Lenovo, ASCII Group To Talk In Wake Of PC Maker's Best Buy Deal

Lenovo is poised to enter an agreement with the ASCII Group similar to one it recently announced with Best Buy, according to ASCII Chairman and and CEO Alan Weinberger.

Weinberger said a channel executive from Lenovo is slated to meet with about 200 members of the group at its May 4 Boot Camp meeting to discuss details of the organization's relationship with the PC maker.

"We're going to be working closely with Lenovo," Weinberger said. The ASCII Group has more than 2,000 VAR members, which focus primarily on small and midsize businesses.

Earlier this month, Lenovo unveiled a deal with brick-and-mortar retailer Best Buy to sell its PCs and notebooks to small businesses through Best Buy For Business outlets. ASCII members and solution providers raised an outcry following the announcement.

Weinberger complained that the Lenovo-Best Buy deal would hurt ASCII members and the channel. Following that eruption, Lenovo executives contacted Weinberger and began sketching out a similar deal for ASCII.

"We've been told we'll have a similar program," Weinberger said.

Lenovo wouldn’t confirm that any deal is in the offing but acknowledged the two sides are getting together.

"Lenovo will be meeting with the ASCII Group at their upcoming meeting," said Lenovo Americas vice president Stephen Mungall. "It is premature to elaborate on any announcement."

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