QBE signs up Acer for hardware deal

Although a spokesperson for QBE was not available to verify details of the deal, a statement from Acer claimed it covered a wide range of hardware -- notebooks, desktops, servers, tablets PCs, LCD displays, handheld devices and Wyse thin-client terminals.

In a statement issued by the vendor, Steve Squires, QBE's head of IT operations for its Australia Pacific Asia Central Europe (APACE) division, said Acer's "customer-specific approach" had helped it win the deal.

"Acer offered us customised processes and developed a specific Service Level Agreement (SLA) that I knew would deliver tangible business benefits to QBE and further assist us in reducing our total cost of ownership," said Squires.

"Other vendors traditionally take an off-the-shelf approach to SLAs and expect the customer to make them fit, but Acer developed customised processes to meet and fully service our particular IT needs," he added.