Joint venture boosts monitor market

Officials of NEC-Mitsubishi Electric Visual Systems Corp., an alliance between

NEC Corp. and Mitsubishi Electric Corp., last week announced the launch

of a North American subsidiary that will bring enhanced monitor technologies

to federal customers.

"The benefit of the joint venture will come with new products," said

Al Giazzon, vice president of the new subsidiary, NEC-Mitsubishi Electronics

Display of America Inc., based in Itasca, Ill. "The joint venture was launched

in Japan in April, and we've already integrated our engineering, manufacturing

and development teams."

Giazzon said the partnership came about because NEC is a market leader

in LCD monitors and claims the federal government as its third largest customer,

while Mitsubishi is a leading supplier of flat-screen CRTs. Combining their

areas of expertise was a natural fit, he said.

"The first new products should hit in September.and [from the outside]

there won't be that much difference," Giazzon said, adding that the new

monitors will still be marked with either NEC or Mitsubishi and not a joint

label. "But what will make it different is that the new technologies will

get out to markets faster and the end users will see the differences."

NEC and Mitsubishi will retain their individual General Services Administration

listings, so there will be no change for federal procurement officers. The

new, joint company is expected to have its own GSA schedule listing by October,

Giazzon said.