Chinese PC manufacturer Lenovo is gearing up for the Canadian launch of its IdeaPad brand of notebooks, which are set for release this spring to further fuel Lenovo’s expansion into the global PC market space.
Lenovo will be releasing three notebook models in Canada under the IdeaPad brand name. Jay McBain, business unit executive for small businesses at Lenovo Canada, says the new notebooks are part of Lenovo’s efforts to expand its reach outside of China to reach a more global scale.
Although details are still being finalized for the planned spring launch, McBain did say the retail channel will be part of Lenovo’s go-to-market strategy.
“This will be a worldwide consumer launch for Lenovo in the PC market with an advertising campaign wrapped around it,” McBain said. “In Canada, we’ll bring IdeaPad notebook models to the consumer and retail markets. They include the IdeaPadU110, IdeaPadY510 and IdeaPadY710 models.”
The IdeaPadU110 is an 11 inch widescreen notebook weighing 2.3 pounds designed for travelers, students, and others needing a small form factor. In contrast, McBain says the IdeaPadY710 is a 17 inch widescreen notebook which is ideal for multi-media, gaming and entertainment users. Lastly, the IdeaPadY510 is a 15 inch widescreen notebook designed for the general consumer user. All notebooks also include facial recognition features, multi-media control centre functions and design aspects including textured covers and frameless screens.
“IdeaPad focuses on consumers and multi-media and is designed with consumer users in mind,” McBain said. “We feel there’s a real opportunity in Canada to introduce a product line with the same characteristics and reliability functions that have made our ThinkPad notebooks famous in the business space. We want to bring this same success to the consumer space,” he adds.
The facial recognition feature is based on software called Veriface, which takes a digital snapshot of the user for authentication purposes. By using Veriface, the need for password entry is eliminated, therefore making it quicker and easier for users to log into their respective accounts.
“Growth in the consumer market is growing faster and faster around the world,” McBain said. “We see lots of opportunities from a global scale and we’re using this global launch to extend our expertise into the consumer space.”
