Internationally branded PCs every bit as local as locally branded PCs

There has been some controversy in the ICT market surrounding the investment, skills development and overall economic impact international computer brands have on the South African market and whether it is better for corporates to support brands originating in SA or those originating abroad.

"In reality several international PC brands, beyond being represented here, are assembled here, offering the same benefits to the local IT industry as locally manufactured brands in terms of job creation, skills development and stimulation of the our economy," says Guy Whitcroft, managing director of Tarsus Technologies.

Besides these benefits, internationally branded PCs that are locally assembled bring additional benefits to the corporate market in terms of stability, performance and build quality.

"The leading international brands are well known for their close relationships with the hardware component manufacturers and software vendors, a factor which contributes towards the overall stability of these systems," he says. "Add to this the capital these vendors generally spend on research and development as well as the effort they put into building finely tuned assembly facilities and you have a more stable, performance centric product," he says.

"With these same quality standards applied to local assembly facilities, customers are guaranteed of high-quality products that benefit from extensive international research and development efforts, while at the same time supporting the local IT industry, creating jobs and providing for skills transfer."

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Whitcroft says another benefit for the corporate market is that as a result of the international vendors` close relationship with the leading hardware manufacturers, the components used in internationally branded PCs tend to be standardised and procured from a single component manufacturer. This is something that ensures software images can successfully be rolled out across an entire fleet of workstations without problems arising from driver incompatibilities from changeable hardware components. Worldwide warranties are another important consideration for corporate buyers, especially considering the move towards a mobile workforce and the increase in international travel at an executive level.

"With an international warranty, executives are assured of support and the availability of repair facilities regardless of where they are in the world. This means that should something go wrong, the executive need not be without a working notebook for the duration of their trip," Whitcroft says.

Whitcroft says the local assembly of internationally branded hardware is very much a best of both worlds scenario.

"And it`s encouraging to see international vendors stepping up to the plate and localising their assembly facilities on a country-by-country basis. This means corporates not only benefit from the peace of mind that their IT acquisitions are backed by a successful and internationally recognised brand, but that they are doing their bit for the country, too: something that is imperative to transforming the local economy," he concludes.