Present on the collaborative work market since 2018, Lenovo intends to drive the point home in the coming years by relying mainly on AI implementation, the regular arrival of new products and the strengthening of its R&D in this area.
It must be said that the “Smart Collab” market is expected to exceed a billion dollars in turnover in the EMEA region within 2 years(1), with France experiencing a boom mainly in “small” meeting rooms . “Video bars” should also experience very significant growth, as will systems around Microsoft Teams which in 2023 represented 73% market share at EMEA level (vs. 21% for Zoom which failed to establish itself beyond the Nordic and UK markets). Room systems are concentrated in large companies, particularly in France, Germany and the United Kingdom, while BYOV/BYOD is dominant everywhere else in the European market, particularly in Western Europe.
Lenovo banks on AI and innovation to dominate the collaboration market
In France, Lenovo’s “Smart Collab” team was strengthened with the arrival three months ago of Laurent Samama, to manage the relationship with the Channel. His exact position: Channel BDM/Partner Manager, Smart Collaboration within Lenovo France. A team that brought together the 1is October morning, at Lenovo France headquarters in Rueil-Malmaison its partners around “Smart Collaboration” solutions. In addition to the presentation of the new products launched since September – mainly a BYOD offer (ThinkSmart Dock USB – C – secure and manageable solution) and an MTR offer with a desired aggressive price, with the aim of attracting CIOs who have until now been cautious, and to make them want to switch to the MTR.
The partners gathered at Rueil Malmaison also benefited from explanations on the marketing plan put in place by Lenovo until the end of 2024. That is to say a relaunch of the “Expert Smart Collaboration” Partner program, accompanied by new rear discounts in addition to a budget MDF (if commitment in terms of turnover from the partner). Or also the establishment of a Trade-In program in order to upgrade aging meeting rooms thanks to the trade-in of old equipment (Lenovo or competitors) in exchange for the purchase of new Lenovo-branded products. The result is a cash back likely to amount to €740/product for the reseller. The meeting of 1is October finally gave rise to detailed explanations on the AI implementation in Microsoft Teams, with a focus on the Lenovo ThinkSmart Manager room supervision software.
The Lenovo Smart Collaboration Channel team is now meeting its partners for the Lenovo Tour de France scheduled for next November. Its stages: Bordeaux on the 5th, Nantes on the 12th, Lille on the 14th, Marseille on the 19th and finally Lyon on November 21.
(1) FutureSource Consulting Study
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