Lenovo has announced that Dr Tolga Kurtoglu is its new Chief Technology Officer, with a remit centred around “accelerating… AI leadership”.
Dr Kurtolgu will succeed Dr Yong Rui, who has led Lenovo’s research as CTO for the past seven years. Lenovo also unveiled the formation of a new Emerging Technology Group that will be dedicated to anticipating emerging trends in technology and transforming them into future business growth opportunities for the company. Rui will become President of the Emerging Technology Group.
Dr Kurtoglu commented:
I’ve long admired Lenovo from afar for its bold commitment to innovation. At a time when all consumers and companies are seizing the potential of AI, I’m looking forward to working with research teams around the world to further accelerate the development of Lenovo’s portfolio and deliver powerful, flexible, and responsible AI solutions that transform industries and empower individuals.”
Lenovo presents Dr Kurtoglu as distinguished for his innovative contributions to the IT sector. He has held prominent positions such as CTO of HP Inc., Global Head of HP Labs, CEO of Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, and leader of Dell’s product development group.
Lenovo also highlights Dr Kurtoglu’s extensive patent portfolio and numerous publications spanning automation, machine intelligence, computational design, systems engineering, and 3D/digital manufacturing, which the business says marks him as a leading figure in technological advancement.
“As we embrace the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in AI, I’m pleased to welcome Tolga to Lenovo to help us further realize our ambitions as a global technology powerhouse and drive our AI leadership forward,” said Yuanqing Yang, Chairman and CEO of Lenovo. “His experience across hardware, software, and AI technologies will further strengthen our innovation leadership and smarter AI for all focus.”
Dr Kurtoglu is set to take the helm of Lenovo’s Research division, driving the company’s innovation landscape. His remit encompasses ensuring the technological strategies are in sync with the overarching business goals, and he will contribute his expertise as a member of the Lenovo Executive Committee, the governing body of Lenovo’s leadership team.
“This is a pivotal time for the technology industry, with so many new transformative and emerging technologies that will change how we live, work, and do business,” Dr Rui added. “I’ve been passionate about incubating and commercializing new technologies throughout my career, and I’m excited to lead Lenovo’s new Emerging Technology Group.”
Lenovo’s 2024 So Far
In March, Lenovo expanded its ThinkSmart portfolio to support businesses upgrading their smart meeting rooms.
The Lenovo ThinkSmart Tiny Kit and the ThinkPad Universal USB-C Smart Dock – ThinkSmart Edition empower users with innovative collaboration capabilities and provide IT managers with managed meeting spaces. These solutions transform basic meeting rooms into advanced video conferencing spaces and Microsoft Teams Rooms, significantly enhancing productivity and efficiency in modern workplace environments.
In June, Lenovo and Lightware partnered to launch an advanced solution for Microsoft Teams Rooms designed to enhance hybrid work.
The offering combines Lightware’s advanced Taurus devices and LARA control software with Lenovo’s ThinkSmart solutions for Microsoft Teams Rooms (MTR). These joint solutions aim to set new standards for collaboration technology by providing seamless integration, enhanced functionality, and an improved user experience in modern meeting room environments.
Earlier this year, Lenovo added a video looping capability that allows users to duck out of calls briefly.
Revealed at CES 2024, the feature allows users to record a three-second video of themselves, which is then looped forward and backwards until they are ready to re-engage with the call.
This function is accessed via a sidebar in Windows called AI Now, which launches Lenovo’s new AI-powered personal assistant for service initiation or system setting adjustments. Users can type “I’m leaving” into a search bar, select a confirmation button, and then use another button in the AI Now sidebar to end the loop.
