PC vendor Lenovo has appointed Metra Computer as an authorised distributor for the UAE and Qatar in what represents its latest move to fine-tune its regional distribution structure.

Metra, which is already a Lenovo distributor in Egypt, will be tasked with helping Lenovo develop its consumer and SMB business in both markets.

Speaking to Channel Middle East, Ali Al-Amine, regional transactional business director at Lenovo, said the tie-up reflected recent steps that Lenovo has taken to strengthen its channel business with effective in-country distribution.

“We aligned our strategy and go-to-market on the SMB and consumer side approximately three quarters ago and one of the things that Lenovo did not have was coverage across the region,” he said. “We had distributors trading from the UAE across the GCC and Middle East area, but our strategy is now to have a distributor on the ground in each geography.”

Metra becomes Lenovo’s third distributor in the UAE, alongside FDC and GBM Distribution, and its first in Qatar.

In Kuwait, meanwhile, Lenovo has just added Al-Ghanim as an official consumer products distributor, further reinforcing its local distribution intent.  

Al-Amine said there was a possibility that Metra’s contract could be extended to other regional markets where it is looking to build local coverage, but stressed that no decision had yet been taken and other candidates were also in the frame.

In a statement confirming the tie-up, Metra’s managing director NY Prasad, said Lenovo was a welcome addition to the company’s portfolio.

“Lenovo is a strong brand in the PC market and is an added value to our company. Lenovo’s products complement our service offerings and we foresee good demands for their products ranges in the market,” he stated.
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Sony Corp. says it’s got the game to go toe-to-toe with Apple Inc. (AAPL). At least in videogame players.

On Wednesday, Apple unveiled its highly-anticipated wireless tablet computer, dubbed the iPad. In addition to displaying books and video media, the device is designed to serve as a portable videogame player.

Two game makers, Electronic Arts Inc. (ERTS) and Gameloft S.A. (GFT), have already been recruited to design games specifically for the iPad’s 9.7-inch color display and touchscreen keyboard.

“The iPad is smooth and incredibly fun with rich graphics,” Apple Senior Vice President Scott Forstall said while demonstrating a variety of new games designed specifically for the device.

Rather than worry about more competition, however, Sony says bring it on. The Japanese consumer electronics giant says using the iPad for videogames will only whet consumers’ appetite for a dedicated device, like its PSP console.

John Koller, who runs hardware for Sony’s Playstation line of game consoles, said sales of the company’s PSP handheld jumped significantly after Apple’s iPhone, which was also marketed as a games player, got consumers interested. With the iPad’s emphasis on games, the benefit to Sony could be even greater, he said.

“Apple’s entrance into the portable gaming space has been a net positive for Sony,” Koller said in an interview. “When people want a deeper, richer console, they start playing on a PSP.”

An Apple representative didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

According to research firm NPD, sales of Sony’s PSP have nearly tripled since the iPhone went on sale in June 2007, to 654,000 in December 2009.

Apple is counting on its App Store, which carries a host of game programs, to help drive sales of the iPad. Prices on the new device start at $499 and run to $829.

In a report on Wednesday, research firm IDC said the iPad constitutes a new type of gaming device because it has a powerful processor.

“The iPad (will likely) emerge as a significant device category for casual gamers,” IDC said in the report, which estimated Apple would ship 4 million iPads worldwide this year.

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The U.S. International Trade Commission said it is investigating Apple based on a complaint filed by Nokia in late December, indicating that the dispute between the companies is heating up.

In its complaint, Nokia charged Apple with infringing seven of its patents in virtually all of Apple’s phones, music players and computers. Nokia asked the ITC to order Apple to stop importing and selling the offending products.

Apple, in mid-January, similarly asked the ITC to investigate Nokia, charging the phone maker with infringing its patents. The ITC has not yet responded to Apple.

The companies have also taken their complaints to the courts. Nokia has filed a patent infringement suit against Apple in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. Apple countersued, charging Nokia with infringing 13 Apple patents.

The ITC will set a timeline for completing its investigation within 45 days. Once the investigation is complete, six of the ITC’s administrative law judges will make an initial determination about the case. That initial determination is then subject to review by the full commission. 
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Computer giant and SPSS owner IBM has agreed to acquire National Interest Security Company (NISC), a privately-held company offering advanced analytics and IT solutions to the public sector.

NISC, which is based in Fairfax, Virginia, will be integrated into IBM’s growing Global Business Services consulting unit on completion of the deal, which is expected in the first quarter of 2010. The buy includes NISC affiliate Technology and Management Services, Inc. and is subject to customary closing conditions. Financial details were not disclosed.

IBM says the move will expand its capabilities with federal, state and local government entities, particularly in the fast-growing areas of defense, healthcare, energy, logistics and security, enhancing its recently launched Business Analytics and Optimization (BAO) Services for Public Sector, which uses advanced analytics to deliver predictive intelligence and aid decision-making.

NISC’s expertise covers IT skills from systems engineering and integration to software development and security; as well as biometrics, information assurance and analysis support.

Chuck Prow, Managing Partner, Public Sector, IBM Global Business Services, comments: ‘IBM’s analytic and innovation prowess, combined with NISC’s industry knowledge and depth of experience in defense, healthcare, energy, and infrastructure management services, will allow us to deliver an unprecedented level of service and support to our growing list of government clients.’

Thomas J. Campbell, chairman of NISC says the deal is ‘a strong fit’ with NISC’s original primary objectives: ‘to provide our customers with the highest quality, effective solutions and to provide our employees with the opportunity to do meaningful work with multiple paths for professional development.’
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In its effort to bring down cost and boost efficiency, Del Monte Philippines, Inc., has tapped IBM’s technology expertise via smart IT and Data Center outsourcing solutions.

The company’s shift allows it to focus on a more strategic IT roadmap aimed at supporting a five-year revenue projection while addressing the growing costs of managing and supporting IT operations.

Likewise, the move to IBM, addresses the business demands of greater availability and higher service performance as Del Monte is now able to swing their capital expenditure (capex) to purely operational expenditure (opex) with their SAP migration infrastructure particularly on the infrastructure.

The two contracts worth approximately US$3.1 million covering a five-year period were signed in 2009.

The first is a total IT infrastructure services outsourcing contract. Under the Service Level Agreement, IBM provides management for the food giant’s Data Center, Servers/Storage, Network, DMS, Helpdesk, IT Asset & Vendor Management.

The second contract covers management of an outsourced SAP Infrastructure ( servers, storage, Data Center facility & Disaster Recovery site) for Del Monte’s migration to SAP ECC 6.0 while maintaining the asset ownership of the said Infrastructure.

Del Monte’s Cesar Canlas, chief information officer (CIO) said IBM liberated funding for direct savings and increased the company’s IT efficiency in its day-to-day operations. The company’s productivity and business growth are expected to be enhanced.

“Our clients recognize that in today’s business environment, technology is the differentiator which can provide a valuable competitive edge,” said James Velasquez, Country General Manager, IBM Philippines.
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Lenovo Group Ltd., whose investors today approved the buyback of a mobile-phone division, said its handset business in China won’t be affected by the possible exit from the country of technology supplier Google Inc.

Google’s actions will have “no effect” on Lenovo’s new LePhone handset, which uses the U.S. company’s Android technology, Chief Technology Officer He Zhiqiang told reporters today in Hong Kong. Lenovo, China’s biggest maker of personal computers, plans to offer the smartphone for the Chinese market, He said.

Google this week delayed the introduction of two handsets for China, the world’s biggest mobile-phone market, amid a dispute with Chinese Internet regulators over censorship following cyber attacks on its local Web site. The U.S. search engine operator said last week it may end its search-engine operations in the Asian country pending talks with the Chinese government.

A Jan. 20 ceremony planned by Google and China Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd. to introduce new handsets was postponed, Marsha Wang, spokeswoman for the U.S. company, said on Jan. 19, without giving a reason or a new date.

Lenovo expects to eventually sell more handsets than computers in China, Chief Executive Officer Yang Yuanqing said today, without providing a timeframe. Lenovo investors approved the company’s plan to buy Lenovo Mobile Communication Technology Ltd. for $200 million, he said.
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