By Sarah Falson

SYDNEY: Dell Inc is now selling flat panel televisions from electronics manufacturer, Sony Corp, and said it will soon offer products from a variety of other manufacturers.

Four Sony Bravia LCD televisions are now available for purchase on Dell’s Australian website, alongside two models from Viewsonic. All four Sony flatscreens are discounted, with up to 38 per cent off a 40-inch model.

According to Dell corporate communications manager, Paul McKeon, Sony TVs have been on sale through the IT company for a while, though it isn’t clear if the 40- and 46-inch models are a new addition to the line-up.

“[I’m] not sure it’s all that big news in Australia,” McKeon told Current.com.au

“We have not offered Dell-branded TVs larger than 19 inches here and have been offering Sony’s locally for some time now.”
 
However, according to a report from the NY Times, the addition of Sony Bravia televisions to Dell’s line-up in the US is part of a recent business strategy to appeal more to the consumer market, as Dell has typically focused its attention on business.

Two Sony Bravia LCD televisions – a 40- and a 46-inch – are now on sale through the Dell website in the USA.

There has been some stipulation about retail disquiet, regarding the news in Australia, as Dell is known for its hard-to-beat deals, with some suggesting that Dell could be set tp steal valuable customers from some of the larger retailers.
According to Sony Australia, the Bravia-manufacturer isn’t directly aligned with Dell, but rather Dell purchases the televisions from distributors and re-sells them at a discounted price.

"Sony Australia does not have a direct relationship with Dell. We are unable to comment on another company’s sales strategy," Sony Australia national sales manager, David Hargreaves, told Current.com.au