Optima loss sad for the industry according to CRN readers

Optima’s parent company Optima ICM, appointed David Mansfield and Rick Porter of Moore Stephens as voluntary administrators for its subsidiaries Optima Technology Solutions, Digital City Group and 3CSHOP International on the 24 July.

One reader, Paddy Hansen, told CRN: "We have purchased sold and serviced Optima brand computers for many years and found them to be a great Australian brand very sad news for another great Australian company."

Another reader who asked to remain anonymous, said: "I have been an Optima service agent for five years. Pretty sad outcome for them, they made a good computer and gave great service"

When CRN first brought out a news story on Optima’s problems there was hope from the channel that Optima would override its financial problems. One reader, Yolanda Chan, said: "I'm sure they are fine, if it were really hard times the factory and all its stock would have burnt down. Optima's been on the brink for a decade. New management is the only solution."

Some CRN readers felt the technology company had only itself to blame for its problems. Reader Scott Cam took task with the company's management. "This is an example of a mismanaged Australian company. Betting the company on a loss making Retail chain has to be one of the worst decisions in the industry," he said.

Another CRN reader cited ongoing supply issues. “A couple of years ago Optima was a major supplier of computers to my business. However when we left the Retravision group and became a member of the BSR group Optima would not supply us. With restrictive supply their brand name surely has to suffer.”

Reader Peter Holland felt Optima should have been mindful of problems with other mass merchant IT retail chains. "You would have thought that Optima would have seen the chaos Harris Technology have been in and kept away from retail. They had the ability to differentiate, now they are lumbered with an albatross."

While another felt the government had a role to play. "Optima's woes can be traced back before the ASIC investigation, to when the NSW Government agencies started nickle and diming the industry. No profits left so the smallest support issue costs huge money. The purchase of a retail chain was a classic "jump the shark". A good idea but with very high risk and overheads. No one can really survive stuck between the monolith of HP, agility of Dell and the low costs of Lenovo. It's just not a place to be an "Australian" manufacturer,” said Aaron Cairns.