Esper and Lenovo Offer New Enterprise-Grade Android Solutions for Dedicated Device Use Cases

Rhea-AI Summary

Lenovo and Esper sign reseller agreement for enterprise-grade Android device management

Positive

• Lenovo can now sell a portfolio of devices running enterprise-grade Android and dedicated device management from Esper, making it easier for enterprises to deploy, manage, and update dedicated PCs across their operations.
• The collaboration allows Lenovo to deliver the best of Android with the consistency and predictability of Lenovo's x86 devices, meeting customer demand in retail, hospitality, healthcare, and other industries.
• Customers can now build their ThinkCentre M70a desktops with Android, benefiting from Android's flexibility, global familiarity, cost-efficiency, and large developer pool.

Negative

• None.

• Lenovo can sell any Android supported Lenovo devices with Esper Device Management and a portfolio of selected devices preloaded with Esper Foundation (Custom Android OS) bundled with Esper Device Management.
• This agreement will benefit customers in the retail, hospitality, and healthcare industries as they can benefit from cutting edge Lenovo hardware along with the ability to deploy the devices immediately and start monitoring and controlling remotely with Esper's offering.

BELLEVUE, Wash., Oct. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Esper, an industry leading enterprise grade Android Device Management platform, and Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY), the global technology powerhouse, signed a reseller agreement. The agreement allows Lenovo to sell a portfolio of devices running enterprise-grade Android and dedicated device management from Esper, making it easier for enterprises to deploy, manage, and update dedicated PCs across their operations.

Lenovo OEM Solutions facilitated the integration of hardware and software to help deliver the joint solutions. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M70a 3rd Gen desktop is the first of four planned x86 platforms to run Esper Foundation for Android, an enterprise grade powerful and robust custom OS for x86 and ARM devices. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M70q, M90n-1 IoT, and the ThinkEdge SE30 v2 will be added by the end of the calendar year. As businesses continue to look to Android and the Android ecosystem for greater flexibility and efficiency, Lenovo's new reliable, configurable, and long-lasting x86 solutions, powered by Esper, will accelerate customer adoption.

"This collaboration is another step forward in Lenovo's drive to meet changing customer demand across retail, hospitality, healthcare, and other industries. Dedicated devices are proliferating across several key industries, and our new joint solution with Esper allows us to deliver the best of Android with the consistency and predictability of Lenovo's x86 devices," said Johanny Payero, Director of Global Advanced Solutions Marketing and Strategy, Lenovo. "We are focused on giving customers the ability to deploy devices quickly, remotely managing those devices in the field, and continuously releasing software updates to those devices to deliver exceptional experiences."

Enterprise-Grade Android Increases Flexibility & Cost-Efficiency
In addition to configurations with Windows and Linux, customers who are looking to build or update their Android device fleet now have the option to build their ThinkCentre M70a desktops with Android. Customers will benefit from Android's flexibility, global familiarity, cost-efficiency, and large developer pool.

The ThinkCentre M70a 3rd Gen is a 21.5" all-in-one touchscreen desktop that comes with up to 12th Gen Intel Core i9 processor, up to 16 GB SODIMM DDR4 3200MHz, and up to 512 GB PCIe SSD. The PC is supported by Esper Foundation for Android, which comes with enterprise-ready Android 11 with customizable branding, peripheral compatibility, quarterly security patches, long term support (minimum 3 years), Esper Seamless Provisioning, and app and system crash notifications.

The Esper dedicated device management platform remotely deploys, manages, monitors, and updates devices from a single pane of glass. Esper's platform also automates IT operations workflows and reduces unplanned downtime and expensive in-field IT support—significantly reducing OpEx.

"I am excited to work with Lenovo to deliver a solution that comes with a robust Android operating system, purpose-built for dedicated device use cases," said Shiv Sundar, COO and Co-Founder, Esper. "Customers globally are seeing significant value in running mission-critical operations on Android tablets and now they're going to benefit from Lenovo's world-class x86 devices and form factors. Ultimately, with Lenovo, we're seeing Esper customers moving fast, innovating, and delivering delightful customer experiences."

Android and the Dedicated Device Market
While Android is the most popular operating system for edge devices globally, it's also becoming the popular operating system for enterprise dedicated device use cases, according to a 2022 report by 451 Research. Android (including AOSP and Android with Google Apps, or GMS) accounted for 41% of the device estates of those surveyed, alongside Microsoft Windows (26%), Apple iOS (24%), and Linux (8%). Organizations running a significant portion of their device fleets on Android report the primary reasons they use Android are its lower total cost of ownership, strong platform and app developer tools, and its robust security features.

There is also a high level of interest in running Android on devices with x86 (Intel and AMD) processors. Nearly 9 in 10 of respondents indicated an interest in a solution for Android on x86 devices. Among the greatest perceived challenges of using Android for dedicated device fleets, 23% cited no official support for x86 devices. With Lenovo and Esper's joint solution, customers finally have a complete offering to meet their needs.

About Esper
Esper is the only platform for predictable software deployment and device management. As an industry leading solution enabling DevOps practices for Android devices, Esper is on a mission to let software teams ship without worrying about the hardware. Esper's device infrastructure enables developers, mid-market orgs, and enterprise fleets of 100,000+ devices to deliver their software as a service. Esper has rapidly growing global customer adoption among some of the world's most innovative major brands in retail, hospitality, logistics, healthcare, education, and more. To learn more, visit: https://www.esper.io.

About Lenovo
Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is a US$62 billion revenue global technology powerhouse, ranked #217 in the Fortune Global 500, employing 77,000 people around the world, and serving millions of customers every day in 180 markets. Focused on a bold vision to deliver smarter technology for all, Lenovo has built on its success as the world's largest PC company by further expanding into growth areas that fuel the advancement of 'New IT' technologies (client, edge, cloud, network, and intelligence) including server, storage, mobile, software, solutions, and services. This transformation together with Lenovo's world-changing innovation is building a more inclusive, trustworthy, and smarter future for everyone, everywhere. To find out more visit www.lenovo.com, and read about the latest news via our StoryHub.

Press contacts: 
Kellie Drenner
Esper
Email: kellie@esper.io

Bill Adams
Lenovo
Email:  wii@lenovo.com 

LENOVO, THINKCENTRE and THINKEDGE are trademarks of Lenovo. Google and Android are trademarks of Google, LLC. Linux® is the registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries. Intel and Intel Core are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or other countries. Mac is a trademark of Apple Inc. AMD is a trademark of Advanced Micro Devices. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.  ©2023, Lenovo Group Limited.

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SOURCE Esper

FAQ

What is the reseller agreement between Lenovo and Esper?

The reseller agreement allows Lenovo to sell a portfolio of devices running enterprise-grade Android and dedicated device management from Esper, making it easier for enterprises to deploy, manage, and update dedicated PCs across their operations.

What are the benefits for customers?

Customers can benefit from Lenovo hardware along with the ability to deploy the devices immediately and start monitoring and controlling remotely with Esper's offering.

What devices are included in the joint solution?

The Lenovo ThinkCentre M70a 3rd Gen desktop is the first of four planned x86 platforms to run Esper Foundation for Android. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M70q, M90n-1 IoT, and the ThinkEdge SE30 v2 will be added by the end of the calendar year.

Why is Android popular for enterprise dedicated device use cases?

Android offers lower total cost of ownership, strong platform and app developer tools, and robust security features. Organizations also show interest in running Android on devices with x86 processors.

What are the key features of Esper's device management platform?

Esper's platform remotely deploys, manages, monitors, and updates devices from a single pane of glass, automates IT operations workflows, and reduces unplanned downtime and expensive in-field IT support.