Acorn Appoints ZCL As Sole UK Retail Distributor For A3010 range - world's
lowest priced 32-bit RISC computer
Acorn Computers Ltd, the world's first supplier of 32-bit RISC personal computers, has appointed ZCL plc as sole distributor of its popular A3010 Action Pack and Learning Curve products, as part of its extensive pre-Christmas sales push. The distribution agreement means that the Acorn range, with its competitive £299 entry-level price point, is strongly positioned to fill the gap left by the Amiga in the marketplace this Christmas.
Terry Shurwood, Retail Sales Manager at Acorn Computers, comments:
"Acorn's decision to reduce the prices of the A3010 range by up to 25% puts our RISC-based computers and software bundles in the same price bracket as games consoles. The opportunity this presents to dealers, keen to take advantage of the profitable Christmas market, is immense. Our agreement with ZCL means even more dealers can offer parents the chance to give their children the full benefits of a proper keyboard-based computer which can play games, run educational and business software and print to a printer."Don Carter, Chairman of ZCL plc, comments:
"The once a year Christmas market is a crucial time for ZCL and its dealer base and having the right product available at the right price is critical. We knew it was unlikely Commodore would be back for Christmas and that the absence of the Amiga would leave the Christmas market going begging. We have been aware of Acorn for a long while and in negotiation for a number of weeks and I am delighted to have come to this agreement with them. I am sure they will do very well in the next few months."The three software bundles available with the A3010 - Action Pack, Early Years and Learning Curve - are designed to meet 'edutainment' and home computing needs. Action Pack retails at £299.00 inc VAT, while the Early Years and Learning Curve bundles are priced at £399.00 inc VAT.
ZCL plc will be distributing the Acorn range to its 700 strong independent dealer base through the group's trade distribution company, Taurus Distribution. The products will also be available through ZCL's 20 Calculus retail outlets. Acorn will continue to supply its existing direct account dealer network and High Street multiples.
ZCL plc has been a distributor to the independent sector for 12 years and handles the full Panasonic range including 3DO, Atari Jaguar, Hyundai and Calibra PCs.
Founded in 1978, with 1993 revenues of £54.3m, Acorn Computers is the premier supplier of IT solutions to UK education and has been the leading provider of 32-bit RISC based personal computers since 1987. Acorn works closely with a strong community of industry partners, users and software developers to provide innovative technology solutions for the education, consumer, publishing and international markets.
The Acorn Computer Group is a holding company for Acorn Computers Limited, Acorn Australia, Acorn New Zealand, Acorn GmbH and Online Media. Acorn Computer Group owns 43% of ARM Ltd. Online Media, a division of the Acorn Computer Group, was launched in 1994 with the mission to design world class, interactive multimedia products.