With the ever-increasing focus on convergence, the South African user community has begun to embrace the dynamics of making conventional voice calls using Internet infrastructure, effecting a veritable explosion in the use of consumer-oriented voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) solutions such as Skype.
One drawback of using a solution such as Skype has, however, been the need to equip a PC with a microphone and a set of earphones. Users need to purchase a headset designed expressly for Internet telephony purposes, or for more serious users, a USB or Bluetooth-compatible `phone` device that allows them to move around their workstation or notebook untethered.
Noticing the growing popularity of Internet-based telephony both in the local and international markets, Tarsus has announced the availability of the Acer Travelmate 4670 and 8200 series notebooks, which apart from offering an impressive line-up of high-end specifications come bundled with a Bluetooth VOIP phone and all of the software required to start taking advantage of free Internet telephony.
Says Traci Maynard, Acer business unit manager at Tarsus Technologies: "One of Tarsus`s ongoing goals is to provide solutions and bundles that make sense in the local market. By adding this Bluetooth phone device and software to an already impressive notebook, we believe we`re making the value proposition offered by mobility and Internet telephony that much more compelling."
Under the hood, Maynard says the TM4670 and TM8200 feature an impressive line-up of hardware components.
"The TM4670 makes use of Intel`s new Centrino Duo T2300 processor, which on its own, delivers a rather noticeable increase in performance over its predecessors.
"This is in turn backed by up to 2GB of DDR2 Memory and a 100GB 5400RPM SATA hard disk. Visuals are provided by a 15.4-inch WXGA flat panel monitor and an ATI X1400 or X1600 that makes use of either 128MB (dedicated) and 256MB (shared), or 256MB (dedicated) and 512MB (shared) of Hypermemory, depending on what the user`s preference is.
"The feature set is rounded out by a DVD-Super Multi-double layer optical drive, an 802.11a/b/g wireless network adapter, 5-in-1 card reader, and of course, the Bluetooth VOIP phone," she explains.
"The TM8200 also boasts a built-in 1.3MP camera, which users can employ for video conferencing and video calling over the IP network," she adds.
"Overall, at the R13 999 recommended end-user price, the TM4670 is an awesome deal. For those users looking for higher-end componentry and a higher memory capacity, the TM8200 is available at a recommended end-user price of R19 999," Maynard adds.
"We`re predicting an enthusiastic response to our notebook bundles, since they provide the exact combination of functionality the market has been demanding for a long while now. We believe the channel and the end-user will do well by taking advantage of this combination of solutions," she concludes.
Share
With 20 years` experience in the ICT industry, Tarsus is the leading value-added distributor in South Africa, specialising in the supply of the world`s foremost PC and peripheral hardware brands to the local reseller channel.
Tarsus strives to meet the channel`s needs for credit funding, stock availability and efficient logistics, ensuring resellers are able to deliver the highest quality service to their customers, focus on support and compiling the best overall solutions for their end-user customer base at the lowest possible cost.
The company prides itself on its flexibility, adaptability, knowledge, skills and successful track record combined with an industry-leading ability to manage large roll-outs. These are the reasons Tarsus has consistently been rated as the top distributor in the country by international vendors, resellers and the IT media alike.
With its strong commitment to the South African channel, Tarsus is able to not only make the reseller channel more efficient, but more importantly, it plays a vital role in dramatically reducing the costs of doing business in the local ICT market.
Brands represented by the Tarsus stable include industry leaders like Acer, HP, IBM, Lenovo, Oki, Samsung, TallyGenicom, Targus and Wyse Technology.
More information about Tarsus is available at: http://www.tarsus.co.za.
Editorial contacts