ACT franchise
ACTis nowplanning to setup
its own shops. From an ACT
shop, you should be able to buy
the sort of things that you can
buy in any business-computing
store, with the obvious extra
point that you should be able to
buy the entire ACT and Pulsar
software range.
The chain of ACT shops will
be called Computerworld if the
group gets its way, but there are
obstacles to the name. There is
a company which is called
Computer World Trade, which
admittedly didn't j timp into my
mind when I heard
Computerworld, but which
might nonetheless get edgy.
And there is a newspaper called
ComputerWorld. Normally,
thereis nothingto stopa shop
havingthesamenameasa
newspaper, but again, it leaves
the edge of uncertainty lying
about to trip over.
Interestingly, the idea is
notforACTtoownthe
Computerworld stores. The
pilot store has been set up with a
minority ACT ownership, in
Bristol- but the company
executives assure me that this is
an exception.
Instead, the stores will be
franchised, like McDonald
burgers. ACT will provide the
ddcor, to ensure they all look
alike, and can share in the
benefit of group advertising,
but the store manager will have
hisownbusiness.
Anddespitewhatyoumay
think, people selling the ACT
Sirius will be able to sell other
micros -'even the IBM PC if
they can convince us they need
the franchise,'said an
executive. 'But obviously we
will generally take the line that
we have such a wide range of
products that they shoul dn't
needto.'
