, February 2, 1993, p. 1). Such problems can cause irreparable harm to a company in that customers are likely to move their business elsewhere, increasing the need for timely maintenance and repair.
Historically, equipment manufacturers have offered after-market service as a part of their sales package. Fees can be arranged on a monthly basis, in which case the company can call on a hardware technician when needed, or fees can be arranged on a time and materials basis, in which case the company pays only for the service technician's time and any parts that are required. The time and materials basis is generally more expensive per incident than a monthly fee basis, but if the company does not anticipate many problems with the equipment, may prove the more economical of the two options. In large equipment sales, both of these items can be negotiated.
IBM has not generally participated in equipment maintenance for its personal computers. These machines are historically sold through dealers, and it is the dealers who pr
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