From the USM email listserv:

IBM recent announcement and impact on the Global Knowledge Initiative:


This week IBM announced an agreement with Lenovo under which Lenovo will acquire IBM's Personal Computing Division and create a powerful new global leader in the PC industry.  I realize everyone is asking how this will impact Southern Miss' Global Knowledge Initiative.  Right now, I can't see a major impact to our initiative. I think it is important to stay the course
and wait and see.  IBM has assured us that quality and service will not be impacted by this merger.

The new company brings together the industry-leading technologies and lowest cost-of-ownership advantages of IBM's storied PC division with Lenovo's undisputed PC leadership in the world's fastest-growing economies.

The new Lenovo will have the scale and intense focus to provide us with ever-greater value in personal-computing technologies and focus to our initiative.

I am confident that IBM's close alliance with Lenovo will allow the new Lenovo to meet or even exceed our expectations for PCs that deliver real value and productivity.

The new business - with its powerful brand names, balanced portfolio of offerings, leading R&D capabilities and 19,000 employees - will be the world's third-largest PC competitor, with combined annual revenue of approximately $12 billion.  The new Lenovo will have its worldwide headquarters in New York, with principal operations in Beijing, China, and Raleigh, N.C., sales
offices in every state, and research centers in China, the U.S. and Japan.

IBM will assume an equity position in Lenovo, and will be the preferred supplier of service, support, and financing for the new Lenovo.  The CEO of the new company will be Steve Ward, who is currently the senior vice president and general manager of IBM's Personal Systems Group.

In terms of our relationship with IBM, nothing will change for the next few months while the transaction is concluded. And after that, IBM and the new Lenovo are committed to work together as one integrated team to meet Southern Miss' needs.  In most cases, the PC specialists on our combined IBM/new Lenovo team will be the same people we work with on our IBM team today.

The close alliance between the new Lenovo and IBM means we can expect all the advantages IBM PCs have today to get better. IBM and the new Lenovo will continue to provide PC products and services that deliver the best-in-class value you expect: The PC product roadmap will not change for 18 months under the new company.  The new Lenovo will continue to make ThinkPad mobile and ThinkCentre desktop PCs with the IBM brand.  The new company will bring all of IBM's PC research, development, design, and manufacturing capabilities together with those of Lenovo.

IBM is expecting the transaction with Lenovo to be concluded sometime early in 2005.  I will continue to keep you updated with additional information, as it develops.  I will assure you we will watch and constantly hold IBM accountable for its quality of service.  In the meantime, if you have any questions, please let me know.


Thank you

Homer Coffman
Chief Information Officer
The University of Southern Mississippi