Why does Lenovo make smart glasses? Will it succeed?

Yesterday, Lenovo officially unveiled its first smart-wear device, Lenovo smart glasses, which are designed for commercial-oriented M100 and new glass for the consumer class. About Lenovo Smart glasses, Rui observation interview with Lenovo Group senior vice president, China and Asia-Pacific President Chen Xudong, as well as Lenovo glasses, one of three partners, Beijing Cloud as the CEO Guyan. Rui observation has received a large number of exclusive news, about Lenovo glasses of past and present life, there are these exclusive information can be shared with you:

1, smart glasses by Lenovo-led, made in Lenovo's label, the other two partners, is responsible for hardware Vuzix, as well as the software responsible for the Beijing cloud as intelligent. In particular, Vuzix is only involved in the manufacture of M100, the new consumer-grade Glass, is the pure domestic.

2, smart glasses in Lenovo Group Project 3 years, initially by the He Zhiqiang Institute of Responsibility. And Vuzix, cloud vision to achieve cooperation to launch smart glasses new products, it is 2014. In other words, half a year, Lenovo led three companies, launched the smart glasses products.

3, the number of people involved in the smart glasses project is not many. Lenovo, is a white to stand in command of a small team of 13 people, the name is small stool, white to set a team-led work mainly include: product definition, software definition, some cloud services, such as video calls, live video, Third-party applications on the Lenovo Cloud Platform. The Cloud-Vision intelligence company, which consists of two teams, the Taiwan team and the Beijing team, where the Beijing team mainly works on software, is divided into cloud services, such as live video and augmented reality cloud services, and mobile phone apps, such as mobile phone stewards. Of course, according to Lenovo's timeline, these products are currently accessible only to developers. In addition, the smart glasses of the operating system, this work is done by the cloud as intelligent company.

4, the CEO of Cloud Vision Intelligent Company, is the former Lenovo Group has more than 10 years of work experience of the old staff. Therefore, the two companies in contact, collaboration and so on, more tacit understanding. Product Time-to-market, for the commercial market M100, is expected to be about July 30 to the developer pre-sale, the market price of 8000 yuan. For ordinary consumers, it lags to around October.

5, sales channels, mainly to the electric business channel, at the same time will be in Lenovo flagship store into products, for product experience, go O2O mode for sale.

Is there a greater chance of success for this branded wearable device? Analysis that the product, at least, will encounter 4 problems, that is, if Lenovo can not solve the 4 problems, then the future of Lenovo glasses will be worrying:

1, the absence of the application scene

One of the earliest enterprises engaged in intelligent wear equipment, Inwatch company co-founder Chen Mo in the same sharp observation of the dialogue, including Lenovo glasses wear equipment, all need to solve a problem, is the user needs of mining, if the application scene is missing, then the product is basically out of the way.

In the conference presentation, Lenovo staff demonstrated the functions of photographing, navigation and so on. Chen Mo that Lenovo M100 for the industry users, the positioning of the more clear, its market prospects should be good, as for the consumer-oriented new Glass, Lenovo should think about it.

2, high price bottleneck

Lenovo announced a M100 market price of 8000 yuan. Of course, compared with Google glasses, Lenovo's price is very honest, Google glasses at home can buy the price, is basically about 10,002, Lenovo glasses than Google glasses cheaper than nearly one-third.

3, supply chain management problems

Yi, secretary general of China Mobile Industry Alliance, believes that supply chain management is also a problem for smart wearable equipment. For Lenovo, one of the customary style is to strengthen the control of the industrial chain, for example, Yang said many times, in Wuhan, Chengdu set up a factory for Lenovo's supply chain rapid response, help very much.

But in the smart dress of this market, Lenovo is facing a completely uncontrolled new environment. Can the supply chain be guaranteed? Lenovo has a lot of work to do. This is not alarmist, early, Lenovo's first generation of music phone, encountered a Samsung screen broken, so that Lenovo failed to complete the year's target of 1 million sets.

4. Distribution of benefits

Whether PC, mobile phone, tablet, TV, Lenovo is the boss, but now, Lenovo must face a problem, that is, and partners benefit distribution issues. If the distribution of benefits is uneven, it can lead to partner apart.

In an interview with sharp observation, Chen Xudong said Lenovo has a number of initiatives to maintain its relationship with its partners, such as a certain percentage of holdings, such as the establishment of joint ventures. However, according to Sharp observation exclusive access to the news, Lenovo released yesterday's router products is taken this approach, in the area of smart glasses, Lenovo and partners are also in touch, but has not reached the final cooperation intention.

With so many problems, does Lenovo still have a chance? Analysts say Lenovo has more opportunities than rivals in at least 4 ways. At present, Lenovo's competitors are mainly 2 categories, 1 types of Google glasses as the representative of foreign companies, 1 are engaged in the domestic wearing equipment, small start-up companies. At present there is no other giant-class companies involved in the field of smart glasses. Lenovo's opportunities are as follows:

1, Lenovo Localization service PK Google overseas Services

Chen Mo in the same sharp observation dialogue, said that Google glasses many functions in mainland China, caused this product to become a loaded product, but Lenovo is not the same, its database and server are in the country, and Lenovo itself can do it operations, so, in the speed and application experience, Lenovo is much better than Google glasses.

2, Lenovo's big customer channel vs start-up companies lack of channels

Lenovo's first glasses, is positioning the commercial field. Lenovo Group vice president, Lenovo China chief market Officer Weijianglei in the same sharp observation, said that many of the scenarios can use GOOG Glass, such as power workers overhaul lines, timely data return to the researchers analysis.

As we all know, Lenovo in China has a unique dual business model, one of its models, is deep into the big customer business. This channel, and Lenovo's smart glasses M100 user crowd is partially consistent. This, domestic start-up companies can not match.

3, Group support

Chen Mo that big companies do wear equipment, without the pressure of profit, and more easily get support from the group. This is true, for example, the white-desire team, although only 13 people, but can be from He Zhiqiang Cloud services Group, Chen Xudong China team and Yiu Ying Good design team, access to various external support.

4, the Chinese market blank, the first advantage

Getting into the market first means having an advantage over other companies. For the demand side, there is no other product to choose from.

It is believed that Lenovo Group has also evaluated the risks and opportunities before deciding to enter the market. For Lenovo, what can Lenovo get from engaging in wearable equipment? Why does Lenovo want to be the first person to eat crabs on Chinese mainland smart glasses? The reasons are estimated to have the following 5:

1, the future market of the card position

Wearing equipment has become a mainstream trend, an interesting story, the 2014 MWC, just announced the acquisition of Motorola's Lenovo executives to participate in the Barcelona exhibition, full of reporters will be interested in the merger incident, but did not think the most asked, but Lenovo in the preparation of equipment. It is for this reason that Lenovo executives revealed a photo of Lenovo glasses during the show. This gives people the earliest attention to Lenovo's wearable equipment project.

2, change the image of the middle-aged Uncle's Association

As a company that has been established for 30 years, Lenovo is sometimes considered a middle-aged uncle. Its products are PCs, mobile phones, tablets and televisions. But now it's different, Lenovo has cool products like smart glasses.

Chen Xudong in the same sharp observation of the dialogue, Lenovo announced today's new products, not to win by volume, but to make the user at the front of a bright product.

3, marketing perspective, a way to regain attention

After the media conference, reporters constantly cross-examine Lenovo Chen Xudong and White to stand, about Lenovo wear equipment and Lenovo small bench topic. Yi that the millet, a plus and other companies in a way to rob Lenovo's thunder, but, with the help of products such as smart glasses, Lenovo brought media attention to pull back. Similar to today's media coverage of the discussion of Lenovo products, has been rare, only this one, advertising costs have saved a lot, greatly enhanced Lenovo's brand morale.

4, try a new business model

Chen Xudong said that while insisting on the original business model, Lenovo let the white-desire team to make some new attempts, such as the new business model. Previously, Lenovo products and users of the relationship is a one-time sales relationship, but Lenovo glasses and other products can become a service charge of the product, this is a business model on the new attempt.

5, tell a good story.

For a company that is listed on the capital market, earning money is far more important than telling a good story. The 1th domestic smart glasses for the giant company, this argument, for the capital market, is indeed a good story, and, smart glasses for the representative of the wearing equipment, has been undisputed it development of the next hot topic.