Lenovo embraces edge computing
More businesses and industries in Asean will benefit from edge computing, Internet of Things (IoT), fifth generation (5G) cellular and Wifi 6 features facilitated by a new-generation data processing capability, a senior Lenovo executive told the press this week.
Han Chon, general manager of Lenovo’s data center group for Asean, said the Chinese multinational tech giant has embarked on its third-stage transformation for such a capability.
Under the Transform 3.0 theme, Lenovo aims to build one of the world’s largest edge-to-cloud computing portfolios to better serve customers in Thailand and other Asean markets.
This will lead to the next generation of massive data processing using artificial intelligence (AI), face and object recognition, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and other features.
In the retail sector, for example, brick-and-mortar stores can remove long queues of customers and avoid pricing errors by using object recognition technology at their self-service checkouts.
With an integrated system of cameras, processors and sensors, shoppers can scan all items at once to shorten the queues since the need to detect individual barcodes of products is eliminated. In addition, the system can provide feedback to suppliers and manufacturers from the point of sales as well as facilitate a virtual wallet payment gateway.
Chon said retail chains can also take advantage of dynamic marketing features at the point-of-sales by providing pop-up online stores, for example, to targeted customers.
These new capabilities have potential use in public-sector security, government services, telecommunications and banking and finance, among others.
Lenovo purchased its personal computer and data center businesses from US-based IBM,
Lenovo has achieved a number of milestones in the data center business including recognition as one of the world’s best performers in computer server capability and reliability as well as in data storage.
During a recent Bangkok event, Lenovo also showcased new intelligent devices and solutions for enterprises in Thailand using AR, IoT, security and other software for workplace transformation and smarter businesses.
For the smarter business initiative, the firm highlights the potential of AR and VR capabilities such as those for workers to use AR applications to get help, reduce repair times for machinery, eliminate errors, streamline complex workflow, and improve training quality and collaboration.
Lenovo’s ThinkReality platform also allows workers to interact and collaborate with 3D digital information in the real world, helping to improve contextual awareness and efficiency.
Both AR and VR software can also be managed across multiple operating systems, cloud services and devices.
In terms of IoT solutions, an IoT device, for example, can capture information on various repeated actions in a given environment and, then, analyse the data to boost workplace efficiency and optimize performance.
The IoT platform includes sensors, high-power cameras, motion-enabled lighting, machine vision cashiers, and visual recognition devices that can detect and convey information quickly to make decisions at the edge such as at warehouses or showrooms to facilitate warehouse and showroom automation.
In logistics, a warehouse associate may use a high-performance camera sensor to identify if packages are on the right pallet within 200 milliseconds of picking up a box via a QR code on the sticker as part of the warehouse automation system.
In healthcare, a medical practitioner can use a pair of AR glasses to view a patient’s X-ray on the cloud platform to help diagnose a complicated ailment.
