Lenovo Boots Up for Olympics
Reliability is Job One, says the Chinese computer maker, but that
doesn't mean new technology will be absent from the Games
by Vivian Yeo
April 1,
2008\http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/apr2008/gb2008041_101814.htm?chan=search
As the hardware supplier for this summer's Olympic Games in Beijing,
China, Lenovo's task is to ensure its products are mature enough to
sup****t the global s****ting event without a hitch. Despite this
prerequisite, there is still room for newer technology to play a part
in the Games, says a company executive.
Leon Xie, Lenovo's director of Olympic partner****p and deputy general
manager for Olympic business department, said in an interview Friday
that "reliability is No. 1" as far as products delivered to the BOCOG
(Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad) are
concerned.
"The challenge for us is to keep the entire [technical] specs and
model relatively fixed from the beginning to the end, which will last
more than two-and-a-half years [from the time Lenovo first began
planning for the Games]," said Xie.
Within that timeframe, he noted, new technology such as faster chips
or newer material for computers will inevitably emerge. However, it
was necessary for Lenovo to refrain from making major adjustments "in
order to maximize the stability and the reliability of the products
and sup****t in the Games", Xie explained.
For example, the Lenovo executive last May announced that Windows
Vista would not be sup****ted in the Beijing games because the
Microsoft operating system had yet to be launched when specifications
for computing equipment were being finalized.
However, Xie said, that does not mean there is no leeway for newer
products and technology to be introduced. "On one hand, we have to
define and freeze the models; on the other hand, we need to keep
enough flexibility to make adjustments when the time comes," he said.
One such example was the inclusion of recently launched IdeaPad and
ThinkPad X300 notebook in the ongoing Olympic Torch Relay. Both
products will be used by Lenovo's team to sup****t the operations
during the relay, said Xie.
The IdeaPad U110 will be deployed to set up a network and to provide
connectivity, printing and office applications to various users such
as the BOCOG officials. The ThinkPad will be used to plan and manage
logistical arrangements.
When Beijing 2008 commences in August, Lenovo expects to commit over
14,400 units of equipment including desktops, laptops, printers and
servers. A technical team comprising some 600 IT experts, over 100 of
whom were involved in the 2006 Torino games, will be part of the
sup****t team for the upcoming summer games.
Lenovo's stint as a technology partner for the Olympics will end by
year-end, with Acer taking on the role of hardware provider for the
London Olympics in 2010. According to Xie, Lenovo currently has no
plans to sign on as a technology partner for future games.
Provided by ZDNet Asia—Where Technology Means Business
|
