Lenovo and IBM today announced the expansion of their global alliance to develop and deliver industry specific, integrated technology solutions for enterprises, small and mid-market (SMB) businesses and individuals.

The agreement aligns Lenovo's expertise in building the best engineered personal computers with IBM's extensive IT services and technology capabilities. Under the terms of the alliance, Lenovo and IBM Global Services will jointly deliver end-to-end technology solutions that meet the business needs of clients in industries such as healthcare, financial services, education, retail and government.

The industry solutions sold through IBM Global Services, Lenovo and Business Partners will combine Lenovo PCs with a core group of IBM hardware and software, independent software partner applications, and infrastructure access services from IBM?s middleware services, end user services, and maintenance and technical support service units. Service products from IBM offer support and optimization for an entire end user environment, including platforms, devices and end user experience, allowing users to better utilize the benefits of Lenovo-specific tools, such as ThinkVantage Technologies and Lenovo Care productivity tools.

The expanded relationship leverages Lenovo's transactional business model, and technology and market-specific expertise from each company to help IBM capture a larger piece of the small business and consumer markets. IBM and Lenovo will establish a joint innovation team focused on generating innovative solutions that deliver sustained business value for small businesses and enterprises alike.

This partnership builds on the success of the IBM-Lenovo multi-year agreement, in which Lenovo is the leading provider of personal computers to IBM clients, and where IBM provides financing and end-user support services for those PC solutions.

IBM will market and sell Lenovo PCs through IBM Global Services, including its strategic outsourcing deals. Lenovo, through IBM, will collaboratively sell its products to customers under the name "Delivered by IBM."