INTERVIEW
Living on the edge Edge computing and artificial intelligence are in increasing demand from customers, which provides vendors and channel partners alike with plenty of sales opportunities, as Ian Jeffs from Lenovo explains.
Lenovo is a market leader in PC and has recently launched new products with the aim of retaining that status (see page 14 for more). As Ian Jeffs, UK&I country general manager at Lenovo Infrastructure Solutions Group, explains, the market is constantly changing, especially with the impact of edge computing and artificial intelligence (AI) – but this means there are new opportunities for vendors and channel partners. News in the Channel: What has Lenovo brought to the market this year and what has the response been from the market to them? Ian Jeffs: We are proud that we have maintained the number one market leadership position in PC for more than a year in a pretty challenging market. We have maintained our ‘channel first’ approach, offering new opportunities and resources to our valued partners, and it has delivered results. More than 90% of UK sales now come via the channel and about 1,400 UK partners have expanded their businesses to offer the full breadth of Lenovo’s portfolio. On average across EMEA, we have gained 250 resellers as pan-Lenovo resellers, and we have seen more than 1,000 customers expanding their business from one segment of the Lenovo portfolio to others. In the infrastructure market, we took market share against a challenging backdrop. Our Services business in the UK channel has grown 26% year on year and our mobile business has grown at least 70%. How will edge computing and AI continue to influence opportunities for channel partners? IJ: Both edge computing and AI offer enormous opportunities for channel partners, and that is only going to increase. Many sectors from healthcare to retail are eager to bring computing to the data
using edge: most of the compute power of tomorrow will be installed at the edge. This offers enormous opportunities for partners to deliver specialist edge solutions, which will form the backbone of many digital transformations. Channel partners are also eager to ride the AI wave and are currently figuring out what it can bring to their customers, as well as who to work with and which vendors to choose. It’s about helping customers. The role for the channel is to show customers how they can drive real business impact with AI, to make it real and practical and to highlight the benefits of the technology.
Ian Jeffs UK&I country general manager
How can vendors work with partners to ensure they can help customers
lenovo.com
to realise the full potential of such technologies?
IJ: The possibilities of AI and edge for vendors are enormous, but it’s key to work closely with partners to ensure customers grasp the full potential. The big challenge for IT vendors in the coming year is to inspire channel partners with the confidence to unlock the imaginations of their customers in terms of what AI can deliver. IT vendors can help partners to understand who to work with, what business models to adopt and which solutions to opt for. In turn this can inspire customers to start their AI journey. Lenovo has been investing in AI for years, with four Lenovo AI centres of excellence globally, and the AI Innovator programme offering 150 industry-based solutions across sectors including retail, healthcare and manufacturing, which have been tested and can be implemented on Lenovo hardware. Likewise, we have one of the best edge portfolios in the industry, all purpose-built and secured, so we can help partners meet what demand is out there.
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More than 90% of UK sales now come via the channel and about 1,400 UK partners have expanded their businesses to offer the full breadth of Lenovo’s portfolio.
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