By Martin Vedris
SYDNEY: Vivo, a new brand of AV and CE products distributed in Australia by Natcomp, is aiming for a middle of the market pricing and product strategy but the company will also go head to head with the Asus Eee PC in the mini laptop market.
“The Vivo mini PC is on the way and will go up against the Eee PC from Asus,” said Natcomp managing director, Fabio Grassia.
“The IT resellers have jumped on board with this product and we already have hundreds of orders on it. The product has good margin for the retailer at $399 RRP and it has 4 GB flash memory, 128 MB ram, a seven inch screen and mouse, it runs Windows CE and it’s very light.”
Grassia sees the mini notebook as just one new product that can help to stimulate sales in what is currently a tough retail market.
“The Mini-PC is something new, it is a new category that is generating interest and retailers are looking for an angle to bring people in. We’re also introducing a whole range of product and the mini PC is just one.”
Vivo is Natcomp’s own brand and Grassia says that his company sources product from the same factories that manufacture other major CE branded products. Natcomp has an office in Shenzen, China, where it sources product.
“Having the office in Shenzen puts us right at the forefront of the market, we see all the new technology and we are able to pick and choose what we want for the Australian market,” said Grassia.
“Our strength will be our ability to bring the very latest technology to the Australian market months ahead of everyone else.”
The Vivo product range currently includes LCD and plasma TVs, LCD monitors, the mini laptops, portable DVDs, GPS navigation systems and set top boxes.
“We’re also currently seeking retailer partners to stock our range of TVs,” said Grassia.
“There’s room out there for another brand, and we’re offering value for money, good quality and great design. You have the four top brands hustling for the number one spot— Samsung, LG, Panasonic and Sony— we’re in the middle of the market and offering a range of product that is two months ahead of everything else coming out of China, that’s our edge.”