Adelaide’s Allied to assemble laptops for Google

Allied Corporation will become the first company in Australia and only the 13th in the world to make Google Chromebook laptops, with Cleve Area School and Murray Bridge High School the first schools to use the new computers.

“A very big day for us, as we welcomed Premier Peter Malinauskas and Minister Nick Champion to Allied HQ as we announce a partnership with Google to produce their Chromebook laptops here in South Australia – a first for any tech company in Australia and New Zealand,” Allied announced on Thursday.

“Starting with a pilot program with two SA schools, locally built Allied Chromebooks will be available to governments, educational institutions, and the general public, for Aussie school kids.”

InDaily reports that Allied – best known for its high-performance PCs for gamers – will be provided access to Google’s IP and design standards.

“What we’re seeing in Adelaide is a renaissance of manufacturing as it changes to a new, globally competitive marketplace,” said Malinauskas at the announcement.

“Allied, with young leaders who are dynamic and competitive, show that we have the ability to do this at home.”

The article notes that the Chromebooks will bear a ‘Made in China’ and ‘Assembled in Australia’ badge. 60 of them will be provided to the two schools form Term 1 of this year.

Adelaide-based Allied said it could manufacture over 100,000 of the laptops annually, and potentially hire another 500 staff as a result.

“Chromebooks are the preferred device in education globally and we have long been pioneers in working with local partners to bring best-in class affordable technology to classrooms,” Colin Marson, Director of Google for Education JAPAC, is quoted as saying by news website Glam Adelaide.

“With the support of the South Australian Government, we are excited to be working with South Australian manufacturer Allied to assemble Chromebooks in South Australia for the first time.”

Picture: credit Peter Malinauskas/Linkedin

Further reading

Allied Corporation to boost local manufacture of high end gaming PCs