The all-conquering uber-supermarket chain Tesco has announced plans to take on Microsoft with the launch of its own-brand software.
The company, started by East End market boy Jack Cohen in 1919, is aiming to offer a range of cut-price software titles which directly competes with Microsoft products.
The titles – all retailing for less than twenty quid – will include an office suite, a personal finance program, two security/anti-virus products, CD/DVD burners and a photo editing product.
The announcement follows Tesco’s decision to sell computer hardware earlier this year, and the company’s own-branded software will start appearing in more than 100 of their stores from this month, with full UK coverage expected over the coming year.
Happy shoppers getting confused between opening a program and opening a can of beans can access a support website, TescoSoftware.com, which will also offer the software for sale.
Tesco buyer Daniel Cook said: “With more people working from home, and schools encouraging greater use of IT, the demand for home computing equipment is bigger than ever.”
“When it comes to software, there is little choice and prices are high. Our new range of software changes this, bringing choice and value to a market that has offered little of either,” he added.
The software comes from a Cambridge company called Formjet, with the range being centred around their well-regarded Ability Office suite.
Of course, many home users will already have equivalent Microsoft products, like Word, installed on their computers, so we suspect that Tesco is looking to score a hit with its Internet security products.
Meanwhile, the company is expected to announce tomorrow that it has raked in half-yearly profits totalling more than £1 billion for the first time.
Fact! Tesco’s name comes from the first two letters of the founder’s surname (CO) and the initials of a business colleague (TES).