Reflections: Ou Shian Waei, Lenovo
Q. What was the biggest lesson learnt in 2005?
2005 was an extremely interesting year, with Lenovo's acquisition of IBM's PC division and the changes that came with it. I've learned that in times of change, you have to communicate, communicate, communicate.
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On the day the acquisition was announced in December 2004, and in May when the acquisition was completed, we had a 48-hour communication schedule that was timed to the hour. I personally spoke to business partners, key customers and, of course, the employees. You have to communicate strategy, policy, product, keep people up to date on what's happening. If you don't do that your stakeholders will get information from elsewhere and it will be inaccurate information. So, it's much better to over communicate to ensure that your message gets across.
What were the top three most important industry developments in 2005?
The first would be Lenovo's acquisition of IBM's PC business. The second, increased adaptation of wireless technologies such as 3G WAN (wide area network) on mobile computers. Mobile professionals are demanding access anywhere and anytime, and 3G WAN will enable mobile computers to be more easily connected to the Web wirelessly. 3G WAN is a wireless WAN that combines the mobility of 3G with the speed of Wi-Fi. 3G WAN greatly eases remote access and with the growing availability of Wi-Fi, mobile access to applications other than e-mail and instant messaging can become more convenient.
The third, deployment of new form factors including tablet PCs and widescreens. The lines between work and play are becoming increasingly blurred. And, with employees becoming more and more mobile, even the definition of workplace is now stretching beyond the office. Workers need to use mobile computers in home offices, factory floors, customer locations, hospital wards, and other sites outside the traditional office. Form factors such as tablet PCs give mobile employees more versatility since it gives them mobility and allows them to write and draw in addition to using the keyboard. And, with more people using mobile computers outside of work, many are using notebooks as entertainment devices. Widescreens are become popular as they enhance the multimedia experience for video playback, computer gaming and viewing of photographs.
Which emerging technology has the potential to enter mainstream in 2006?
We believe that integrated 3G WAN has the maximum potential to be one of the most exciting mainstream technologies of 2006. 3G WAN allows more convenient connectivity, enabling users to log on almost anywhere and at any time. We should see operators making 3G WAN more widespread in 2006, and more devices will come equipped with built-in 3G WAN capabilities.