Lenovo Empowers SMEs with Scalable AI-Ready IT Solutions

Amid growing pressure on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to modernise their IT infrastructure and prepare for the era of artificial intelligence, Lenovo has introduced a suite of solutions designed to make deployment, scaling and management simpler and more cost-effective.

These IT infrastructure solutions are tailored to help SMEs deploy, scale and leverage modern technology with ease. They are designed to accelerate growth and innovation from day one through pre-tested and validated bundles of servers, software and consumption-based pricing options that enable businesses to move faster from decision to deployment. Featuring guided set-up and built-in security, the solutions allow organisations to modernise outdated infrastructure quickly, preparing them for today’s AI-powered workplace while delivering insights wherever business happens.

In today’s fast-moving IT landscape, SMEs face mounting pressure to adopt AI and remain competitive despite limited resources, requiring technology that is both powerful and practical. To address this, Lenovo has adopted an SME-first approach with scalable solutions that are easy to implement, robust from the outset and focused on delivering immediate value.

‘SMEs face a challenging and competitive environment today, with many struggling to modernise IT while keeping costs under control. Lenovo is helping these enterprises stay current with solutions that remove traditional barriers of complexity and expense,’ said Sumir Bhatia, President, Asia Pacific, Infrastructure Solutions Group, Lenovo. ‘Our SME portfolio simplifies the way enterprises acquire, deploy and manage IT, accelerating innovation and operational efficiency from day one. By providing AI-ready, enterprise-grade technology that is flexible, secure and easy to adopt, we are giving SMEs the tools to compete and grow with confidence in today’s AI-driven era.’

Business Solutions Designed for Today and Ready for Tomorrow

Lenovo’s pre-tested and validated bundles are built to deliver enterprise-grade performance and reliability for SMEs without the usual complexity. By combining the industry’s most trusted servers with leading technology partners, these solutions make it easier to access next-generation IT at lower cost and with faster results – with no custom builds, no guesswork and no specialised teams required. Lenovo offers several pre-tested bundles, including the following:

Business Ready Infrastructure in a Box: Scale confidently with proven designs and simplified IT through Hyper-V Ready Node solutions built on the Lenovo ThinkSystem SR635 V3 or Lenovo ThinkSystem SR630 V4, validated with Windows Server 2025 Hyper-V and imaged with Windows Admin Console enabled.

AI Edge-Ready Node: Run modern applications wherever business happens with the cost-effective Lenovo ThinkEdge SE100, powered by Scale Computing HyperCore for lightweight, on-demand edge deployments – making enterprise-grade edge computing easy to adopt and manage for smaller teams.

Business Protection in a Box: Safeguard critical data and workloads with the Lenovo ThinkSystem SR650 V3 supporting up to 55 VMs, or the Lenovo ThinkSystem SR630 V3 combined with ThinkSystem Storage Arrays supporting up to 140 VMs.

Kumar Mitra, Executive Director, CAP and ANZ, Infrastructure Solutions Group, Lenovo, added: ‘SMEs are the backbone of Thailand’s digital economy, yet AI adoption remains low, leaving many at a disadvantage. Lenovo’s new SME-ready solutions are designed to address this gap. Whether it is our Business Ready Infrastructure in a Box for simplified IT, AI Edge-Ready Node for modern applications anywhere, or Business Protection in a Box to safeguard critical workloads, these pre-tested, scalable and secure solutions with flexible consumption options help SMEs modernise efficiently and unlock AI-driven growth without the complexity or cost of building IT from scratch.’

Lenovo provides businesses with a streamlined, easy-to-manage experience from set-up to daily operations through Lenovo XClarity One, a secure cloud portal offering AI-driven visibility, control and preventative maintenance to minimise downtime and operating costs. For data protection, Lenovo integrates Veeam to safeguard workloads against ransomware and failures, enabling near-instant recovery so that SMEs can restore critical operations within minutes, without requiring a large IT team.

Additionally, Lenovo simplifies business transformation with validated AI configurations that offer a proven roadmap, eliminating the need to build AI from scratch. These new solutions deliver rapid results, with use cases ranging from real-time threat detection that strengthens security to customer insights that drive revenue growth.

Flexible IT Consumption Without the Extra Costs

Lenovo is reshaping IT consumption for SMEs with TruScale Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS). Through leasing, subscriptions and consumption-based pricing, TruScale allows businesses to pay only for what they use, scaling services to exact requirements while simplifying control, support and integration, and avoiding unnecessary costs. Customers report up to 30% faster rollouts, accelerating the journey from purchase to productivity.

Closer to home in Asia-Pacific, Malaysia’s Microtree Sdn Bhd (M3) used TruScale to expand its portfolio with new ‘as-a-service’ offerings such as Backup-as-a-Service. By leveraging Lenovo’s flexible model, M3 avoided large upfront spending, brought solutions to market more quickly, and unlocked growth with SMEs. TruScale enables precise scaling without overspending, making it more than just a solution – it is a strategic advantage that accelerates operational agility.

Thailand works to spur Taiwanese arrivals

Declining confidence among Asian travellers to Thailand has also affected the Taiwanese market this year, say travel agents.

Even though the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) remains hopeful about increasing arrivals from Taiwan to 1.2 million in 2026 – up from the 1 million targeted this year – Taiwanese travel agents emphasise the need to upgrade products and services in order to restore tourist confidence.

Sarima Chindamat, director of the Taipei office, said the TAT has revised down the target for this market to 1 million due to several headwinds.

Those include the earthquake in March and call centre scams that lured foreigners to work in neighbouring countries by using Thailand as a transit hub.

One recent factor was the skirmishes along the Thailand-Cambodia border, prompting Taiwan to issue a yellow travel alert for Thailand in July.

US tariffs have also put pressure on the overall economy and impacted spending among tourists, she added.

At present, tourists are seeking more emotional and experiential value during their trips, with smaller groups of 10-30 people and a personalised itinerary.

Potential segments include senior travellers, millennials, families and niche markets such as golfers as well as LGBT tourists.

In terms of capacity, there were 1.9 million airline seats a year between Taiwan and three cities in Thailand – Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket.

Some chartered flights are also operated from second-tier cities in Taiwan, such as Taichung, Tainan and Hualien to Thailand.

As of Sept 22, a total of 716,169 Taiwanese travellers had visited Thailand. The total for all of last year was 1.08 million, far exceeding the 790,039 arrivals recorded in 2019.

Thailand was the sixth most popular outbound destination for Taiwanese tourists, according to first-half data from the Taiwan Tourism Bureau.

Taiwanese tourists’ top five destinations were Japan, China, South Korea, Hong Kong and Vietnam, respectively.

Ms Sarima said the agency is preparing to roll out campaigns for the final three months to gain at least 100,000 tourists a month, paving the way to 1.2 million Taiwanese tourists next year.

It also consistently holds tradeshows and familiarisation trips for agents to boost the market, as well as offering joint promotions with agents and airlines.

Last week, over 300 Taiwanese agents joined the Association of Thai Travel Agents roadshow in Taipei, which was held in collaboration with the TAT.

Penny Chen, managing director of Kai Nan Tourist Club, said that post-pandemic, Taiwanese tourists opted for tours that offered local experiences and city escapes.

Mr Chen said Thailand also has both local and international celebrations which attract Taiwanese tourists, such as the annual New Year countdown event in Bangkok.

Of the company’s outbound packages, Thailand accounted for 30%, while the largest market, representing 60%, was package tours to Japan, which is the most popular destination among Taiwanese every year.

Regarding the sinkhole in Bangkok, Mr Chen said this kind of accident had occurred in many places before, and it should not impact tourist confidence, assuming reliable repair work is carried out.

A rather more important factor in attracting tourists is upgrading attractions to become more friendly to all generations, including senior travellers, along with more quality goods and products.

Fendi Shi, general manager of Gloria Tour, said some Taiwanese tourists are concerned about their children or family members visiting Thailand because of the widespread consumption and misuse of cannabis.

Ms Shi said Thailand should regulate its cannabis consumption more properly and educate members of the public.

It should also roll out campaigns and enforce safety measures to restore tourist confidence in order to deal with the scam centre issue.

She said that since 2-3 years ago, Vietnam has become more popular with new products and cheaper prices than Thailand. Packages for this market now sell more quickly than those for Thailand.

Ms Shi said the company is planning to join the TAT’s chartered flight incentives, as it has been operating routes between Taiwan and Phuket, bringing 500 tourists a month to Thailand.

Anny Lin, general manager of Supreme General Travel Service, said this year tour packages sales for other Southeast Asian markets, such as Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam, have been outpacing Thailand.

In the past, the company could arrange many large tour groups to Thailand with thousands of tourists a month, but the monthly number has dropped to just 200-300 at present, said Ms Lin.

She said many travel agents have been discounting their tour packages in a bid to attract tourists to compensate for the unsafe perception of Thai tourism.

During next month’s Taiwan National Holiday, the overall Taiwanese outbound market is expected to face challenges due to concerns about the economy and spending, she said.

Thamanat defends role in cabinet

Agriculture Minister Thamanat Prompow on Tuesday rejected allegations made during a heated parliamentary debate that he was unqualified to serve as a cabinet minister.

Anusorn Iamsa-ard, a Pheu Thai Party list-MP, made the allegations.

Mr Anusorn referred to multiple controversies surrounding Thamanat, particularly the infamous ‘flour case’ from 1993. At that time, Thamanat had claimed that a substance weighing 3.2kg seized by Australian authorities – allegedly heroin – was merely ‘flour’.

An Australian court in March 1994 sentenced Thamanat to six years in prison for heroin trafficking. He was released after four years and deported to Thailand.

Thamanat, also a deputy prime minister, said that the Constitutional Court had already ruled unanimously on such matters during his previous tenure as deputy agriculture minister in the Prayut Chan-o-cha government. The court found that he did not violate any disqualifying criteria as set out in Sections 160 (6) and (7) of the constitution.

In short, the court found that only a criminal conviction in Thailand can disqualify a person from serving as an MP or minister.

As well, Thamanat said, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) cleared him of a complaint of gross ethical misconduct. He said all the relevant documentation had been thoroughly reviewed through proper legal channels.

‘I would like to remind the debating MP that I have been through both good times and difficult times in life. I have always accepted scrutiny and have passed every stage of the judicial process,’ he said.

‘Please stop dredging up old matters to make them political issues again. If there are still doubts, we can discuss them privately.

‘Let me make this clear. Anyone who makes defamatory remarks against me – even under parliamentary privilege, and if those remarks cause reputational damage outside parliament – they will face consequences. Our next meeting place will be in the Phayao [police station].’

Azerbaijan approves Memorandum of Understanding on tourism co-op with Cambodia – decree

“Memorandum of Understanding on Tourism Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia” has been approved, Azernews reports.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed the relevant decree.

According to the decree, the “Memorandum of Understanding on Tourism Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia”, signed in Phnom Penh on July 21, 2025, has been approved.

Subsequent to the activation of the Memorandum of Understanding delineated in the initial segment of this decree, it is incumbent upon the State Tourism Agency of Azerbaijan to facilitate the execution of its stipulations.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan shall be required to formally communicate to the Government of Cambodia that all requisite internal protocols for the activation of the Memorandum of Understanding have been duly finalized.

Second day of Baku Climate Action Week kicks off

The second day of the Baku Climate Action Week has begun, bringing together senior Azerbaijani officials and international participants to discuss the country’s clean energy transition and climate resilience, Azernews reports.

Speakers at the event include COP29 President and Special Envoy of the President of Azerbaijan on Climate Change Mukhtar Babayev, Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov, Deputy Director of the State Agency for Renewable Energy Sources Rena Humbatova, and other officials.

The agenda highlights Azerbaijan’s potential in solar energy, offshore wind power, blue and green hydrogen production, and geothermal resources. Participants are also set to explore ways of strengthening climate resilience through international cooperation and advancing corporate sustainability as part of the legacy of COP29 under the theme ‘From Pledges to Action.’

President Ilham Aliyev: Azerbaijan and Italy are true strategic partners

‘This is the second visit of Italian President Sergio Mattarella to Azerbaijan. His first official visit took place seven years ago,’ President Ilham Aliyev said during a joint press statement with Italian President Sergio Mattarella.

The head of state noted: ‘Today’s visit demonstrates that Italy-Azerbaijan relations are developing very successfully, and we are true strategic partners.’

Masdar to bring UAE’s sustainable aviation fuel expertise to Azerbaijan

Masdar, the UAE’s leading renewable energy company, plans to introduce its experience in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production to Azerbaijan.

Azernews reports, the announcement was made by Murad Sadiqov, Head of Masdar’s Azerbaijan office, during his speech at the Baku Climate Action Week 2025.

According to Sadiqov, Azerbaijan’s renewable energy development strategy extends beyond export-oriented projects – it is also aimed at enhancing the reliability and resilience of the national energy system.

‘Our main goal is not just to fix current gaps in the energy grid but to build a more sustainable and dependable system,’ he said, adding: ‘Unstable energy holds no value – stability is everything.’

He emphasized the importance of energy storage systems, grid balancing mechanisms, and a diversified mix of renewable sources. Sadiqov also highlighted the growing significance of offshore wind and green hydrogen, noting that Masdar is actively investing in green hydrogen production and has already launched a pilot project for sustainable aviation fuel in the UAE. The company now aims to replicate that success in Azerbaijan.

He also pointed out that the Azerbaijani government is investing heavily in modernizing the national grid. Recently, two major energy storage systems were announced to help manage energy flow and frequency, which are expected to significantly boost the grid’s stability and performance.

Sadiqov underscored that Azerbaijan’s green energy ambitions are not limited to Europe-bound exports.

‘We’ve also witnessed agreements being signed with Central Asian countries. This marks a step toward building a large, stable energy network across the region,’ he said. ‘Azerbaijan is becoming the heart of an emerging energy hub – one that will play a critical role in the energy transition not only for the Caucasus but for the entire Eurasian region.’

President of Italy Sergio Mattarella arrives in Azerbaijan on official visit [PHOTOS]

The President of the Republic of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, arrived in Azerbaijan on an official visit on September 30, Azernews reports.

Azernews reports that upon arrival at Heydar Aliyev International Airport, a guard of honor was lined up in his honor, with the national flags of both countries displayed.

President Mattarella was welcomed at the airport by First Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Yagub Eyyubov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Fariz Rzayev, and other senior officials.

President Ilham Aliyev, President Sergio Mattarella make press statements [PHOTOS/VIDEO]

Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic, delivered press statements on September 30, Azernews reports.

First, the President of Azerbaijan made his statement.

Statement

by President Ilham Aliyev

– Dear Mr. President.

Dear guests.

I once again sincerely welcome you to Azerbaijan.

This is President of Italy Mr. Mattarella’s second visit to Azerbaijan. The first official visit took place seven years ago. Today’s visit shows that Italian-Azerbaijani relations are developing very successfully and that we are true strategic partners.

Our meetings are frequent in nature. Last year, I was a guest of President Mattarella, and during the meeting, I invited him to pay another official visit to Azerbaijan. I am glad that he has accepted my invitation and is with us today.

There are two strategic partnership documents between us. The first document was signed in 2015. The second document – the Joint Declaration on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership – was signed five years ago. Over the years, our relations have developed very rapidly and cover various directions. Political relations are at the highest level. As I mentioned, we meet often. In the economic sphere, Italy is our top trade partner and our trade turnover is increasing by the year. Many important projects have been implemented in the energy sector. In particular, by exporting Azerbaijani oil and gas to Italy, we have been able to send a large amount of natural resources to world markets. At the same time, we have also contributed to the energy security of many countries.

Today, during our conversation with President Mattarella, we recalled his previous visit. At that time, the implementation of the TAP project was on the agenda. There were various problematic issues, and President Mattarella’s personal intervention in this issue after the visit as well as his efforts in regulating these issues, allowed the TAP project to be successfully implemented. Starting from 2020, Azerbaijani gas has been exported to Italy through this project. Today, Azerbaijan exports natural gas to 14 countries through the Southern Gas Corridor. Our scope is increasing year after year, and today Azerbaijan ranks first in the world in terms of the geographical scope of natural gas exported through pipelines. Azerbaijani oil ranks first in Italy’s energy balance and Azerbaijani gas ranks second. In other words, this cooperation is a sign of a strong partnership, and we have supported each other as reliable partners for many years. If it were not for these sincere relations, if it were not for mutual trust, the implementation of these projects would not have been possible.

I informed President Mattarella today that we are currently working with the European Union on the export of electricity. The preparation of a feasibility study for the construction of power lines is underway. It will probably be ready soon. Thus, the path opened by TAP and the Southern Gas Corridor today paves the way for larger projects. Electricity, including that to be transmitted from Central Asia to Azerbaijan and then to Europe across the Caspian Sea, will further enhance the scope of our cooperation.

Last time, when President Mattarella was on a visit to Azerbaijan, we jointly attended the opening of a large industrial enterprise built by Italian companies in Sumgayit. During this visit, tomorrow, we will celebrate the opening of the Italian-Azerbaijani University. In other words, this momentum, the expansion of these cooperation frameworks is primarily evidence of sincere relations. In other words, cooperation in the energy and industrial sectors has also paved the way for cooperation in the humanitarian sector. Hundreds of students are already studying at the Italian-Azerbaijani University, and this will be a new educational institution for us. Those already studying here will not only have good knowledge, but also, naturally, become ambassadors of Italy in Azerbaijan and of Azerbaijan in Italy. So this will further strengthen our friendship.

During today’s talks, we also discussed European Union-Azerbaijan relations. Italy has always supported the development of Azerbaijan’s relations with the European Union, and today we feel this. Positive steps have been taken in European Union-Azerbaijan relations recently. This naturally pleases us.

In short, our strategic partnership is manifested both in official documents and in life. I do believe that our experience can serve as an example for building relations between countries located far from each other.

Dear Mr. President, welcome to Azerbaijan once again.

x x x

Then, the Italian President spoke.

Statement

by President Sergio Mattarella

– I am grateful to Mr. President Ilham Aliyev for the invitation to visit Azerbaijan again. I am also grateful for the hospitality extended to me and to our delegation. There is great friendship, mutual and a well-established understanding between us, and the relations between Italy and Azerbaijan are developing. Thank you very much for reminding me again of my visit seven years ago. This was, in fact, very symbolic, and Mr. President, thank you for inviting me to your country this time. Of course, tomorrow we will inaugurate the student campus of the Italy-Azerbaijan University. This also means that Italian universities, on the one hand, and Azerbaijani universities, on the other, will cooperate.

Mr. President told me that seven years ago we were at the inauguration of a large industrial facility. He also noted that this has a very symbolic significance. This has already opened a new path for our energy and industrial cooperation in the future. Italy and Azerbaijan have already started cooperating in the cultural, humanitarian and educational sectors. This actually means the full and effective implementation of our strategic partnership and the agreement signed 10 years ago. This develops the relations between our countries. It is also evidence of cooperation not only in the industrial and energy sectors, but also in the cultural sector.

Mr. President noted here that the numerous students who will go to the university that we will inaugurate tomorrow will further strengthen the friendship between our countries. Of course, when it comes to these relations, the relations between our countries are very good, and as you can see, we are organizing several events. Now we will have yet another event. Of course, we value this very highly. Our cooperation, Azerbaijan’s openness to us, the work it has done with us and our cooperation are obvious.

I told President Aliyev that when it comes to your cooperation with the European Union, Italy will take steps on its side. I would like to specifically note that Azerbaijan is a very influential partner in a broad sense. The European Union sees this and, of course, our cooperation with you will be very important in this context. We will do our very best to ensure that these relations grow, develop and always cover more and more new areas, serving the well-being of our countries and peoples. For this purpose, I have come to Baku on this visit. I am grateful to Mr. President for inviting me to your country for the second time. Of course, you also mentioned the role of Italy here. I express my gratitude to you. I am also grateful for your hospitality.

Let me note that tomorrow will be an important day in the field of culture and education between Italy and Azerbaijan, and we will participate in a joint event tomorrow morning.

The step we have taken with President Aliyev will be one that serves our mutual understanding, friendship and cooperation. Italy is very pleased with this friendship and cooperation and intends to raise it to the highest level.

Azerbaijan offers investors auctions and direct deals to boost renewables

Azerbaijan is set to significantly boost electricity production from renewable energy sources in the coming years, according to Rana Humbatova, Deputy Director of the State Agency on Renewable Energy Sources under the Ministry of Energy, Azernews reports.

Speaking at Baku Climate Action Week 2025, she highlighted that as of the end of 2024, the share of ‘green energy’ in the country’s energy mix has already reached 13.5% and is expected to grow further with the implementation of new projects.

Humbatova explained that Azerbaijan offers investors two main mechanisms for participation in the renewable sector: public auctions and direct negotiations. The first auction was held within the framework of COP29, where the Chinese company Universal won the rights to develop a 400 MW solar power plant at a competitive rate of just 3.54 cents per kilowatt-hour.

Strategic partners in Azerbaijan’s green energy drive include major international companies such as Masdar (UAE), ACWA Power (Saudi Arabia), and bp (UK). Notably, in 2023, a 230 MW solar power plant developed in partnership with Masdar was successfully commissioned, and another 240 MW wind power project with ACWA Power is scheduled to be launched in the near future.

Humbatova also emphasized that increasing the share of renewables will contribute not only to higher installed capacity but also to greater actual volumes of clean energy production across the country.