HP rolled out its new Support Contract Assistant Web site late in September, a way to manage the HP contracts that have been giving customers fits for years. The SCA site at esca.americas.hp.com (and worldwide at esca.hp.com) lets customers view and sort their current contracts, renewal quotes and proposals for new contracts; submit online change requests and receive e-mail acknowledgements; request and receive online quotes for new service coverage; authorize payment of support renewals and proposals electronically, by accepting credit cards; and heck warranty information on installed equipment and provide geographical availability for support services (in the US only). “I’m not sure we understood how painful this was for our customers,” said HP’s Kelly Ames of today’s contract management process. Customers reported great glee in dropping cumbersome tasks like faxing a contract to HP so its support group could discover what it had sold to the HP customer. Best of all, the new online service is free once you sign up at the Web site. (See our November issue for a 3000 manager’s TestDrive of HP’s new SCA Web site.)