Foxconn appoints eSys, Bluechip

Foxconn has stepped up its presence in Australia appointing eSys Integrated and Bluechip IT to distribute its range of desktop PC and server motherboards, chassis and cooling systems to resellers.

Both companies joined Altech, Legend and Todaytech on Foxconn’s distribution list in Australia, said Foxconn’s Wilson Cheng. These distributors also sell chassis and cooling system products.

Legend was originally appointed as a Foxconn motherboard distributor in September 2004. A TodayTech spokesperson said the distributor was still doing business with Foxconn.

Taiwan-based Cheng told CRN he would move to Sydney in the August/September timeframe into the role of local country manager. He expected to hire a technical and sales staff member shortly after his arrival.

George Skaf, general manager at eSys said the distributor had existing agreements with Foxconn in Singapore, China and Taiwan.

Foxconn is a supplier of motherboards for the “eSys PC” a computer that is sold through retailers such as Walmart in the UK, said Skaf.

The eSys PC was sometimes given away for free with internet access contracts, he said.

He said the distributor didn’t have any plans to offer that product through retailers here. Skaf believed that Foxconn could well in the Australian market.

“I expect them to be a reasonable force to take on the likes of Gigabyte and Asus in Australia,” he said.

He said that Foxconn had plans to strike OEM agreements with local assemblers which would be fulfilled through distribution.

Bluechip boss Johnson Hsiung was not available for comment at press time.

Foxconn supplies motherboards to some of the largest computer companies in the world including Dell and HP and is the trading name for the Hon Hai Precision Industry.