Compaq to Return to India This Year, but as a Smart TV Brand

A brand licensing deal will see the Compaq brand make a return on smart TVs

By Ali Pardiwala | Updated: 13 January 2020 15:47 IST

Compaq was a popular manufacturer of laptops till a few years ago

Highlights

Compaq was a popular manufacturer of laptops
The brand will return this year on smart TVs
Compaq TVs in India will be made by Ossify Industries

Compaq is a familiar name for anyone with even basic knowledge about laptops and computing; the brand was a popular one in the space till a few years ago. After a widely publicised merger with HP, the company slowly started losing relevance until the brand was finally discontinued in most global markets. The popular brand name is set to make a return this year, but on smart TVs, thanks to a new licensing deal that will see the brand relaunched in India.

Indian electronics manufacturer Ossify Industries, based in Delhi NCR, has acquired the rights to use the Compaq brand name for its smart TVs. The company will manufacture televisions to be sold in India under the Compaq brand name. This might seem a bit strange considering that Compaq was known for its computing products, but users might feel a connect with the brand which could help sell televisions. Compaq-branded televisions are expected to be launched in India in early 2020, although no details about the products have been revealed.

It's likely that these will be affordable smart televisions, and could also be sold exclusively online through one of the major e-commerce portals in India. There's no firm timeline on exactly when the Compaq products will be launched or even what can be expected, but it's possible that we'll see smart TVs across various sizes and resolutions.

The idea of an established manufacturer acquiring the licensing rights for a major brand isn't new; various brands in the affordable television segment in India are operated this way. The list includes brands such as Thomson, JVC, and Kodak, with the third having a notable similarity to Ossify Industries use of the Compaq brand - neither Kodak nor Compaq were television makers or even in related fields.

Buying a budget TV online? We discussed how you can pick the best one, on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.

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