Gateway Inc. has set its sights on $30 billion in sales by 2004. The San Diego-based personal computer maker plans for most of its future profits to come from sales of items and services other than PCs.
Gateway plans to team with Sun Microsystems Inc., the largest seller of computer servers to Internet service providers and Web sites, to provide big-business customers with Gateway computers and Sun’s Internet-based computing solutions.
In a $25 million stock acquisition, Gateway has agreed to buy eSoft, a provider of Linux-based software. With the eSoft purchase, Gateway will be able to provide small businesses with upgradeable Internet solutions.
Gateway also announced plans to create 1,000 Gateway-managed stores within a store at OfficeMax stores, similar to Apple Computer Inc.’s successful stores in CompUSA outlets.
Gateway currently operates 240 Gateway Country Stores across the nation and plans to build 100 more this year.
Gateway, the second largest direct seller of PCs, after Dell Computer Inc., had $8.65 billion in 1999 sales, with $427 million in earnings.
