Lenovo’s EMEA channel boss has teased a raft of impending channel programme updates as he stressed he is “very, very optimistic” going into 2025.
Talking to IT Channel Oxygen, Ralf Jordan revealed new programmes around AI, data management and managed services are set to be added to Lenovo 360 next year.
A pilot programme around refurbished laptops is also poised for wider rollout in 2025, he added.
“No doubt there will be growth”
After an 11-year spell at Dell, Jordan returned to Lenovo in September 2022 (having previously spent nearly 20 years there and at IBM between 1992 to 2011).
Both Lenovo’s PC business – where it has been EMEA market leader for eleven quarters straight – and its infrastructure arm – where it sees itself as a “challenger”, are primed for growth going into 2025, Jordan claimed.
“I’m very, very optimistic going into next year, because when you look at the PC market in which Lenovo operates, I believe there’s no doubt there will be growth.
“We know all the drivers behind that – it’s Windows 10 going end of life, it’s the refresh cycle we’re going to see and obviously it’s AI PCs.”
Lenovo’s AI PC marketshare is currently hovering at around 30-35% in EMEA, Jordan said, citing Context figures.
AI and MSP enhancements
A raft of Lenovo 360 enhancements going into Lenovo’s new fiscal year staring 1 April 2025 will boost ease of doing business and profitability for partners, Jordan promised.
Specifically, partners will be handed access to more focused training and higher rebates in the areas of AI and data management, with a new programme for MSPs also set to make its debut.
A recent government-commissioned study concluded there are now 11,492 UK MSPs.
“It acknowledges that MSPs are an important and growing part of the marketplace,” Jordan said of the latter planned addition to Lenovo 360.
“When you think about MSPs, some of the requirements they have might be different from a traditional reseller – so it’s about how you ultimately ensure the MSP is able to provide value to its customers.”
Building second-life value
Lenovo is also looking to “address an increasing marketplaces that is clearly out there”, via a new Lenovo-certified refurbished pilot scheme, Jordan added.
It aims to take secondary products and bring them back into the marketplace “in a way that’s ultimately new”, Jordan said, stressing that this includes a vendor warranty.
It is already being trialled in UK, Germany, France and Nordics, he indicated.
“I expect us to roll that programme out within the next fiscal year to more partners and to more markets within EMEA,” Jordan said.
With analyst Canalys recently chiding vendors for not doing enough to incentivise circularity in the channel, how can Lenovo ensure its partners can build a profitable business around reselling refurbished over new?
“I believe there’s at least one vendor in the mobile phone market who has successfully ultimately built a secondary life value,” Jordan replied.
“That’s the concept we are currently going on within this pilot: what do we need to do in order to get the right branding into the marketplace to create a profit pool for all of us.”
Doug Woodburn is editor of IT Channel Oxygen
