Pictured: Chris Pallett
The aftermath of severe flooding in Thailand is set to reach the
UK as computer prices rise following the disaster, the Shropshire
chairman of the Chartered Institute of IT warned today.
The country's worst floods in more than half a century have
claimed the lives of hundreds of people and affected millions. The
disaster left 14,000 factories under water and more than 600,000
out of work.
And Chris Pallett, of Bespoke Computing Ltd in Telford and the
Shropshire chairman of CIIT, said the impact will be felt across
the world.
He said: "Acer and Samsung have already said their prices are
going to go up and the CEO of Western Digital, a major hard drive
manufacturer, has said the concentration of its supply chain
factories in various flooded industry parks in Thailand means it
will be greatly impacted.
"Pricing is set to rise due to a number of factors including
lower economies of scale, and increased logistical costs. Western
Digital has so far been unable to specify the hike in average sales
prices.
"On top of this technology prices are greatly influenced by the
USD and Euro rates meaning businesses, now more than ever, need to
think about their purchases. It will mean investing more to buy
equipment that will meet their needs."
Mr Pallett urged business owners to take independent advice
before buying new equipment and to be aware of the changes - which
will include shortages in equipment - before they make any
decisions.
"Distribution giant Computer 2000 has put disk drives on manual
allocation while other distributors have completely frozen sales
while they review the impact of the flooding," he added.
"It is already a tough time for businesses as the economy
struggles and the rise in computer prices may well be harmful for
companies making the wrong decision with the future of their
IT.
"Some businesses may decide to upgrade or refurbish equipment to
extend its lifetime, others can look at new technologies and
servicing will become more important than ever."
Bespoke Computing Ltd has access to all major brands and
provides independent advice to companies large or small.
For more information visit www.bespokecomputing.com or
contact 0845 004 3025.