IBM's loss of market share on the European front is beginning tohird favourite PC vendor, after IBM and Compaq. reflect on a local level as Computacenter, the UK's largest reseller, disclosed that the vendor has slipped further down its preferred supplier list.

According to Phil Williams, head of corporate marketing at Computacenter, HP has moved up to the number two spot on the reseller's preferred supplier table, ahead of IBM which is now at number three.

Third quarter figures for European sales published by Dataquest listed HP as one of the gainers, having increased its market share to about seven per cent in the period to 30 September, from five per cent last time.

IBM, on the other hand, has lost its grip on some of its share, dropping to 8.4 per cent from 9.2 per cent last time (PC Dealer, 12 November).

Williams said: 'We have found that demand for HP product has risen over that of IBM.'

Dave Thompson, HP marketing manager for the company's UK PC division, agreed the change in status at Computacenter was a reflection of current market trends. 'It's no secret that HP and Computacenter want to work closer.'

He added that the vendor had begun putting more resources behind the sale of its PCs at Computacenter and that it was now paying off. 'We've tripled the number of people servicing the Computacenter account and have looked at stocking issues. We didn't have a track record of winning corporate deals together, but now we've won numerous deals,' he said.

Mike Lunch, IBM UK managing director, disputed there was any change in the status of its relationship with Computacenter, claiming that sales were increasing through the vendor's Authorised Assembly Programme.

For more details, see News, Page 2.