14 DAY TRIAL // There might not be much to see of Lenovo on the smart TV market, but this may very well change during the second half of the ongoing year, if a certain report is to be believed at least.
The IT segment is one where, from time to time, companies have to change or expand their business outlooks if they are to survive and grow.
Acer is one of the most recent examples, having decided to change its direction and focus on value instead of shipment volume, this being in a time when it has no real CEO.
Even more recently, a tally for PC sales during the first quarter showed Lenovo getting dangerously close to taking Acer's third spot, shedding some light on just what might have prompted Acer's change of business outlook.
Now, it looks like Lenovo has been stretching its brain, or the brains of its executives, to make a change of its own.
If a Digitimes report is anything to go by, the company might actually start to make smart TVs sometime this year.
So far, the outfit has mostly stuck to the PC market, although it has also begun to deal in tablets.
Quanta Computer, Wistron and Compal are charged with the actual manufacture of its notebooks, while production of the 10.1-inch tablet is handled by Compal alone.
Of course, Lenovo is also responsible for the idea of a certain tablet that is very low on the ordinary scale.
Basically, the company wants to make a 23-inch slate that can act as an AiO or display in user homes, depending on their needs.
Entering the smart TV market will give it an extra source of revenues and might be a good idea considering that users are getting more and more wiling to buy TVs with web support and extras (USB ports etc.). The second half of 2011 is when initial shipments should begin.