Planar debuts trade-friendly flat-panel monitors

Planar Systems has tapped a number of government resellers to offer a new line of flat-panel monitors that satisfy the government’s manufacturing requirements.

Planar’s PQ1710M and PQ1910M LCD flat-panel displays -- 17-inch and 19-inch products, respectively -- comply with the Trade Agreements Act (TAA), the company said. According to TAA, if a company wants to offer its products on the General Services Administration schedules or other government vehicles, it must manufacture them in a country that has a free trade agreement with the United States.

Most of Planar’s manufacturing occurs in non-TAA countries, said Rob Baumgartner, director of marketing and operations at Planar’s Commercial Business Unit. But a South Korean Planar supplier manufactures the PQ product line. Baumgartner said he estimates that less than 10 percent of the company’s monitors are TAA-compliant.

Planar said CDW, Insight, PC Mall and MPC are some of the resellers that carry Planar products via the GSA schedules or are in the process of adding the company’s products. Planar began targeting the government flat-panel display market in 2004.