Lenovo braces for ‘CYOD’ growth

MANILA, Philippines - Computer hardware and electronics giant Lenovo is pushing for greater presence in the so-called choose your own device (CYOD) business.

In CYOD practice, employees are given the latitude to choose their work gadgets from a pool of company-approved devices. Arguably a more desirable version of BYOD (bring your own device), this system is a sensible middle ground for employees who value choice, and their chief information officer who desires security.

Speaking to select members of the print media, Lenovo Philippines general manager Michael Ngan maintained: “Companies have an issue over data security. For instance, they’re not confident to install the company’s e-mail system into the employee’s personal device.”

What Lenovo brings to the table, said Ngan, is a mix of innovation and technology. “We’re one of the very few vendors who have a wide range of products from desktops, to laptops, to tablets, to cell phones. We even have devices for commercial use.”

Responding to a question from The STAR, the Lenovo executive observed that the “trend is coming to the Philippines (and) CIOs are asking for it.”

Ngan continued: “People want a device with mobility and flexibility. Those will eventually be factors for CIOs to embark on a CYOD concept of issuing devices to employees.”

Companies that deploy a considerable force on the field such as pharmaceutical and real estate firms stand to benefit from CYOD and its keen focus on mobility. “(CYOD) is not for people just sitting in the office as it will be impractical,” he added. Thus, noted research firm International Data Group expects to see a rise in “two-in-one” devices, and Lenovo is poised to take advantage of this boom in the tablet PC hybrid form factor.

Key values that companies are looking for when building up a CYOD portfolio, said Ngan, are robustness of security, good services support, and ease of actual deployment – qualities that Lenovo offers. “We are the pioneer of two-in-ones, in fact, (and) we’re the pioneer of the tablet,” he said.

Today, Lenovo is number one PC maker in the world, and also leads the tablet PC category. The $34-billion company has been aggressive with the acquisition of both the IBM x86 business and Motorola last year.

“The guidance from our global office this year is we want to focus on seamless integration,” said Ngan, “so we could attack the mobility market now.”