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Lenovo unveils new smart devices
Last Updated: 2014-07-25 07:00 | Global Times/China Daily
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Lenovo's new glasses displayed at a press conference held in Beijing Thursday Photo: Courtesy of Lenovo

Chinese PC maker Lenovo Group, the world's largest in terms of shipments, has expanded into the arena of wearables and smart home devices with the announcement of a slew of pioneering new gadgets on Thursday, pitting itself against the big names in the field such as Google Inc and Apple Inc.

Three categories of devices - smart glass, smart air cleaner and smart router were introduced by Lenovo's New Business Development (NBD) at a press conference in Beijing, in partnership with companies which have already built a presence in their respective fields such as US-based eyewear technology firm Vuzix Corp, German air cleaner manufacturer Luftmed GmbH and Chengdu-based cloud storage solution provider Diting Technology Co.

The new gear announcements on Thursday signify the company's ambition to take the lead in the Internet of Things, referring to machine-to-machine connections, the would-be next growth engine in the technology space, Bai Yuli, head of the NBD division, told the press conference.

NBD is a new division added to the company in March that serves as an incubation platform for new gadget initiatives like health-related smart home devices and wearables, according to Lenovo.

The Chinese technology giant follows in the footsteps of rival global peers that have already carved their way into the field.

Back in 2012, Google started testing its Google Glass before the product's explorer edition was made available in April 2013. The gadget, featuring an optical head-mounted display, was officially available to consumers in mid-May, going for $1,500.

Samsung unveiled its proprietary smart home platform at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January, while Apple has honed in on home automation following the release of its smart home technology at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco in June.

There are also a number of start-ups focused on either wearables or home automation gears, but it has not been easy for them to grow independently to truly be a challenge to the current technology leviathans, analysts said.

In a sign of boosting its competitiveness apart from the technology, Lenovo announced the prices of its new set of smart devices, at a level lower than the rivaling gadgets.

The M100 smart glass, co--released by Lenovo and Vuzix, for instance, will go for 8,000 yuan ($1,290.40), the company said on Thursday.

Lenovo unit thinking past PC to the Internet of Things

Lenovo Group Ltd on Thursday launched a new Internet of Things unit to make sure the world's largest personal computer does not miss the next big trend in electronics manufacturing.

Lenovo, based in Beijing, is using the new platform to position tech startups, including makers of smart glasses and intelligent home appliances, under its brand.

The company called it a tryout of new business in the IoT sector.

Chen Xudong, senior vice-president of Lenovo, said the company will buy shares in or set up joint ventures with global startups in order to introduce more wearable devices and wirelessly connected products to the market.

"We cannot make all the products even though we know some of the devices are clearly profitable," Chen said, adding that the IoT startups will help Lenovo to build an ecosystem and simultaneously enjoy returns.

Lenovo's 13-person New Business Development team, working as a startup incubator and online retail store, will primarily target the Chinese market but will eventually join the international market, said Chen.

"The NBD was built based on an Internet philosophy. There's a clear difference between it and the company's traditional businesses such as PC and server sales," according to Chen.

The NBD is Lenovo's latest attempt to explore profit sources outside personal computers.

Bai Yuli, head of the NBD project, told China Daily there still is not a clear direction for the new team as it was created only six months ago.

"The team functions as an Internet company, and we are currently aiming to make sure the products released in the first round can provide profits to the developers," Bai said.

Lenovo has been mapping out post-PC strategies in recent years.

It has launched a number of mobile Internet products, including smartphones and smart televisions.

The company is the largest local smartphone maker by shipments, according to industry researcher Analysys International.

The company's major profit producer, the PC unit, bested the market in the second quarter. It shipped more than 14,000 PCs in the June quarter, taking roughly 20 percent of market share, according to research firm IDC.

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