Lenovo adds System x to One Channel programme

Lenovo has added System x products and partners to its One Channel partner programme.

The PC manufacturer, which finalised the acquisition of IBM's x86 server business in September 2014, said the integration would be a key part of its bid to gain an 18 percent market share of revenues in enterprise systems by next year.

The addition of System x means that total Lenovo revenues now contribute to the partner status of Premium or Gold and channel partners will earn incentives on all business with a simple classification between PC and Enterprise business.

The PC vendor said this enhancement means partners need only to qualify once to be assigned either Premium or Gold status and benefits will accumulate across all lines of business.

“The channel is at the heart of delivering our remarkable run of results across EMEA. Our partners, which represent 95 percent of our total business, have helped us to reach an all-time record PC share of 19.7 percent in EMEA. We not only offer partners the most complete portfolio of any vendor in the market today – from smartphone to tablets, PCs and enterprise infrastructure offerings – but are committed to keep on growing together,” says Vincent Fauquenot, VP of products and channels at Lenovo EMEA.

“This makes us the vendor of choice with the best growth and profit potential in this sector. As we enter a new phase of growth there is an even greater opportunity ahead for partners as we fully integrate the System x business into our channel model – an opportunity for shared success where partners are the critical factor in achieving our ambitions of 18 percent share of revenue in System x in EMEA and $5bn worldwide revenue”.

Lenovo is also offering new partners who are already certified to sell competitor products entry into the One Channel Programme with the equivalent category for a six-month period without qualification or certification. Following a successful six-month period those partners will automatically become certified partners.

A further enhancement is the introduction of System x server products to the Lenovo Topseller line-up alongside the existing Thinkserver portfolio, that Lenovo said would “simplify and speed-up business via the channel”.

The programme will also offer incentives with new incremental rebates and accelerators aimed at expanding Lenovo’s presence in the value-add solution and SMB segment. The rebates reward selling high-end solution based products and the TopSeller portfolio to support Lenovo’s ambitions in the mainstream tower and rack categories.