Looking to make a bigger leap from computers to the burgeoning market for mobile Internet devices, Beijing-based Lenovo has announced a new business group to develop tablets, smartphones and digital home products, including TVs.
The company, which also has U.S. headquarters in Raleigh, N.C., and in 2005 took over International Business Machines’ personal computer operation in a $1.75 billion deal, named Liu Jun president of the new business group. Jun, formerly senior vice president and president of Lenovo’s product group, is based in Beijing.
Lenovo said Jun helped accelerate the growth of its consumer and commercial businesses to achieve a worldwide market share of 10.4 percent. And in 2008, he managed Lenovo’s entrance into the consumer market worldwide, bringing Idea-branded products to more than 90 countries. Peter Hortensius, formerly head of the Think product group and based in Raleigh, will take over the product group.
Cloud-Minded
“Lenovo recognizes the tremendous growth potential of the mobile Internet, as well as that of new categories like cloud computing and smart TV, and so we are putting the focus and investments in place to fully capitalize on these opportunities to drive growth in our business today and for many years to come,” said Yang Yuanqing, Lenovo’s CEO. “The mobile Internet and digital home business group will help us leverage our leadership in the PC arena to create a rich portfolio of Internet-centric devices. At the same time, we’ll use our creativity, innovation and technical prowess to help our customers navigate the future of personal technology worldwide.”
Lenovo is best known for the ThinkPad notebook line it acquired from IBM, but the company has already begun branching out into smartphones and tablets. Last year it entered the smartphone market with its LePhone in China and it launched the Windows-based, 10-inch IdeaPad U1 Hybrid, a combination of a…