As of 2001 CDC, leading Italian IT equipment manufacturer and distributor in the consumer-SOHO segments, also serves government and large corporate markets. In order to satisfy the needs of these markets, CDC has created the Direct Sales division. CDC’s successful strategy in these business areas is based on the following assets: - the company’s solid reputation, for over 20 years, CDC is a leading PCs manufacturer and ITC distributor in the Italian market;” - technical knowledge in research and development which made it possible to design advanced PCs to meet tender specifications and different targets’ needs; - quality processes: CDC is the first Italian manufacturer of PCs and servers to have been awarded Vision 2000 certification for its design, production, technical assistance and maintenance, sales and logistics procedures; - widespread distribution network: with about 500 points of sale covering 100% of Italian market and the widest assistance network (200 centres) CDC is the only manufacturer which is really close to its customers; - one of the most efficient logistic plants in Europe, able to process up to 10,000 packages per hour and to deliver goods to all the outlets throughout the Italian territory, within 24 hours from the receiving of orders. Some results are: • the big supply to Italia Lavoro for the IT alphabetisation programme of Southern Italy, “Progetto In” which has been recently extended for 2003 period; • the Consip tender won by CDC in November 2002 to supply 36,000 desktop PCs to local and central Italian government offices and recent tender for further 30,000 PCs in June 2003; • supply agreements with important companies such as Total Fina and Avon Cosmetics. PA and large corporate The wide modernisation process that involved Italian PA (e-government) and initiatives promoted by the Ministry of Finance and Economics through Consip S.p.A. are some of the key factors that influenced CDC’s decision to become one of the main official IT suppliers of the Italian government. The participation to public tenders is the strategy pursued by CDC in this profitable market. The PCs supplied to the Public Administration offices - CDC brand - are designed according to the specific requests and manufactured in the Micronica S.p.A. plant, a company which is entirely controlled (100%) by the CDC group, among the Italian leaders in the manufacture of desktop PCs. This plant, which is the main production unit in central Italy, is unique because of its extreme flexibility and production capacity (up to 2,500 units per day and an annual potential of more than 500,000 PCs), as well as the quality control processes, which involve all the phases of the procedure. Another market that CDC has decided to enter, via the stipulation of agreements and contracts, is that of the large companies. Technical know-how, production capacity, a widespread assistance network, the creation of ad hoc offers and a dedicated commercial structure are the assets upon which CDC can depend in order to penetrate the large company and Public Administration market shares. For further information and to contact the structure dedicated to PA and large companies it is possible to use the following address: cdcbusiness@cdc.it