Currah Computer Components, well-known for its speech synthesis devices, has been bought out by DK Tronics.

The Hartlepool-based company went into receivership on December 20, and following a request by the directors of Barclays, MJ Moore and DM Middleton of Coopers and Lybrand were appointed as joint receivers to attempt to find ways of resolving the company's problems.

Then in stepped DK Tronics, with expertise in the same field as Currah, with a bid to rescue it from sinking. Neil Rawlinson, financial director of DK Tronics said: "The reason why DK Tronics has bought Currah is to ensure the Currahname and reputation is maintained.

"Currah's products are complementary to your own. We have both produced speech devices for popular home micros.

"In addition to giving support and backup to the current Currah range of products, we are going to finish off the final development of a product called Microsource which Currah was working on."

If you intend buying a Currah speech add-on you should keep a sharp eye on the warranty. Although DK Tronics has exclusive rights to manufacture, market, and sell Currah products, Welwyn Electronics also has some contractual rights to sell to retail outlets stocks of Currah products it has.

In a statement from the receivers the situation was clarified: "At the date of receivership, Welwyn was the sole manufacturer for Currah's Microspeech, Microslot, and Speech 64.

"Welwyn has stock of the above products which is has decided, as it is entitled to, to sell to the market direct. The right stems from a contractual situation between Welwyn and Currah, and ends when Welwyn has disposed of outstanding stock.

"The receivers feel that it's important to stress that Welwyn has purchased none of the support information and backup to the products that now belongs to DK Tronics."

What this boils down to is that Welwyn will have to put its own warranty card with products sold - and therefore has the responsibility to support and backup any of its products.