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- From: aglover@acorn.co.uk (Alan Glover)
- Subject: Acorn Press Release 1 of 8 (Summary)
- Date: 27 Aug 92 10:21:12 GMT
-
- Acorn Targets new Markets with Major Products Launch
-
- Acorn Computers Limited has unveiled a strategy designed to
- enlarge its market presence significantly by exploiting the
- power and maturity of its 32-bit RISC computers.
-
- The strategy includes strengthening Acorn's hold on the UK
- education market (where nine out of every ten schools in the
- UK already use Acorn equipment) and at the same time
- establishing a significant presence in the UK consumer and
- professional markets. In addition, Acorn's overseas
- operations are being targeted for major growth.
-
- As the first step towards implementing the strategy, Acorn
- today revealed a line-up of 14 new products, introduced
- significant changes to its reseller channels and launched a
- new partnership designed to strengthen its support services
- for schools throughout the country.
-
- In introducing these changes, Acorn's Managing Director Sam
- Wauchope spoke of the maturity of the technologies on which
- Acorn products are based now being more widely recognised.
-
- "The performance of our ARM processors, coupled with the
- functionality and consistency of our RISC OS operating
- system, have created an environment comfortable for novices
- to learn in, but flexible and powerful enough for the
- professional user. Software developers also have
- appreciated these features as well as our development
- support, and it is our partnerships with them which have
- created the wealth of software available for our machines
- today" he said.
-
- The new products launched today included:
-
- An improved and extended A3000 range - based on the new
- ARM250 processor, which is 1.4 times faster than a
- 33 MHz 386DX - more product configurations with up to
- 4 MB of RAM and greater expansion capability, including
- options with fast internal 60 MB hard drives. Prices
- start at #499 including VAT.
-
- A new A4000 series - again based on the ARM250, but in a
- professional three-box system (including choice of monitor
- types). The A4000 incorporates an 80MB hard drive and
- allows the use of low-cost mini-expansion cards for the
- first time in an Acorn three-box system. New and improved
- versions of the already popular A5000 range - all based on
- the ARM3 processor which delivers performance equivalent to
- a 486 processor (over 20,000 Dhrystones). Configuration
- options now include models with 2MB RAM/80MB hard drive,
- 4MB/120MB and two network models with no hard drive but the
- necessary network cards for Ethernet or Acorn's own low-cost
- Econet.
-
- All of the above products incorporate RISC OS 3, the latest
- release of Acorn's highly-acclaimed operating system.
-
- A new release of Acorn's Level 4 Fileserver - the first
- product in its Universal Networking strategy which enables
- different computer types to be interconnected by using the
- concept of Open Systems, and incorporating industry
- standards such as TCP/IP.
-
- In addition to the desktop computers unveiled, Acorn showed
- off its new Pocket Book computer offering functionality
- required to serve the basic computing needs of every child.
-
- Today's launch also emphasised the success already achieved
- by the Acorn A4, the ARM3 - powered notebook range launched
- on 1st July.
-
- Acorn is targeting markets beyond its traditional heartland
- of education with these new products. There are a number of
- packaged offerings aimed at various segments of the home
- market, from the Family Solution through the
- well-established Learning Curves to The Home Office for
- personal productivity.
-
- In the professional arena, a range of Publishing Systems has
- been created and more offerings of this style and standard
- are promised. Considerable success has already been achieved
- in this area with major sales, and partnerships with third
- parties from the printing and publishing industries already
- established.
-
- Overseas, Acorn's own operations in Australia and New
- Zealand are developing strongly, and the new products will
- be used to support new initiatives in key European
- countries.
-
- The product pricing announced today also confirmed Acorn's
- entry into the volume home market, with the entry-level
- Family Solution priced at #499 incl. VAT. The full range of
- products is aggressively positioned with the new products
- slotting in alongside existing models, enhanced but also
- reduced in price. For instance, the A5000 4MB 120HD with
- four expansion slots and multiscan monitor, is priced at
- #1,599 ex VAT.
-
-
- "We remain the only company so far selling products designed
- to offer the advantages of RISC processing to the
- individual", said Sam Wauchope. "Our new pricing policy
- will emphasise this and allow even more people to take
- advantage of the wealth of software now established for our
- products".
-
- To address these new markets, Acorn has made major changes
- to its reseller channels. It will now supply and support
- directly some 50 dealers, including those committed to the
- education market. Hugh Symons Distribution will operate as
- Acorn's distributor for the consumer market, supplying a
- consumer dealer base of some 300 dealers.
-
- Acorn's new consumer range will also be available through
- all the major High Street retailers specialising in
- computers, including Dixons, Curry's and The John Lewis
- Partnership, and through major catalogues such as
- Littlewoods, GUS and Argos. In total, Acorn computers will
- be available through more than 1,000 U.K. High Street
- outlets in the run-up to Christmas.
-
- In launching this major initiative, Sam Wauchope said "It is
- clear there remains great demand for the right computing
- products in this country and overseas. It is clear also
- that customers are increasingly selective in what they buy.
- They want computers with the power, the flexibility and the
- software to do the job; they want reliability and quality,
- and they want a supplier who will support them over the life
- of the product. Acorn has demonstrated all of these
- capabilities together with a development and upgrade
- strategy that ensures their investment will give them value
- long after competitors' products are forgotten".
-
- "Today marks a major change of pace for Acorn." he
- continued. "We remain committed to the education market and
- to expanding our market share of over 50%; but we are also
- committing the resources to exploit more widely the mature
- and powerful product range we have today, and the future
- products to come from our extensive research and development
- programme. Keep a close eye on Acorn over the coming
- months. The initiatives announced today for the consumer and
- professional markets will only be the first, in this country
- and overseas, as Acorn grows over the next few years to
- become an internationally-recognised player in the computer
- industry."
-
- Ends
-
-