Home PC scheme gains fans
Businesses' awareness of HCI scheme has doubled since launch
The Home Computing Initiative (HCI) Alliance claimed awareness of the scheme among businesses has almost doubled since it was relaunched in January.
Set up in 1999, the HCI allows employers to offer employees a tax-exempt loan to buy home PCs. Repayments are taken out of their salaries.
A recent HCI Alliance survey found that 72 per cent of senior business decision-makers are aware of HCI, compared with 37 per cent before the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) relaunched the programme.
Andrew Pinder, the UK's e-Envoy, said the government's work with industry, the Confederation of British Industry and the Trade Union Conference has helped to raise awareness of the benefits that HCI can offer.
Tony Kingston, marketing director at VAR Deverill, confirmed that the HCI programme has become better known in the channel. "We are currently considering it," he added.
Sarah Scott, UK desktop business manager at Acer, which launched an HCI-focused product bundle in March, said the initiative is paying off.
"Before, nobody was taking it up but now there is interest. We are working with resellers that are dedicated to the scheme, and seem to be winning," she said.