Direct sellers Rock Computers will launch a new range of notebooks which it is planing to sell exclusively through resellers to avoid conflict with its direct sales business. The Warwickshire-based manufacturer will offer its Iridium range of notebooks to the channel in around 4-6 weeks' time. Rock currently has around 700 dealers. It started experimenting with the channel around 18 months ago. The company will change its name to Rock Group and operate as a parent company with two trading divisions beneath it. One will be called Rock Computers, and will continue to sell direct to end-users, and the channel focused notebook division will be called Iridium. Iridium dealers will sell the products exclusively through the channel. Retail prices will range from £899 to about £2000. Nick Boardman, Rock Computers' MD, said the Iridium range would not be aimed at resellers who sold big numbers of laptops, but rather for the occasional notebook sale. ®