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Lenovo Records Strong Double-Digit Growth in Quarterly Revenue

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By Modupe Gbadeyanka

Lenovo Group has announced results for its first fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2018. For the second straight quarter, Lenovo achieved strong double-digit growth in revenue year-on-year.

Group revenue reached $11.91 billion, up 19% year-on-year. The company also reported strong pre-tax income during the quarter of $113 million, an improvement of $182 million year-on-year, as profitability improved across all businesses.

In the first fiscal quarter, Lenovo’s profit attributable to equity holders grew to $77 million, up $149 million year-over-year. Basic earnings per share in the first fiscal quarter was 0.65 US cents or 5.10 HK cents.

“As we persistently execute our 3-wave strategy, all our businesses made solid improvements in both revenue and profitability. Lenovo has passed the turning point and entered a phase of ‘acceleration’ – accelerating the execution of our transformation strategy and accelerating the rising momentum in business performance,” said Yang Yuanqing, Lenovo Chairman and CEO.

“In the future, we will maintain industry leading profitability and premium to market growth in PCs; return the smartphone business to health; build the data center business into a sustainable growth and profit engine, and continue to invest in ‘Smart IoT + Cloud’ and ‘Infrastructure + Cloud’ to drive long term sustainable return.”

With this Q1 FY2018/19 earnings report, Lenovo has turned a corner in its transformation and enters a new phase of growth, thanks to meaningful progress on its strategy and focus on “Intelligent Transformation” during the quarter. Lenovo’s decisive steps to consolidate key businesses into a streamlined, integrated enterprise, along with an emphasis on dynamic revenue generators, are quickly yielding significant returns.

Last quarter, Lenovo announced the creation of its new Intelligent Devices Group (IDG), combining its Personal Computer and Smart Devices Group with its Mobile Business Group. Rethinking the ways these units and their devices interact and impact customers led to IDG’s double-digit, quarterly revenue growth year-over-year, and PC unit market share gains in every geography.

At the same time, Lenovo is not only driving, but capitalizing on, global growth trends in both software and services.

Lenovo’s key business units each tallied significant growth and market strength during the quarter: The Intelligent Devices Group is energized by the synergy of shared platforms and resources, delivered a strong revenue growth of 14% year-on-year, amounting to $9.95 billion.

During the quarter, the PC and Smart Devices (PCSD) business under IDG delivered strong double digit revenue growth for the 2nd consecutive quarter, growing 19% year to year while maintaining industry leading profitability of 5%. Lenovo is the fastest growing player (by units) among the Top five global PC makers and returned to the global PC number one leading position according to Gartner. Outside of the core PC business Lenovo continues to invest in growing its portfolio of smart devices including smart home; smart office and AR/VR.

The Mobile Business Group (MBG) under IDG improved significantly during the quarter thanks to three key measures. Firstly, the group reduced operating expenses by more than US$100 million; secondly introduced a refined product portfolio and thirdly focused on selected markets where the company can compete profitably. With the refined product portfolio in place, the company focused on mainstream segments and successfully launched Moto G and E during the quarter. Revenue and volume continued to strengthen in Latin America in particular, outgrowing the market in both for seven quarters. In North America, Lenovo’s mobile volume nearly doubled year-on-year thanks to the right scaling strategy to expand to all four major carriers.

Building on a strong Q4, Lenovo’s Data Center Group (DCG) further accelerated its momentum, reporting another record revenue quarter of US$1.6 billion, the third consecutive quarter of double-digit revenue growth, and up 67.8% compared to the same quarter a year earlier. The record high revenue was driven by growth in Software Defined Infrastructure, High Performance Computing & A.I businesses and Hyperscale. Lenovo’s software-defined products, led by the new ThinkAgile brand, once again drove more than triple-digit growth year-on-year, and along with the announcement of the new ThinkAgile CP for next-generation composable cloud infrastructure. The Hyperscale business also grew by triple-digits year-on-year while improving gross profit and diversifying the customer base. Traditional infrastructure continued on a positive trend and flash-based storage solutions showed strong momentum at 42% YOY growth. This quarter also saw Lenovo surpassing HPE to become the #1 supercomputer provider on the TOP500 supercomputing list for the first time, with 117 systems.

With an eye to the future, Lenovo’s Capital and Incubator Group (LCIG) continues to invest and build the Group’s next-generation IT capabilities in AI, IoT, Big Data and VR/AR across various sectors such as manufacturing, healthcare and transportation.

Modupe Gbadeyanka is a fast-rising journalist with Business Post Nigeria. Her passion for journalism is amazing. She is willing to learn more with a view to becoming one of the best pen-pushers in Nigeria. Her role models are the duo of CNN's Richard Quest and Christiane Amanpour.

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Interswitch Inducts New Interns into Developer Academy to Fortify Tech Talent Pipeline

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Interswitch’s Developer Academy

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

A cohort of developer interns has been inducted into the Developer Academy of Interswitch as part of efforts to deepen Africa’s tech talent pipeline.

The new cohort emerged through a rigorous multi-stage process involving technical assessments and interviews. They were chosen from over 20,000 applications.

The talents were sourced from across key engineering tracks, including Backend Development, DevOps, Mobile Development, Frontend Engineering, and Quality Assurance.

Their induction highlights both the scale of interest in software engineering opportunities in Nigeria and Interswitch’s role in nurturing the next generation of highly skilled technology professionals.

During the 9-month programme, participants will benefit from mentorship by experienced professionals, exposure to enterprise-grade systems, and the development of workplace readiness skills essential for today’s dynamic work environment.

Designed as an intensive and structured learning experience, the Developer Academy combines theoretical instruction with real-world application, equipping participants with the skills required to thrive in an increasingly global and competitive technology landscape.

At the end of the programme, top-performing interns may be offered full-time roles within Interswitch, while others are well-positioned to pursue opportunities across the broader technology landscape.

“At Interswitch, we have always believed in the capacity to see beyond the immediate challenges and focus on long-term impact. While the migration of skilled talent remains a reality, our approach is to actively shape the outcomes by building a strong and sustainable pipeline of technology professionals,” the chief executive of Interswitch, Mr Mitchell Elegbe, said.

“We are therefore committed to equipping individuals with the capabilities to contribute meaningfully to the broader technology ecosystem, locally and globally, not just for our own needs at Interswitch. In doing so, we are not only strengthening the industry but also reinforcing Nigeria’s position as a source of globally competitive engineering talent,” he added.

Also commenting, the Human Resources Officer, Mr Franklin Ali, said, “The Developer Academy reflects our long-term commitment to building talent at scale. We are equipping these young professionals not just with technical skills, but with the mindset, discipline, and adaptability required to thrive in diverse environments.

“Whether they build their careers within Interswitch, contribute to the local ecosystem, or explore global opportunities, they represent the strength and potential of Nigerian talent and carry forward the standard of excellence we are committed to building.”

Beyond its immediate training objectives, Interswitch’s Developer Academy is anchored on a broader strategic vision, one that addresses the ongoing migration of skilled talent from Nigeria and other developing economies.

As global demand for software engineers continues to rise, many highly skilled professionals are increasingly recruited by international organisations.

Interswitch’s approach reframes this trend, positioning talent development both as a means of local capacity building and as an opportunity to strengthen Nigeria’s reputation as a global hub for technology expertise.

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Flexmobile to Disrupt Nigeria’s Telecom Landscape

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Flexmobile

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

Nigeria’s telecom landscape is about to be abuzz, with the much-anticipated launch of Flexmobile from Hazon Technologies.

Feelers indicate that the company will soon make a commercial debut, as the regulatory approval is now in the final stage.

It was gathered that the commercial rollout for Flexmobile should be June 1, 2026, as this depends on the authorisation of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which regulates the sector. The telco will have the distinctive 081 number series.

Early signals suggest a product ecosystem engineered around flexibility, data-centricity, and user control—an approach aligned with the evolving expectations of Nigeria’s digitally connected population.

For seamless operations, Flexmobile has sealed commercial agreements with its MVNE, IMBIL, and Airtel Nigeria.

“What lies ahead is more than a launch—it is the beginning of a new way to experience telecoms in Nigeria,” the chief executive of Hazon Technologies, Mr Victor ‘Gbenga Afolabi, said at a recent media briefing.

“After years of building the right partnerships and infrastructure, we are approaching a defining milestone. Flexmobile is designed to challenge conventions and introduce a smarter, more flexible telecom experience for Nigerians,” he added.

While full details of its offering will be unveiled at launch, Flexmobile is expected to introduce a suite of value-added services designed to go beyond traditional connectivity—positioning the brand at the intersection of telecoms, lifestyle, and digital enablement.

Backed by strong institutional partnerships and a robust MVNE framework, Flexmobile enters the market not just as another operator, but as a platform with the potential to reshape how telecom services are consumed and experienced.

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ipNX, NCC to Drive Inclusive Digital Growth Across Nigeria

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ipNX Nigeria NCC

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

A leading Information and Communications Technology (ICT) company, ipNX Nigeria, is joining forces with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to accelerate broadband penetration and drive inclusive digital growth across the country.

Recently, an executive delegation of the organisation paid a visit to the chairman of the regulatory agency, Mr Idris Olorunimbe.

“We are pleased to engage with the new chairman of the NCC and show our support as he takes on this important role.

“Strong leadership and a clear policy direction are essential to unlocking the full potential of Nigeria’s digital economy.

“At ipNX, we remain committed to working closely with the commission and other stakeholders to expand broadband access, enhance connectivity in educational institutions, and ultimately bridge the digital divide.

“This collaboration will empower millions of Nigerians and further position the country as a leader in Africa’s technological evolution,” the Managing Director of ipNX Nigeria, Mr Ejovi Aror, said at the visit.

In his remarks, Mr Olorunnimbe thanked the firm for the show of support, reiterating the commission’s commitment to fostering an enabling environment for private sector participation in achieving universal broadband access across Nigeria.

This collaboration is expected to advance Nigeria’s transformation agenda in technology and help boost the federal government’s broadband agenda for the country.

ipNX Nigeria has said it remains at the forefront of delivering cutting-edge broadband and ICT solutions, and this engagement underscores its unwavering dedication to supporting national development through technology-driven initiatives.

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