INTERNATIONAL TRADE : AST Computers Played a Key Role in Success of South Africa Elections

AST Research likes to think that in its own small way, it helped bring about democracy in South Africa.

That’s because 400 of its Premmia personal computers were used by that nation’s Independent Electoral Commission to register voters leading up to last month’s elections. The Irvine-based company produced the computers that were used to log the names and other information for temporary voter cards to keep the elections free and fair.

The voting resulted in the election of President Nelson Mandela.

“We are delighted with the decision of the IEC to base this electoral reform on the AST Premmia” line of computers, AST Chairman Safi Qureshey said in a statement. “More importantly, we are glad to be able to contribute with information technology that leads to political change for the better.”

AST is the world’s fifth largest computer maker and has extensive overseas sales. It is the top-selling brand of personal computer in China and throughout much of the rest of the Far East.