Lenovo, after buying IBM's personal computer business, was catapulted to become the second-largest PC vendor globally in the Fortune 500. The stature was achieved not by sheer luck, but through hard work and putting firs and foremost the interest of the consuming public. In an interview with the Saudi Gazette, Ahmed Khalil, Lenovo general manager for Saudi Arabia, discussed at length the focus of the company and using technology for the advancement of the society. “Lenovo is committed to building exceptionally engineered PCs and empowering people to maximize technology for the good of the community. In the same manner, we are equally devoted to ensuring that our products, employees, sites and suppliers are committed to being responsible corporate citizens.” He said Lenovo is also committed to growing its presence in the Saudi market and catering to the needs of its consumers. “To do so, we have aligned our KSA marketing plans with the new Global Power brand campaign, For Those Who DO. We believe this campaign will resonate with the aspirations and interests of the Saudi people, particularly the ever growing tech savvy young generation of Saudis.” Furthermore, Lenovo business partners are devoted and prepared to growing Lenovo in the Kingdom. As this is a continuous process of sustainable growth, it will require regular reviews of the business requirements in the Kingdom. “Lenovo is prepared to make adjustments or additions as deemed necessary by the results of our modern research, the feedback of our dedicated on the ground team, and the demands of the evolving local market,” he sid. Excerpts follow: After the deal with IBM, how would you rate Lenovo in the computer industry globally? regionally? In Saudi Arabia? What is the market share for its various products, such as: ThinkPad, IdeaPad, ThinkCentre, IdeaCentre, LePad, LePhone and others, compared to the same categories of products from other brands? Globally, we are a Fortune 500 company that recently won the battle for the #2 spot to become the second-largest PC vendor. We are also the fastest growing PC maker among the top four vendors globally, and have outpaced industry growth for 10 consecutive quarters. Across global emerging markets, our growth has been strong and at a remarkable fourtimes the rate of the overall market. Our performance in the last quarter across MEA as a whole was outstanding, propelling us to the #5 spot for MEA markets. In addition, in Egypt and South Africa, we have secured the #3 position for PC sales. Locally, in Saudi Arabia, we are very positive about the PC market and our growth potential. A recent report from IDC indicated that Lenovo achieved a noteworthy increase in market share in the Kingdom, rising 1.9 points quarter over quarter from FYQ1 2011-12 to FYQ2 2011-12, and 1.3 points year on year. We have also risen two places in rankings amongst competitors. Industry observers in the Gulf region claim that Lenovo products are less popular here. Do you agree? Is the low customer response linked to the fact that it is a Chinese brand? What is lacking then on the part of Lenovo? Lenovo is committed to building a global brand that resonates with individuals and companies around the world. We recently launched a new global branding campaign, “Lenovo: For Those Who Do”, which is now in full swing and will help us build momentum and relevance in key markets such as Saudi Arabia. We have worked hard to become the second-largest PC vendor at a global level, and are focused on continuing this stellar growth and raising our profile in this region. IDC data indicates that Lenovo is increasing in popularity in the Kingdom, rising 1.9 points quarter over quarter from FYQ1 2011-12 to FYQ2 2011-12, and 1.3 points year on year, rising two positions in rankings amongst competitors. These positive results highlight our increasing brand strength and popularity of our product range including ourThink and Idea ranges of products. We also recently launched our tablet family in Saudi Arabia, including the IdeaPad K1 for consumer and ThinkPad Tablet for business users. Saudi Arabia has the biggest IT market in the Gulf region, with a forecast value of $3.6 billion in 2011 that is expected to rise to $4.9 billion by 2015. The potential and growth in the Gulf region is incredible and Lenovo is investing in these markets to ensure that we cater locally to the consumers and enterprises in the region. What are the unique selling propositions of Lenovo products? To meet the broadest range of customer needs, Lenovo offers two distinct PC product families globally; the “Think” family for commercial customers and the “IDEA” family for consumers. The “IDEA” branded products are for consumers who understand that life is to be enjoyed, and that personal computers can make life simple and fun. Lenovo engineers design IDEA-branded PCs with one mission; to empower users to DO more across all scenarios. The “Think” branded products power the operations of thousands of companies around the world. Known for innovation and reliability, ThinkPad laptops have been an icon in the PC industry for almost two decades, with upwards of 60 million units sold thus far. What marketing plans would you implement to make your presence felt in the market? Lenovo continues to invest in building a global brand that will resonate with users around the world and become a competitive strength. The company has recently launched a new global branding campaign “Lenovo: For Those Who Do”, which is now in full swing in key markets. This concept of “DO” is authentic to our technology, our company's global culture and our people and is a powerful emblem for our brand. We will continue to build on this theme globally and regionally. What do you think Lenovo must do to achieve its goal of becoming the leading personal technology company in the world? 2011 was a momentous year for Lenovo as we won the battle for the #2 spot in global PC rankings. Our recent ranking by Gartner as #1 in “completeness of vision” recognizes the industry leadership, confident strategy and strong commitment to the PC market that Lenovo is proud to deliver. We will announce our roadmap of new and exciting innovations for 2012 at CES in Las Vegas. __
