Lenovo, IBM Team Up for 24/7 Support Service

Morrisville, N.C. — Lenovo and IBM are teaming up to provide a 24/7 support service for consumers and businesses.

“Lenovo Experts Live” is designed to offer information technology solutions services outside of warranty claims.

“This is a joint collaboration between Lenovo’s China research lab and Advanced Technology lab here,” a Lenovo spokesperson told WRAL Local Tech Wire and WRAL.com.

The new service will mean some new hires in the Triangle.

“There are small resource increases in Raleigh and Canada,” the spokesperson said.

Lenovo and IBM also announced a partnership last week to support small to large enterprises. Lenovo bought IBM’s personal computing division in 2005 for $1.2 billion.

Even though IBM will be providing support for the “Lenovo Experts Live” offering, Lenovo said the service is a Lenovo-driven product.

“This is not a private labeling,” the spokesperson explained. “Lenovo designed this service offering from the ground up to meet the needs of SMB and consumers. Lenovo worked with IBM to deliver specific components of the offering.”

Financial terms of the new partnership were not disclosed.

The service offers help-desk services for operating system and software application support, system tune-ups, Internet and system security as well as networking assistance.

“Lenovo Experts Live provides anytime access to experts who can help customers do everything from protecting their PC from viruses and using software applications more effectively to setting up filters for their children’s Internet use,” said Chris Askew, senior vice president for Service and Support and Lenovo, in a statement. “This new service offering helps us lay the groundwork to expand our transactional business segment that serves small business users and individual consumers.”

Highlights include “live” access to certified technicians 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and a choice of support through phone or online chat.

Lenovo recently embarked on efforts to drive more consumer and small business PC sales. The company is in fierce competition for sales on a global basis.

IBM will contribute management of call center services, network transport and server operations as part of the new offering.