Lenovo Sharpens Focus on Data Center Technology Market

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Lenovo is expanding its portfolio of IT services with advanced software-defined storage (SDS), improved enterprise networking offerings and capabilities, high-performance servers and improved hyperconverged appliances.

The expanded portfolio “drives Lenovo deeper into next generation IT and strengthens the company’s ability to help customers transform their data centers by embracing emerging data consumption and delivery models such as cloud-based infrastructure, big data and analytics” services, the company said.

Mark Stanton, Lenovo’s director of communications for the PC and Enterprise Business Group, tells Channel Partners the services address more data center customer needs and workloads so partners can “reach more potential customers, help them solve problems and compete in a wider swath of the $87 billion global (data center) market.”

“Further, the StorSelect and HX Series appliance offerings target two of the fastest growing parts of the market (SDS and hyperconverged systems), enabling customers to transform their data centers with next-generation IT,” he said. “These solutions are open and flexible, so partners can add value with their own services and expertise, and generate profitable growth in their businesses.”

StoreSelect is a new SDS appliance program, in which Lenovo is collaborating with ISVs to integrate their SDS software with its hardware in turnkey appliances. In addition to StorSelect, the company also unveiled its new V-Series family of 12Gb SANs.{ad}

Lenovo’s expanded portfolio of HX Series hyperconverged appliances, based on Nutanix software and built upon the company’s latest server technology, cover a broader range of workloads and deployment cost requirements, the company said.

“The StorSelect and HX solutions are configured as turnkey appliances that are simple and less costly to deploy and manage,” Stanton said. “This makes it easier for partners to sell and support these types of systems. Complexity has been a significant barrier for partners to play a significant role in the emerging SDS and hyperconverged spaces.”

Lenovo has improved its networking line with expanded offerings and capabilities, enabling customers to deploy more comprehensive services from …

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… the core data center to the campus.

The company also disclosed new details of its global strategic partnership with Juniper Networks, announced earlier this year. The two companies signed a reseller agreement in which Lenovo will offer Juniper’s EX2300 and EX4550 Ethernet Switches, as well as the QFX10002-72Q data center spine aggregation switch.

Lenovo refreshed its x3850 and x3950 X6 servers with new versions incorporating the latest Intel Xeon E7-4800 and E7-8800 v4 processors. In addition, the company rolled out the ThinkServer sd350, a 2U four node (2U4N) system designed for more demanding software-defined workloads where maximum density and efficiency are critical requirements.

“Partners are a vital part of Lenovo’s overall go-to-market strategy and process,” Stanton said. “In attacking next generation IT, partners extend Lenovo’s reach in the market and also bring deep knowledge of their customers’ needs so we can collaborate in defining and delivering the best solutions. Overall, we’re confident in the direction of the business.”