ABIT debuts holo ID stickers for mobos

Ponders withdrawing support for non-stickered product

By Tony Smith • Get more from this author

Posted in System Builder, 14th September 2004 11:11 GMT

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Mobo maker ABIT is to stamp credit card-style holographic ID stickers on its products, the company said today, in a bid to end unauthorised, 'grey' imports of its motherboards.

And the company is considering a move that will see owners of boards without said stickers no longer bring provided with support.

From today, all ABIT boards officially assigned to the UK market will be given the ID mark. "It will reassure consumers that they're receiving a genuine, up-to-date ABIT motherboard," said a company spokesman.

ABIT claimed British buyers have already been offered "outdated or even counterfeit" mobos, often at a price below that offered by authorised dealers.

ABIT's move is mainly geared to reassuring its channel partners, but the company said it hopes consumers will benefit too, from the knowledge that the board they've just bought is the Real McCoy.

The 'UK Genuine' sticker will act as a guarantee that the product will be serviced, said ABIT. Indeed, non-stickered boards may soon no longer qualify for support.

The company spokesman admitted that such a move can't happen yet - there are too many 'legitimate' boards out in the market without stickers, but the company is clearly looking forward to a time when it can only support 'UK Genuine' boards. ®

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