It is a simple and ambitious project. Assemble all of the tablets parts (Ipad mini style) in Haiti in the heart of the National Society of Industrial Parks (Sonapi in French) located on Rue de l’aéroport. With an investment of 600,000 USD, Ulla and JP Bak, Marteen Boute, and the Coles group chose to meet the challenge in a country where few assembly projects were coming in for the final product and it works. Surtab is for sale and for use throughout Haiti. It is more than just a tablet it is a phone, a radio, and a gateway to multiple potentials of the internet.

In the coming weeks, the name Surtab will become familiar. Fully assembled in Haiti and sold at an affordable price for lovers of technology, this tablet will be revolutionary. Surtab is also a phone. Now, we have no need to have multiple gadgets. The Surtab tablet offers everything. Have not found what to give for the holiday season? Surtab is the perfect gift.

At the Industrial Park, on Monday, December 16th, a colorful and noisy crowd rushed towards the exit. At building 47, where Surtab is lodged, Marteen Boute greeted us at the entrance, and was excited to give us a tour. Clean and quiet, the plant resembles a medical laboratory. “Here, we assemble the shelves,” began Boute, showing us an immaculate room, where women perform seamless combinations, one sitting in front of the other, heads bowed, focused on their work. Only one man, the technical manager supervises. “Women are wiser and more skillful,” said the former director of Digicel with a mischievous smile.

Light (0.63 pounds), easy to handle with the Android 4.0 operating system, radio, and phone sim card that makes this normal Surtab impressive. Cheap compared to other tablets, Surtab is sold at $7,000 gourdes by the mobile phone company, for consumers who cannot spend lots of money for known brand tablets. It measures 7 inches with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels, it is equipped with two cameras. It can accept a microSD card format up to 32 GB capacity. Another plus for this little toy.

A production capacity of 5,000 tablets per month, Surtab before leaving for sale undergoes a fastidious inspection. Several quality tests are carried out to prevent the least possible amount of returns. Technicians ensure that all is well, if there aren’t any defects at any level, then the tablets can quietly leave for sale. But still, a client whose tablet has a factory default, can be brought back to be assessed and repaired or receive a brand new one. This is another plus for Surtab. The only downside is that it is devoid of headphones. But it compensates by offering a cover.

Article by Gaelle C. Alexis
Translated from Le Nouvelliste by Stefan Viard