Staples Advantage Launches Staples Technology Solutions

Staples Advantage, the business-to-business division of Staples, Inc., today announced the launch of Staples Technology Solutions to meet customers’ growing needs for technology products and services. Staples Technology Solutions offers business customers – from small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to Fortune 1000 corporations – access to a full range of offerings from data center solutions and printer fleet management services to network services and everyday desktop technology products.

"At Staples, we’ve built our world-class reputation by making it easy for businesses to buy office products and services,” said Jay Mutschler, senior vice president of Staples Advantage. "Staples Technology Solutions combines expert service, great product selection, and our low cost-to-serve model to satisfy customers who increasingly depend on technology to run their businesses. By launching this new line of business, Staples Advantage now not only makes it easy to buy everyday office products, but becomes a reliable and cost-effective supplier of network services, data center solutions, and more.”

"As organizations of all sizes are tasked with doing more with fewer resources, enlisting the help of a small number of trusted partners becomes increasingly attractive,” said Bob Laliberte, senior analyst at the Enterprise Strategy Group. "For IT buyers who are deluged with a wide range of choices with regard to products, brands, and the means to source them, consolidating vendors can be quite a daunting challenge, despite the anticipated benefits. Organizations want to reduce the complexity of multi-vendor solutions by relying on trusted, single source suppliers like Staples Technology Solutions that combine real world know-how with a wide array of technology solutions and services.”

One Stop for IT Solutions

In an increasingly complex IT world, vendor consolidation is delivering valuable business outcomes. Businesses – from SMBs to Fortune 1000 corporations – can now depend on Staples to procure not only office products and services but the right technology equipment and services that are vital to customers’ everyday operations. Acting as an extension of an in-house IT department or running an organization’s entire IT operations, Staples’ flexible and robust product offerings, commitment to service, distribution expertise, technological excellence and dedicated IT specialists bring a distinct competitive advantage to the office products industry.

Today, Staples Technology Solutions offers:

• Technology experts, including certified specialists that help customers make the right technology choices to keep their businesses running productively, efficiently, and on budget;
• Managed services, including on-site and remote server and desktop support for Apple® (Mac), Microsoft®, and Linux platforms, and engineers certified in industry-leading certifications, such as Cisco®, Citrix®, and Linux;
• Printing solutions, including comprehensive printer fleet management that maximizes an organization’s assets and saves money;
• Data center assessments and solutions, ranging from services such as sub-floor cleaning, to one of country’s widest selections of data center media equipment and supplies, including 24/7 data center emergency supply service;
• Strong vendor relationships, including significant buying power that translates into considerable savings for customers and an outstanding product assortment that ensures access to all the top technology brands, such as Fujifilm, Hewlett-Packard®, IBM®, and Sun Microsystems ™; and
• Easy access to products, including innovative procurement solutions that fit a company’s IT needs and improved ordering efficiencies through eCommerce, EDI, XML, and third-party options.

As Vice President of Technology for the Boston Celtics, Jay Wessel is responsible for managing all aspects of technology for the organization – from strategic direction down to help-desk support for his end users. After his previous experiences with IT consultants resulted in more trouble than it was worth, he turned to Staples Technology Solutions’ network services offering.

"Many times when I would try to get help, we would end up spending a lot of money for someone to come in, do 90 percent of the work, then disappear with the hardest parts still left undone,” explained Wessel. "Where Staples Technology Solutions adds the most value for me is in the comfort level they provide. They continue to add value to the relationship by providing technology and systems recommendations, which makes it easier for the Celtics to choose and deploy the right solutions without me having to do the leg work.”

For additional information on Staples Technology Solutions, visit http://www.staplesadvantage.com.

About Staples Advantage

Staples Advantage, the business-to-business division of Staples, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPLS), serves mid-sized to Fortune 1000 companies, state and federal government agencies, and universities. Staples Advantage works collaboratively with its customers to enable procurement professionals to efficiently manage office products and services programs with a low cost-to-serve model. Staples Advantage has been certified by J.D. Power and Associates for delivering "An Outstanding Customer Service Experience” for six consecutive years. More information is available at www.staplesadvantage.com.

About Staples

Staples, the world’s largest office products company, is committed to making it easy for customers to buy a wide range of office products, including supplies, technology, furniture, and business services. With 2008 sales of $23 billion and 91,000 associates worldwide, Staples serves businesses of all sizes and consumers in 27 countries throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. In July 2008, Staples acquired Corporate Express, one of the world’s leading suppliers of office products to businesses and institutions. Staples invented the office superstore concept in 1986 and is headquartered outside Boston. More information about Staples (Nasdaq: SPLS) is available at www.staples.com.