I am excited to bring you the news that the Q1 one is Officially here. Tegatech Australia has today announced a partnership with Samsung Australia - Q1 Ultra Mobile PC Officially available! For me personally the lead up to this event has been UMPC making history in Australia, and is the turning of a new age for this region. Earlier this year I was regrettably told that Australia was not earmarked at all for the Q1, so upon hearing the news of its Official Availability I was absolutely rapt for the Aussie lovers of this gear!

Tegatech Australia Official Partner of Samsung Q1

In a partnership seen as strategic as much as anything else Samsung Australia today gave Official Distribution rights to Australias only Tablet PC Distributor, Tegatech. This means that Australia now has an "Aussie Q1" with specifications outlined in the spec sheet provided today.[Q1 in AUstralia]

Not only did the Q1 go live today but so did all the matching accessories - I cant wait to get the car kit and keyboard stuff! Given that the Q1 was the "Original" Origami (touted on all Samsung sites as the Worlds first UMPC) it warms me inside to know that Australia will now have exposure. As you all know Ive owned one for some time and it still is arguably the sexiest off all the UMPC available on the market. Cant wait to see what Australia thinks...

A copy of the Official Press Release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Samsung Australia selects Ultra Mobile PC Partner
Distributor Tegatech Australia gets Official Approval for Samsung Q1

Sydney, September 29th, 2006 – Tegatech Australia, a leader in the Ultra Mobile PC space, has today been given Official approval to distribute the Samsung Q1 to its channel of Authorised Resellers. In a move seen as strategic for Samsung the new partnership is designed to leverage off of Tegatech Australia’s key focus in the region – the Tablet.

“Our commitment to Distributing Tablet PC hardware in Australia and NZ has brought us to this point,” said a Tegatech representative. “We’re excited about the role and are placing as many resources available to ensure its success. The fact that the role has been given to us almost exclusively is a huge plus.”

Meanwhile Samsung is reported to be pleased with the decision as the Q1 Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC) still remains a fairly misunderstood product within the industry. Given the penetration that Tegatech Australia has in the Tablet PC market, Samsung is looking to leverage off of that and establish a solid presence for the Q1 device.

Tegatech has held key talks with National Sales Manager for Samsung Australia, Joe Serra, and is pleased with the outcomes. While Tegatech will not have access to much of the Samsung IT range Mr. Serra has asked for a concentrated focus from Tegatech towards the Q1 and the Reseller Channel.

“We understand the product and have a growing channel of Authorised Tablet PC Resellers with proven track records; they are innovative and proactive with their solutions. The Q1 not only provides a pleasant user experience but it can increase productivity too,” Tegatech said. “With our commitment to the Resellers, and the Samsung Q1, we can help ensure that UMPC is in fact a success downunder.”

About Tegatech Australia

Tegatech Australia is the only Tablet PC specific Distributor in the Australia/NZ marketplace. By focusing so heavily on the Tablet PC form factor Tegatech has enhanced the Reseller experience via a commitment to training and support. Close ties to Microsoft creates a synergy that allows resellers to grow and enhance their presence in the Tablet space.

Established in 2003 Tegatech is now seen as a market leader in the Tablet PC arena. By targeting resellers-only Tegatech has grown from strength-to-strength. Via strategic reseller partnerships that focus on vertical markets, and the corporate sectors, Tegatech is creating a groundswell of interest. Current Tablet successes include the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), National Australia Bank (NAB), TAB Corp and more.

For further information about Tegatech Australia or the Samsung Q1 UMPC please contact Tegatech on tel: + 61 2 9400 5666 or visit the website: http://www.tegatech.com.au

--ends—
Toll Free: 1800 615 617
Email: sales@tegatech.com.au
Website: http://www.tegatech.com.au
Image Bank: http://www.tegatech.com.au/reseller/image_bank.php

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This afternoon I went and bought a copy of ROAM Magazine, an Australian magazine dedicated to the mobility scene. Now I know we’re still searching for an answer, as to whether or not UMPC is useful, so when I saw the first Ultra Mobile PC oriented advertisement I thought I’d better post it.

On this occasion it’s a mob called Camera Action from Melbourne that a using the UMPC fame to capture the imagination of the target market. Not only have they placed a picture of the eo and a Canon Digital Camera on the full-page ad, but they’ve also followed up with a catch cry like “The future of mobile computing lies with the TabletKiosk UMPC. The future of digital imaging lies with us.”

Let’s hope this is the start of something good.

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MEDC (Mobile and Embedded DevCon) Australia is fast approaching and some facts are starting to emerge. Here’s what we know so far:

• MEDC is going to be on May 16th, so keep the date free
• it’s going to be a great event for developers and partners interested in Mobility and Embedded devices. Theyve announced new versions of Windows Mobile since the last MEDC so there will be plenty of great content, aimed at a technical audience.
• Microsoft folks are busy getting a new website up but in the meantime users can go to http://www.medc2007.com/ to find out more about what’s on offer and to sign up to be notified when registration opens.
  

If you’ve ever attended an MEDC you’ll know that they are high energy and can deliver some quality deep dive sessions that you just don’t get anywhere else, and certainly not on shelves. I love the hardware (but that’s just me) and the presenters like Dr. Neil Roodyn and Nick Randolph always seem to make the event worthwhile. This year keep an eye out for my travel mate and fellow MVP James McCutcheon.

So if you’re in town and want to be part of The Solution then why not take part in this year’s MEDC Australia. You never know, you might see me on stage waving arms and chanting hallelujah! (Not that Ive been asked to speak, yet, but I might just get up anyways.)

Aussie locals will be excited to catch up with favourites like Frank Arrigo, Jeff Alexander, Uber passionate Rick Anderson and the now legendary Don Kerr!

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