Lenovo is preparing to take the battle for the small and midsize business market to turf that's traditionally been held by companies like Hewlett-Packard (NYSE:HPQ) and Dell (NSDQ:Dell).
The computer manufacturer is banking on its strong Think notebook brand recognition and new line of low-cost mobile computing devices to break into and capture a large part of the SMB market while winning over the hearts and minds of resellers in that space. With new products for consumers and reseller partners, Lenovo is reconsidering its sales philosophy, intent on making a serious run at its competitors.
The Lenovo brand already has a strong channel presence with loyal partners and customers at enterprise businesses that recognize the types of products the computer manufacturer has been bringing to market. The Think line of notebooks has seen a solid following from customers and channels throughout North America, said Stephen DiFranco, vice president of consumer and commercial channels for Lenovo.
"The Think line is healthy and we've seen an incredible dedication from resellers who sell the line for us," DiFranco said. "There is some incredible health in the foundation of our channel business."
As the economy continues to soften, DiFranco realizes it would be a mistake for his company to stand pat and not try to expand into the constantly growing SMB segment. Lenovo's strategy to capture that business is aimed directly at partners who do the majority of their business in the midmarket, noting that those are the resellers who often sell to smaller companies as well.
That push toward what has been for Lenovo a mostly untapped market will start by expanding its product line in the United States, mirroring something that Lenovo does worldwide.
A key ingredient to Lenovo's worldwide sales push is the progress the company has made in the retail space, something that can't be ignored as it goes after the midmarket. Earlier this month, Lenovo rolled out six new...