VTech Telecommunications Australia, whose parent company manufacturers Telstra-branded home phones, has announced it will launch VTech-branded residential telephones in Australia in March 2015.
Headquartered in Hong Kong, VTech claims it is the world’s largest manufacturer of cordless phones. For the past 15 years VTech has manufactured phones under various agreements for the Australian market, including signing a deal with Telstra in 2009 to sell, distribute, advertise, market and promote Telstra phones.
When Appliance Retailer asked Telstra what this meant for its own brand of home phones the telco responded, “VTech will continue to manufacture Telstra branded fixed line phones, however, distribution into all channels will now be managed by Telstra directly. In addition to working with VTech, we also source Telstra branded phones from SGWGlobal.”
SGW Global is headquartered in Shenzhen, China and manufactures, designs and distributes telecoms products and services.
VTech, which also distributes VTech branded baby monitors in Australia, said that market research shows the brand is widely recognised in Australia.
“The timing is 100 per cent right to launch our own brand in the market,” said Mark Franklin, managing director of VTech Telecommunications Australia.
“With the ever-changing telecommunications landscape in Australia, consumers are looking for a leading global brand to take them forward as the network changes. VTech, as the world’s number one manufacturer of cordless telephones, is that brand. We have a product and technology suite second to none, and as such will be able to deliver all that consumers are looking for in their home phone, and more.”
The new VTech branded range will include phones at opening price points through to high end cordless phones with video doorbell functions.
Related: Hold the phone! The Ultimate Guide to Home Monitoring and Communications in 2014