.ChannelThinking

Jay McBain, Director of Small and Medium Business, Lenovo

There has always been one constant in the technology industry. During every major economic downturn, opportunities emerge for Channel Partners to transform their businesses and increase their value to their customers.It is clear that this round is about Managed Services.

What are Managed Services?

The term Managed Services is very broad in its definition. In fact, Wikipedia shows over 30 different major categories of services that fit under the umbrella. Simply, it is the practice of customers transferring day-to-day IT management responsibility as a method to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of operations. To a Managed Service Provider (MSP), it is the evolution from break/fix to Professional Services to fully remote monitoring and control of a client’s IT. Many MSP’s bill a fixed monthly fee and use sophisticated dashboards and reporting tools for providing a defined set of services.

What are the benefits?

For customers, there are several benefits.Probably most important is having IT as a predictable variable expense that can be funded with OpEx vs. CapEx.It allows for reduced IT staffing requirements while tapping into an expert pool of professionals. It also allows the customer to effectively level the playing field with larger competitors and access skills and resources that they would be unable to do on their own.

For MSPs, the benefit is a profitable, recurring revenue stream. This “base” of revenue allows for better planning and growth strategies.As well, Managed Services buffers the margin erosion in many hardware and software products over the past number of years.An increase in customer ownership and retention, as well as more efficient use of technicians makes this model more attractive to traditional break/fix resellers.

Is it too late to get on board?

Absolutely not! While the growth of MSP’s in North America is rapidly increasing, we are still in the infancy stage of this market segment.A couple of years ago, there were roughly 400 MSP’s as compared to over 4,000 today. However, a June survey by Kaseya shows that only 18% of current VARs describe their business as “fully outsourced IT”. Almost 80% of VARs are still operating in a break/fix or project based IT model.

The MSP model has primarily grown in the Small and Medium Business space.In fact, the same survey noted that 90% of VARs have less than 1,000 PC’s under management.In roundtables conducted by Lenovo and Intel, MSPs relayed a “sweet spot” of about 20-30 computers per client or the “2 person IT shop”.

How does Lenovo add value to MSP’s?

Lenovo (and previously IBM), has spent over 15 years investing in key MSP related technologies such as remote management, security and durability.With a strong legacy of supporting large customers with complex IT departments, Lenovo has built a robust set of tools and technologies called “ThinkVantage”.Many of these tools, almost 15 in total, come included at no charge with ThinkPad, ThinkCentre and ThinkServer products and are designed to lower costs from deployment to disposal.

For example, on the security front, Lenovo was the first company to incorporate a security chip in its products, later to become known as the Trusted Platform Module.Lenovo was also first to market with a fingerprint reader as well as robust bios and hard drive passwords, and external port control.Looking forward, a “poison pill” technology allowing MSP’s to send a simple text message to a PC to disable it after it is stolen will be available.

The goal of all MSP’s is to eliminate “truck rolls”, the unprofitable deployment of technicians for software related issues which make up over 80% of helpdesk calls.With Intel’s vPro technology, combined with Lenovo’s ThinkVantage Technologies, an MSP can wake up a system that is turned off and remotely take it over with the same access as being right in front of the unit.

To protect against hardware failure related truck rolls, Lenovo has incorporated durability design attributes into Notebooks such as protective “roll cages” for the screen and motherboard, “air bag” technology for the hard drives that sense a drop and brace for impact, and spill resistance including dual drainage holes in the bottom of the unit.This is in addition to the quality materials protecting against cracks, broken hinges, and cracked screens.In fact, Think products are the only certified PCs by NASA to travel into space!

Finally, Lenovo understands the importance of MSP’s being able to run their businesses from proactive IT management tools such as Kaseya, Level Platforms, N-able and Zenith Infotech.In addition, reporting tools such as ConnectWise or Autotask are important for billing and reporting purposes.Lenovo understands the importance of integration and is working with these firms to incorporate our ThinkVantage tools into their dashboards and tools.

Lenovo has programs and incentives to help MSP’s acquire demo products as well as increasing margins on hardware sales to their customers.A full suite of services and financing are also offered which can be used for Hardware as a Service (HaaS) type of environments.

Again, this is an opportune time for Channel Partners to understand the Managed Services model and choose the right vendors to build or further develop their practice.

Jay McBain, Director, Small and Medium Business, Lenovo Americas

This is the season for spending time with family, being thankful for our many blessings, and, of course, predicting what will come in the upcoming year.  The technology world is always moving and key trends that are interesting one year become game changing the following year.

Looking ahead to 2010, I see 4 macro themes that will emerge as potential game changers for the entire industry, from hardware, software, to services:

1. Connectivity
   The concept of having wireless access in select areas such as home, work and coffee shops will finally become a thing of the past.   With WiMax deploying to dozens of cities providing everywhere access, to more affordable and easier to adopt 3G/4G type networks available by major carriers, consumers and businesses will likely begin thinking about converting their home network to a city or country wide solution.   The next generation of devices will all be enabled with GPS technology as well, making location-based computing a reality.  Imagine every picture being geo-tagged, localized advertising, and location relevant Google searches.
2. Pervasive Computing
   With the ability to connect everywhere and anytime, users will demand a greater availability of use-specific devices to optimize to their lifestyle.  Traditionally, people would use a computer at home or work, and then augment with a smart phone in-between the two.  The Netbook gained popularity in 2009 as a companion device and several dozen more examples of computing form factors will be brought to market in 2010.  Users will also demand today’s electronic devices grow in function to include wireless access and basic computing ability (think car radios, TVs, even refrigerators).  It is conceivable that a person would have a dozen internet ready devices in the next few years.
3. Cloud Computing
   Businesses and consumers are becoming more aware and comfortable with working and storing information out on the network.  With Microsoft making major Office announcements, Google maturing its product offering, as well as countless others building capabilities, the traditional use of computing offline and storing locally will turn the corner.  With technology accessible everywhere, whether on personal devices or publically available multi-touch kiosks, access to data and applications will be ubiquitous.  The growth of connectivity and pervasive computing above will be a direct driver of cloud computing.
4. 4. Communication
   With significant changes in technology and internet access on the horizon, the very core of human interaction will continue to evolve.  Looking back, from writing letters to phone to email to instant messaging to real-time “tweets”, communication has become faster, shorter and instantaneous.   We have even seen major corporations such as Microsoft and Intel dump traditional phone landlines for VOIP through ThinkPads. A new concept dubbed “nowism” will sweep into everyday life as instant communication around everyday activities such as listening to music, watching movies, visiting restaurants will be reviewed and reported in real-time.   In 2009, it was well documented the positive or negative effect that text messaging can have on movies on their opening weekend.   Looking forward, Services such as TripAdvisor, Midomi, imdb, and of course traditional social networking sites,  will be instrumental in whether a product, brand, or even a company survives – all in real-time.

   Lenovo is excited about these changes and will kick off at CES in Las Vegas a vision on what kind of devices and tools that will enable these macro trends.

Special blog posting from Rory Read, President and Chief Operating Officer, Lenovo

First off, let me say that I’m a blogging novice, so hopefully I won’t violate too many rules of social networking here!  But when Stephen DiFranco (who runs Lenovo’s channel in North America) asked me to get involved in his team’s new blog for our partner community, I couldn’t turn him down… turns out Stephen is quite persuasive.

Before I go any further, I want to introduce myself to you.  I’m Rory Read, President and COO of Lenovo.  I’ve been in this role for about a year, and prior to that, was President of our Americas Group.  Before joining Lenovo, I was a lifelong IBMer, where I held roles in Business Consulting, Business Transformation, Information Technology, Global Services, and more, over a 23-year period.  I also had several overseas stints, so I’ve picked up some interesting knowledge of the global IT industry over my career.

But enough about me… the real reason I’m blogging is to talk about what I’m hearing in the channel.  Over the past six months, I’ve spent a good portion of my job meeting with distributors and business partners around the world in an effort to continue to develop strategies and programs geared at growing our business through the channel.  Yuanqing Yang, our CEO, and I, have made no secrets that the key to our success is growing a profitable channel business (profitable for both Lenovo and our Partners), and the only way I know to do that successfully is to meet with the ‘feet on the street’ and get first-hand feedback.

Here is what I’m hearing:

• SMB Expansion- As enterprise sales slow, there is continued focus and expansion of SMB throughout the channel.  I’m talking to both partners and distributors that are actively trying to grow their SMB space.

• Consumer portfolio blending- Speaking with several distributors, many recognize that there are opportunities in the retail channel.  Part of this is stemming from the blending (some may call it confusion) over PC companies portfolios.  At Lenovo, we have a proud heritage of developing best-in-class ThinkPads and ThinkCentres for our commercial customers.  However, since we introduced our IdeaPad and IdeaCentre consumer line in early 2008, we’ve seen more and more customers interested in that product line.

• Vertical Focus- Partners and customers are both becoming more savvy in this area.  Partners are seeing opportunities to specialize in verticals, such as healthcare, government and education.  Similarly, some vertical customers are tired of a one-size-fits-all solution, and welcome partners and manufacturers that are developing products that clearly have the end user in line.

• Marketing gets focused- OK, I’ll admit it… with the global economic slowdown, Lenovo, like many other companies, needed to refocus our marketing efforts due to shrinking budgets.  We’re hearing the same thing throughout the channel.  Some examples include:

• Virtual trade shows in favor of live trade shows

• E-mail marketing instead of direct mail marketing

• Webexes instead of in-person meetings or briefings

• Blogging and other social networking (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter) instead of outbound call campaigns

• Credit remains strong- Despite the economic conditions, credit is still widely available for partners, and customers are still willing to spend.  One distributor told me they have over $1 billion of available credit for partners, which is a 100% increase from 2 years ago.

Of course, that’s not all… I’m hearing about partners increasing their reliance on services as hardware margins fluctuate, about the future of cloud computing, about the uncertain impact of stimulus dollars, and a lot more.  If nothing else, business partners certainly don’t hold back what’s on their mind!

Hopefully this is in line with what you are also experiencing in the channel.  Whatever the case, I would welcome your feedback, and I am committed to coming back to the Channel Blog when I have other news I’d like to share with you.

For now, happy selling, and thank you for being Lenovo partners.

Jay McBain, Director, Small and Medium Business, Lenovo Americas

The PC has played a very important role over the past 30 years in ushering in new and interesting changes to the way people communicate.   When Web 1.0 hit mainstream in the mid-90’s, people became accustomed to writing email, instant messaging, and for some, buying things electronically.   With Web 2.0, these technologies were enhanced with social networking tools such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and blogging widening the aperture of digital life.

One of the interesting concepts coming in Web 3.0 will be something called “lifestreaming”.  The term was coined by Eric Freeman and David Gelernter at Yale University in the mid-90’s.  It is basically a time-ordered stream of documents and electronic media that functions as a diary of your life.

Personally, I have been using Quicken (or its predecessors), scanning all of my papers, and categorizing all of my digital pictures since I was in elementary school.   It has become a huge directory tree of tens of thousands of documents sorted by year and month, chronicling my life day by day.  The ability to look back and find where and when I spent money, including scanned receipts, and digital pictures allows me to triangulate every day of my life, both personally as well as professionally.

Perhaps a negative effect is that I have become a “go to” guy for finding old documents.  It goes something like:  “Hey Jay, remember that Gartner study from 1994 on total cost of ownership?”   As the years have passed, I have added different technologies to the stream.  For example, voicemails, instant messages, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn information is now included.

I believe that PC technology will be the key enabler to lifestreaming.

For example:

1. Recording day to day life:    Lenovo PC’s are the only Microsoft certified unified communication PC’s on the market today, including:
   • Stereo digital high-definition speakers with 10 band equalization and dynamic range compression improve sound to audiophile levels.
   • Digital array microphone technology including the placement on either side of the camera providing for a more natural environment producing balanced sound input.
   • High definition light adaptive camera’s including digital zoom and HD LED displays improving the visual size and quality.
   • Tools allowing switching between MIC, headphones and speakers seamlessly.
2. Staying securely connected everywhere and anywhere with Wide Area networking (3G cellular integration), WiMax, WLAN 802.11, and Bluetooth.  Importantly, this is enabled by Lenovo’s Access Connections tool allowing seamless and secure connections from location to location.
3. Bullet proof security.  Can you imagine streaming your entire life and having that stolen?  This takes the risk of identity theft to the next level.    Windows 7 has improved security from previous versions and Lenovo has enhanced it with:
   • Fully encrypted hard drives – managed from a separate security chip that can’t be hacked.
   • Biometric fingerprint reader ensuring secure access to the machine – no risk of lost or hacked passwords.
   • “Poison pill” technology allowing the user to disable a ThinkPad with a simple SMS text message – even if the unit is turned off!
   • Secure data backup options such as Rescue and Recovery tool, Online Data Backup as well as a password protected, secure external drive.
4. Data protection.   Lenovo offers several hardware and software advantages protecting the data on the hard drive from physical damage or failures from viruses or operating system.   From a revolutionary “air bag” system that senses when a PC will be dropped to an innovative packaging of the hard disk inside the machine, to specially designed rubber feet that absorb impact, ThinkPad products are designed to protect the lifestream.
5. Data migration.  When it comes time to transition to a new PC down the road, Lenovo includes a migration utility for the lifestream, including all personality settings, and even offers a military grade data disposal tool before the PC is handed down, recycled, or hits a landfill.

Thus, from enablement of the lifestream, to managing it over time, right through to migrating to new technology, Lenovo has the tools available today for the technology of tomorrow.

Jay McBain, Director of Small and Medium Business, Lenovo

Listening to a group of Channel Partners with Unified Communication (UC) expertise today was fascinating.  Questions ranged from when it will become ubiquitous in small and medium business to the industry players that are going to make it a reality.

As always, my thoughts turned to the hardware side of the equation.   While there is general consensus that the amount of information will continue to grow exponentially, our ability to access and comprehend it will be highly reliant on the right devices being available at the right time and place.  These devices will continue to evolve with a move towards more natural and relevant presence in our everyday environment.  I write often about pervasive computing and our basic needs to communicate and keep up with the pace of change will be a key driver of the hardware evolution.

Nostalgia.

I remember buying my first PC webcam in the 90’s and having the grandparents see and talk to the grandkids was exciting at the time.  I would be remiss if I didn’t dial it back further….including concepts dating back to 1878 (only 2 years after the phone was patented in the US) called the telephonoscope.  It seems that every generation since then improved the technology including quality of audio and video.  It also morphed from a personal communication device, which society has never been truly ready for, to a business device.  Videoconferencing dates back to the 1930’s but was analog and very expensive.  With improvements to bandwidth, including digital and public broadband have spawned dozens of low cost, low quality solutions such as Skype, MSN Messenger, etc.

Today, when most small businesses are presented with Videoconferencing, Telepresence, or other cost saving measures, many conjure up images of choppy, low quality grainy images with monotone audio cutting in and out and delayed by a few seconds.  It is usually surprising to them when they demo today’s technology and the feeling that you are not only communicating effectively, but could be mistaken for being in the same room as the other individuals.  The key hurdle is cost – high quality communication comes with hardware, software and services that, while cheaper than travel, seem beyond the budget resources.

Enter the PC.

PC’s have had a wonderful history of stepping into many different uses because of the decisions made by IBM and others in 1981.  Keeping the product open, industry standard, and infinitely expandable, has allowed forward-looking entrepreneurs and companies to expand upon the basic idea and solve real business issues.  Lenovo has had a long history of working with UC firms in bundling technologies and features to assist in communications and bring it mainstream.  For example, a unique agreement with Avaya in  May of 2007 to turn the PC into a “softphone”.

Several things have happened in the past few years that make a PC a more viable UC device:

1. Stereo digital high-definition speakers with 10 band equalization and dynamic range compression improve sound to audiophile levels
2. Digital array microphone technology including the placement on either side of the camera providing for a more natural environment producing balanced sound input.
3. High Definition light adaptive camera’s including digital zoom and HD LED displays improving the visual size and quality.
4. OC tools allowing switching between MIC, headphones and speakers seamlessly.

Working with industry leaders to optimize the technology has been the largest benefit.  In fact, Microsoft has recognized Lenovo this year as the only PC Manufacturer to build to these new ultra-high quality standards and awarded a certification of “Optimized for Microsoft Office Communicator” to several products including the ThinkPad T400, T500, T400s and X301.   This is a broad array of affordable Notebook products that enable business to deploy advanced communications on the same products they are rolling in for their everyday computing needs.

Now the interesting part….

If one of the major objections to UC and videoconferencing include cost and complexity, and now you have an affordable, certified Notebook (that you are buying anyway), a unique opportunity for Channel Partners arises to counter those objections.

Blending the Mobility message into UC is another huge opportunity.  How many times are business people travelling and need to reach back to the team back home?  Whether from a hotel room or a customer or suppliers boardroom, they can bring on the extended team with that 4 pound Notebook under their arm.   With WWAN mobile broadband, WiMAX, or simply any 802.11 access point, the possibilities are endless where UC can be used.   Again, high definition video and audio output, enabling communication anywhere in the world;  Without the need for additional expensive hardware.

Stay tuned for more exciting announcements to come out of this space…..it may not be the final frontier of communications, but it is indeed the next frontier.

Jay McBain, Director of Small and Medium Business, Lenovo

I was doing quite a bit of thinking on the plane coming back from Las Vegas over the weekend from SMB Nation.  Managed Services is quickly maturing as a business model as well as a Channel community.  Much of the focus, deservedly so, was on the cloud, Saas, RMM and PSA tools.  There are, however,  key things that hardware vendors can bring to the table to enable Managed Service Providers (MSPs) to:

A)  Make current recurring revenue model more profitable and

B)  Drive incremental managed opportunities at each client

The buzz around Intel vPro was very strong at the event, and many MSP’s have been successful in recommending the technology as a requirement for supported hardware.  I even heard an example of a dual-pricing model for managing PC’s – one with vPro enabled and one without.

The challenge to MSP’s is that new SMB clients will likely not have the technology in house as it predominantly sells to large enterprise and public sector.  This means that the potential pricing and service levels will be less aggressive at the beginning – exactly the opposite of what you need to win a new client!

It was reported that Lenovo sold more vPro world-wide than any other PC manufacturer.  It is not surprising, given the focus on manageability and security dating back to the mid-1990’s.  Given this history, the question becomes:  How can Lenovo enable this technology to all clients?  From 5 employees to 500, there are key benefits of rolling out this technology and we need to help make it happen.

Intel vPro is a combination of processor technologies, hardware enhancements, management and security technologies that allow remote access to the PC.  Lenovo has worked closely with Intel since the beginning in all areas of the technology, most notably around Trusted Platform Module and Wake on LAN.  ThinkVantage Technologies by Lenovo extend and enhance the technology even further by focusing on the entire lifecycle of the PC from deployment thru disposal.

The ability to intercept the boot cycle of a PC remotely is the cornerstone to a successful MSP business.  Accessing a PC regardless of the state of the operating system can significantly reduce truck rolls and give the management and security options necessary to stay on top of anticipated or reported problems.  The proactive options available allow monitoring tools to predict errors, reduce downtime, and elevate security of the client.

Now, back to how Lenovo can help.   First are the products themselves.  The majority of SMB’s buy products in price cells much lower than vPro is positioned at today.  Here are some Channel-only specials we are running from now until end of December, 2009:

These products are at the lowest vPro prices we have ever offered, over 30% lower in some cases.  This should help MSP’s position the products, not only for the obvious benefits I talked about above, but for the attractive prices available specifically to SMB clients.  Beyond price, Lenovo has also worked hard on making sure the programs and incentives are relevant and profitable for MSP’s.   This includes taking away reporting requirements and dropping minimum clip levels to participate.  Feel free to explore lenovopartnernetwork.com for further information.    The products above can be purchased at any of our authorized Distribution partners:  D&H, Ingram, Synnex and Tech Data in the US.

It is incumbent among the hardware manufacturers, or the “edge” of the cloud, to ensure that technologies are enabled and merchandised to SMB clients.  Stay tuned for more news from Lenovo over the next few months…

It seems as though desktops have become the red headed stepchild of the PC Industry.  For years, desktops ruled the PC world, providing rock solid business productivity at one end and the ultimate customizable home PC on the other.

With all of the recent industry buzz around Netbooks, Smartbooks, Thinbooks and, of course, traditional Notebooks, it would appear the desktop category has become somewhat forgotten.  Well, perhaps forgotten everywhere except Lenovo!

The level of investment into desktop technology has not diminished at Lenovo.  Still representing about half of all PC sales, desktops run some of the most critical business and government applications today.  The ability to secure, manage and virtualize a desktop is unparalleled in these environments.

The three attributes that Lenovo focuses on in delivering a better desktop is Rock Solid build quality, Thoughtful Design and the Lowest Total Cost of Ownership.  This investment consistently ranks the ThinkCentre desktop brand as #1 in Customer Satisfaction by TBR.  In fact, Lenovo earned six competitive strengths extending across almost every category, according to Julie Perron at TBR.  Gartner reports that Lenovo desktops have a warranty repair rate 27% better than the industry.  Focusing on areas such as green technologies, thermals, acoustics, ease of use, tool-less designs, and industry-leading torture testing, ensures that leadership will continue.

Lenovo has accomplished several industry firsts in the area of security.  From a robust Hardware Password Manager, to individual port management from BIOS, to a Trusted Platform Module with full encryption, these desktops have the capability to be fully locked down.  This protection extends to Client Security Solutions, biometric access, and third party enablement with leaders such as Computrace.

The one thing that surprises many Channel Partners is the price.  Consistently $50 to $100 less than our lead competitor, Lenovo desktops can be purchased for as little as $379 with Microsoft Windows XP Professional or Vista – ready for business.

Lenovo desktops have gained over 4% share in Distribution in the past few months (according to NPD) and is well positioned for future growth.  The programs, pricing and promotional offers from Lenovo were developed around Partner feedback and appear to be hitting the mark!

The one thing that hasn’t gone down during this economic downturn is the threat of data theft and information security.  If you scan the marketplace there are hundreds of products, including hardware, software and services that promise to reduce these threats.

Almost every survey that is conducted with small and medium business customers ranks security in the top few issues that keep them up at night.  Lenovo, along with our trusted partners, have been investing in building secure, rock solid, PC devices for over 20 years.

Here is a list of key attributes for PC security:

1. Fingerprint Reader – It all starts with physical access to your data.  The ability on both ThinkPads and ThinkCentre desktops, workstations and servers to use biometrics for entry greatly reduces the risk of data or identity theft.  Did you know that 40% of Helpdesk calls are for password resets?  Lenovo Password Manager software links up with the fingerprint reader to provide easy access to protected applications and websites.
2. Encryption – combining biometrics with encryption is a great one-two punch that locks down access to data even if the drive is removed from the system and the physical platters are searched for information.  You can buy special drives now called FDE or Full Disk Encryption drives that have built in hardware to run as fast with encryption as normal drives do without.
3. Anti-theft and Theft Recovery – with 92% of companies of all sizes reporting laptop theft, combined with 42% of non-encrypted drives, the need to protect assets has never been greater.  Working with Intel and Absolute Software, Lenovo offers several layers of protection including “poison pill” deactivation, “theft mode” timers with login protection, and emergency remote data deletion.  Lenovo has an exclusive with embedded Computrace software on select models.
4. Wireless Security – Making sure wireless connections are secure is sometimes difficult for the end user.  They don’t tend to understand firewalls, ports, and vulnerabilities and need the PC to be smart enough.  Lenovo includes “Access Connections” with the PC which simplifies connections and ensures an extra layer of security.
5. Physical Security – from locking the mobile PC and related components with a key lock, to blocking out prying eyes on an airplane with a privacy filter, there are several hardware options that decrease the risk of assets being stolen or data being compromised.  Another example is the new Lenovo password enabled hard drive which offers encryption.
6. Secure Data Backup and Recovery – storing a backup of data is a good practice for everyone, the risk associated with having data on external drives or CD-ROMs is high.  Lenovo offers backup and recovery scenarios that use hidden secured partitions on the hard drive.  Lenovo also offers an Online Data Backup service that is very secure and cost effective.

It can seem overwhelming the amount of hardware, software and services in the market to protect asset and data security as well as personal/business identity.  Focusing on just a couple of the steps above will go along way to ensure that you do not end up in next years statistics for a security breach.

Lenovo has invested heavily in this area and there are some great new innovations coming out every year.

In the annals of history, lots of significant events have taken place on October 22.  To name a few (with thanks to Wikipedia):

362 – The temple of Apollo at Daphne, outside of Antioch, is destroyed in a mysterious fire.
1746 – The College of New Jersey (later renamed Princeton University) receives its charter.
1962 – Cuban Missile Crisis: US President John F. Kennedy, after internal counsel from Dwight D. Eisenhower, announces that American spy planes have discovered Soviet nuclear weapons in Cuba, and that he has ordered a naval “quarantine” of the island nation.

On this October 22, 2009, the tech industry will have quite possibly the most important October 22 of all time- the release date for Microsoft’s long-awaited operating system, Windows7.

But if your customers tell you they’re waiting until October 22 to refresh their PC’s to wait for Win7, there’s no need to delay.  There are several compelling reasons for you to sell PC’s today:

Customers can buy and enjoy their new PC now and then easily upgrade to Windows7 when it becomes available
Lenovo has tailored its upgrade program to meet the needs of businesses and consumers with upgrade options across all of Lenovo’s product lines
Lenovo PCs along with Windows7 give you the best computing experience possible with Lenovo’s facial recognition, thin and light designs, one key recovery and Windows7’s enhanced entertainment, media streaming and faster boot and connection times.

Any PC’s purchased between June 26, 2009 and January 1, 2010 will be eligible for an upgrade through March 31, 2010.

You can get more details on the upgrade program at www.lenovo.com/windows7

After announcing the ThinkPad T400s last week it got me thinking about the differences between corporate PC’s versus there consumer counterparts. Since 1992, the ThinkPad has represented the gold standard in Notebook quality, durability, security, and innovation. The most recent announcement added to the very successful T Series line of products aimed at corporate road warriors.

Business Week

The T400s borrowed some of its design cues from the X300 family of products that launched in 2008. BusinessWeek at the time ran a cover story naming the X300 the “Perfect Laptop”. This was right around the time that another PC vendor announced an ultra-thin product that fit in a manila envelope in their advertising. The conclusion of the article was that while ultra-thin and light is the goal of all Notebooks, it must be balanced with usability features as well as durability considerations. This is especially true in corporate environments where having optical drives and the appropriate ports available is necessary to be productive.

The T400s took the “Perfect Laptop” to the next level, first by offering a larger 14” (1440×900) WXGA+ LED display. It also includes an ultra-thin (9.5mm) optical drive which supports Blu Ray on select models. From a performance perspective, it includes high end Intel Standard Volt (SV) processors at 2.4 and 2.53GHz. Storage and Memory has been enhanced with the addition of SSD drive options and Turbo Memory.

Connectivity is robust with WAN, WLAN, WiMAX, Bluetooth and UWB. A new technology, Constant Connect, has been introduced which is a partnership between Lenovo and Research in Motion Blackberry, giving the user the ability to transmit email to and from the PC – even when it is turned off!

Security has been enhanced beyond Fingerprint Readers and encryption with the introduction of Constant Secure. This has a remote disable option for a lost or stolen laptop – rendering it unusable with an SMS text message!

Looking at the consumer market today, much of the pre-Windows 7 buzz is around multi-touch. While this feature has definite applications in photography and object manipulation, it doesn’t satisfy the core needs of the corporate PC user. Consistently, surveys of business users name security, connectivity, reliability and manageability as their key requirements in choosing a Notebook vendor. By the way, looking at enhancing the “Perfect Laptop” the T400s does support multi-touch.

Another innovation in the T400s is a slight change to the keyboard layout. Based on extensive end user research, the Escape and Delete keys have been enhanced based on usage patterns. A new Microphone Mute button has also been added based on the growth of video conferencing and Skype.

All of this fits into a package that is .83 inches thin and 3.9 pounds! This is the thinnest and lightest T Series product ever to come to market and truly takes the “Perfect Laptop” to the next level. Starting at $1,599 US for a strongly configured T400s, it is a game changer in the corporate space.

I believe we will see a greater differentiation in the future between Consumer and Corporate PC’s. One market is strictly driven on price and lowering the common denominator to a high level spec sheet, the other is driven by innovation in the areas of security, connectivity, usability, reliability and manageability.