Elonex switches to Everex brand after palmtop deal

Elonex has ditched its own brand name in favour of US manufacturer Everex after it unveiled an agreement to import its palmtops into the UK, making them available for the first time.

The manufacturer recently signed a deal with Everex to import the #299 Freestyle manager and #322 executive palmtops.

Based in Fremont, California, Everex is part of a $14 billion multinational conglomerate which also sells desktops, workstations, servers and notebooks.

Everex sells its hardware and notebooks through resellers and distributors.

It also has retail deals with US vendors for its notebooks, but the company does not have a UK PC subsidiary.

Gideon Wetrin, marketing manager at Elonex, told PC Dealer that the direct manufacturer had secured a UK supply contract with retail chain Allders. It was not known whether Elonex would look to gain further retail supply deals.

Commenting on the fact that the Elonex-marketed palmtops will carry the Everex brand, Wetrin said: 'I don't think we have ever done anything like this before.'

He added that the manufacturer was considering striking deals with other resellers outside the UK to sell the Everex-branded palmtops but refused to reveal details.

'It's not something we are going to manufacture and build over here and it's going to be something users want, so why not do it?'

He added: 'The Everex brand is well regarded and well recognised in the US. People have been contacting Everex in the States from the UK to get the palmtops because they also know the name.'

Wetrin disputed the suggestion that the deal would harm Elonex's brand image, claiming that it had sold monitors, under similar rebranding exercises.

'It's not something we have offered before but nobody else is offering it. We saw a gap and have filled that gap,' he said.