will launch a site of customized Web pages for its business customers.

In January, Gateway plans to debut E-Source, according to Daniel Ludwick, the company's director of services development and marketing in Lake Forest, Calif.

E-Source will provide corporate customers of any size with private, personalized pages that they can use to order products, track orders, and receive service and support.

The offering is similar in concept to Dell Computer Corp.'s Premier Pages, but Ludwick said E-Source will be more scalable.

"Customers with as few as five machines" will be able to use the service, he said.

Building up the network

At the same time, the direct marketer is building up a network of systems integrators nationwide to help Gateway customers install and support their PCs.

The San Diego-based PC maker so far has signed up 18 systems integrators that service local markets. Gateway hopes to expand that list to between 45 and 60 partners, according to Ludwick.

Ludwick added that customers who work with Gateway's systems integrators will still buy direct from Gateway.

Those systems integrators will leverage Gateway's network of 200 Country Stores where users can bring their systems for service and support.

At the Comdex trade show here this week, Gateway showcased its new all-in-one PC called Gateway Profile 2. The PC can be configured with a 433MHz or 500MHz Celeron processor from Intel Corp., 64MB synchronous dynamic RAM, up to a 20.4GB hard drive, Universal Serial Bus ports, CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drive, and an integrated v.90 modem. Pricing starts at $1,799.

Gateway is at www.gateway.com.