CA promises to clean up customer care

Computer Associates (CA) has admitted neglecting customers in the past but has promised to improve both service and communication from now on.

Speaking at CA world in Florida, CA CEO Sanjay Kumar said: "Our main focus this year is our customers and we are really committed to take our customer service up a notch. We have learnt from our mistakes in the past and I intend to make the business better by focusing on our customers."

The company was strongly criticised last summer for its poor customer relations when one of the company's major investors, Texan millionaire Sam Wyly, led a shareholder revolt against the company. Wyly demanded the CA board be overturned because of lack of customer care.

Kumar added: "We've learned a valuable lesson from the Wyly affair: we must communicate more - and we are fully committed in doing this."

CA has had a tough year: the company is currently undergoing a US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) inquiry into its accounting practices.

However, Russell Artzt, VP of research and development at CA, said he's not worried about the SEC probe.

He said: "These things seem to be very fashionable at the moment. I think it's a post-Enron reaction, but I know we have nothing to worry about. Our customers and investors certainly are continuing to have faith in us."

Some analysts claim CA's new "softer" image might be a reaction to all the recent bad press.

Graham Titterington, principal analyst at Ovum, said: "We'll have to wait and see what happens to get a proof the new caring CA. We need proof this is not just hype."