Although well-established in the global display market, ViewSonic is a relatively little known player in the UK. Founded in 1987 in the US, the company has achieved the fifth position in the worldwide LCD panel market in 2006 (Q2), after Dell, Samsung, HP and Acer. Its 2006 European sales growth (PC and TV monitors, but also LCD TVs) was averaging between 50 and 65%.
ViewSonic has a number of ‘firsts’ in its sector. On LCDs, the company was first to incorporate USB-II as a built-in feature and first to offer digital interfaces on a monitor. It works closely with Microsoft, and during Q1 2007, its entire line of LCD monitors will be certified for Microsoft Windows Vista. Its projected sales for 2007 are 12 million panels.
Yet, the brand awareness is one of the main challenges for ViewSonic in the UK market. Andrew Bryant, retail sales manger UK and Ireland at ViewSonic Europe, commented to IER: “Brand recognition is an issue on which we need to work hard in this country. We plan to address it by working closely with the trade, particularly with the independents who better than anyone can educate the consumer about the benefits of ViewSonic products which feature the latest technology at an affordable price.
“We are preparing a set of favourable trade terms which we wish to offer to the independent dealers with our products which feature state of the art technology, such as the ViewSonic VX1945wm ViewDock LCD. It clearly adds value to a display panel, making it a digital media destination by incorporating iPod dock, 8-1 card reader, microphone, 4 USB ports and subwoofer.”
Andy stresses that the company is focused on customer care which includes a consumer helpline, enhanced warranty and upgrade options, but also helps retailers to manage the life cycle of contracted products and provides price protection.
