Lenovo : Partners in productivity
Rob Makin , WW Executive Director , Lenovo Device as a Service , explains how Modern IT can secure success and stability amid a market of uncertainty
“ We had to move very quickly when COVID-19 struck ,” says Rob Makin .
Makin , who has spent the past 25 years leading IT sales and business teams across Europe and APAC , is closing in on six years at Lenovo . There he heads up the worldwide Device as a Service ( DaaS ) business , helping companies adapt their IT infrastructure to empower employees and move away from the outmoded CapEx model .
“ This basically entails us managing the full life cycle of their devices ,” Makin explains , likening it to a “ mobile phone experience ” requiring little input on the part of the end user . Lenovo handles distribution of devices - in the office or , more frequently these days , at home - remotely testing , loading software and preferences , and managing any issues or updates along the way . At the end of the chosen contract period , Lenovo collects the device , closing the loop .
“ From a productivity point , it ’ s a huge advantage ; from an experience point , it ’ s a huge advantage , particularly when we are working from home and don ’ t have that IT specialist to go to ,” Makin explains . Overhauling legacy IT systems “ can take months or years ,” he says , but a partnership approach “ works best .”
Lenovo has a close partnership with financial services leader Wesleyan . “ We ’ re very proud of our relationship at Wesleyan . It ’ s very much a cohesive team , which makes the support of their workplace environment a simple thing . We also deliver predictability of cost , something that was important before the pandemic and is now even more vital for organisations .”
Rob
Makin @ Lenovo
Lenovo DaaS ensures stability in user experience and cost-age at Wesleyan , but Makin says the two firms are collaborating on further transformations for the post-COVID market .
“ We are talking to Wesleyan about how we can implement Lenovo Device Intelligence , our predictive and proactive analytics , across their devices ,” Makin says . “ This means rather than a device having errors or faults , whether it be software or hardware , we want to be able to predict when it ’ s going to have an issue .”
This flexibility will be key to the future success of businesses , says Makin . “ And that ’ s certainly what we at Lenovo DaaS believe in ; what we are developing and expanding to is to really look at Modern IT low-touch as a service . We want to really accelerate and support enterprises and the businesses moving forward as we come out of the pandemic .”
lenovo . com / daas