Johannesburg, 13 Feb 2012
An Android-operated tablet, designed by a South African company for Africa's mass market, has launched via PEP Cell stores with resounding success.
The netsurferTOUCH - with a powerful embedded 3G modem for high-speed Internet upload and download - retails for R1 999.99 and is the brainchild of Graham Davies and Tracy Andersson, joint CEOs of Future Mobile Technology, the company that owns the netsurfer and wyzeman consumer electronic brands.
“We saw an opportunity to design mobile Internet devices for a much neglected mass market,” says Davies. “We identified Africa as a high growth area for cellular products and mobile Internet-enabled devices. We recognised that, because everything on offer were high-priced international brands, the increasing digital divide had, in fact, created an opportunity for us.”
The thinking behind the netsurferTOUCH is that, while it might be aimed at the mass market, it does not compromise on quality or specs, which punch way above its weight.
“We recognise that our lower-priced tablet is relatively just as expensive to someone earning R5 000 per month as a higher-priced iPad or Samsung Galaxy is to someone earning R15 000 per month,” says Davies, a chartered accountant.
Andersson says the netsurferTOUCH is attractive to all. “Although it is priced to cater for the lower LSM, because of quality and specs, the product is attractive to everyone.
“We don't identify our potential clients solely by their LSM, where they live or how much they earn. But in order to be price competitive and become the number one brand of choice, we had to view our distribution channels and market sector differently,” she says.
“Firstly, we defined the market segment that we wanted to penetrate and own based simply on our knowledge that the need existed for a high-quality, well-priced tablet with superior aftercare service. The appeal to the rest of the market came purely because of the product's high-end specs, production quality, after-sales service and, of course, its price!”
Davies and Andersson researched the industry, and were surprised to find that, in general, buyers of consumer goods for big retailers were slaves to international trends. Being a new, innovative and local company did not help their cause.
Enter PEP stores. “Our experience with other retailers galvanised the idea, and our belief, that PEP would be our ideal partner. The fact that they did not stock computers did not deter us at all,” says Andersson.
Andersson adds that PEP recognised their vision. “It felt as if someone had put the lights on! PEP Stores immediately understood the proposition and huge opportunity it presented to them.”
And so the relationship was born.
Davies says the device is being used throughout Africa and has already been tested in the UK. “We are currently waiting for EU certification approval and are planning to launch the netsurfer brand in the UK later this year,” he says.
The ICASA-approved netsurferTOUCH can be used for e-mail, office work, banking, reading e-books, searching the Internet, playing games, completing education tasks, listening to music, and even tuning in to foreign radio stations.
A key part of Future Mobile Technology's proposition is its free training and support, in seven languages. “A lot of people are afraid to embrace the digital age due to fear of the unknown,” says Andersson. “The vast majority of South African consumers have, until now, been virtually excluded from the Internet due to cost and accessibility. Now that they have access, they will also need help and assistance with using it.”
Davies ran a successful consumer IT support service in the UK and this experience has helped the company set up extraordinary after-sales service for customers in South Africa.
“Our philosophy is that we don't just sell products; we also help people to use the products and get more out of them. If the customer understands the product and can see the benefit of the device, the interest in new technology grows and the demand for new devices increases,” Davies explains.
About netsurferTOUCH
The netsurferTOUCH is designed for maximum mobile Internet enjoyment. Among its key features are:
* It connects to the Internet instantly on the go using embedded 3G technology
* It has a dual-core ARM Cortex A9 processor for extra speed and power
* It has 512MB of RAM
* It has 8GB internal storage
* It has a five-point touch-screen with Pinch-to-Zoom technology to guide the user's way around the Internet
* It can be used to watch HD videos on an HD, plasma or LCD television
* It can be used as a phone to make and receive calls
* It gives you the technology to read your e-mails on the go
* It can be used to read e-books (The Kindle App can be downloaded free from the Internet)
* It has pre-installed Excel, PowerPoint and Word so you can view files (upgrade to create and edit files available for $9.99)
* It can be used for social media, including Facebook and Twitter
* It has a 1.3MP camera
* The screen display is seven inches with 480x800 pixels resolution
* It is pre-installed with the SlideMe Market App, which can be used to download free apps
* It accesses audio, photo and video formats
* It comes with a hardly leather casing to keep it safe.
Future Mobile Technology is a South African company, based in Cape Town. www.futuremobile.biz
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