A group of New Zealand computer manufacturers are to form an association to lobby the Government to buy New Zealand-made machines, and will support warranties of members' PCs should a member go out of business. This move follows a meeting of 20 companies in Auckland last week.
Colin Brown, managing director of The PC Company, says inaugural members of the Computer Manufacturers Association of New Zealand will include Brown's own firm, Arche Technologies, Samcor Computers, TMC Computers, Ultra Computers, Cyclone Computers and JDI. There are about 200 local assemblers nationwide.
"There has never been a collective voice for local manufacturers," says Brown. "If you look at our inaugural members, they represent a significant percentage of New Zealand PCs being shipped."
According to IDC New Zealand, local PC manufacturers have around 33 per cent of the total PC market share in New Zealand. Brown disputes this figure, saying it is "significantly higher" and growing.
Mark Forbes of Ultra Computers says the local industry is now mature enough to have such an association and he does not believe competitiveness between local assemblers will stymie the formation or functioning of the group.
Brown says nothing has been formalised yet, but there will be a fee and members will have the right to display an association logo on their PCs. To be eligible as a member, a PC manufacturer must have been in business for more than five years.
