That could mean increased prices for some services, Silver said. But Microsoft will also be offering to do more for customers, he added. The software vendor said it hopes to make its services operations more attractive to large customers by offering to act as a prime contractor on technology projects. For example, Microsoft said it recently took the lead role on a team of 16 vendors that installed systems based on its software and XML technology for the British government. Bob Dutile, a senior vice president in Key Corp.'s enterprise architecture group in Cleveland, said his company has turned to Microsoft in the past for assistance with Microsoft Transaction Server and the vendor's Component Object Model and DNA architecture.
Services are a very important component in the offerings of technology vendors.
That's what we look for from vendors. The Boeing Co., which is on the threshold of a 100,000-PC desktop upgrade, recently formed a task force to evaluate Microsoft's .Net platform. Adam Watby, an Avanade vice president and a 10-year Microsoft veteran, said he didn't think there would be competition between Avanade and the new Microsoft services group. Mark Hall contributed to this report. Inc. All rights reserved.