The service will launch in Spain then expand across Europe
Vodafone Business announced a partnership with Lenovo Connect to offer customised global IoT service integrated with Lenovo Connect solutions. Customers with Lenovo smart devices will be able to securely connect to the internet via Vodafone’s global IoT network across multiple countries, starting in Europe.
Lenovo Connect wanted a solution for its customers with access to secure connectivity and so it can manage, monitor and securely distribute its content. The service, which initially launches in Spain, will connect over 40,000 devices. It will be available for Spanish customers from May 2023 and expanded across Europe subsequently.
The multi-year contract between the two is part of Lenovo’s digitalisation and will mean customers have secure connectivity on-the-go via their smart devices. To comply with country specific regulations, the companies have developed a local communications service model, overseen by a global IoT management and platform.
SIM embeds IoT in devices
Vodafone Business will provide a SIM for IoT Global Data Service Platform (GDSP) fitted into each Lenovo device that integrates it with the IoT platform through the Lenovo Connect App.
In preparation, Vodafone Spain customised its global Managed IoT Connectivity platform to manage IoT connectivity within the country to ensure service compliance with Spanish regulation and Lenovo Connect’s ambition for devices to be ‘always connected, connected everywhere’.
Vodafone Business claims the partnership reinforces its leadership in IoT connectivity, which so far has more than 159 million IoT SIMs. The European IoT industry is projected to reach $12.3 billion by 2031, having grown 19% from 2022 to 2031.
Lenovo Connect was established in October 2015 and a subsidiary of Lenovo LCIG. It offers global connectivity and service resources to create solutions that integrate IoT, cloud, big data, AI, and global service. Lenovo Connect focuses on smart interactive devices and smart connected vehicles, and is exploring 5G application scenarios.
Digital transformations
Vinod Kumar, CEO at Vodafone Business said: “Our purpose is to help organisations digitally transform their business with a unique level of service and expertise. In collaboration with Lenovo Connect, we will deliver a resilient and customised pan-European service for customers built on fast connectivity and greater privacy and security.”
According to Wang Shuai, VP of Lenovo Group and CEO of Lenovo Connect, said. “Lenovo Connect and Vodafone will leverage technology, complementary resources and platform integration to build higher-quality, international, intelligent connectivity services to help enterprises embark on their digital and intelligent transformation journey.”