Workstations enable the art of the possible

All computers are tools, but workstations are uniquely utilitarian (and beautifully designed) tools.

A workstation is a finely tuned instrument tailored for specific tasks, from computer-aided design to complex 3D renderings, from running intricate computational fluid dynamics simulations to crafting the next blockbuster animation. While personal computers can be adapted to suit the needs of most who buy them off the shelf, workstations are custom-built to meet the exacting demands of professionals who rely on them as tools of their trade.

Workstations are frequently unsung heroes, but I’m proud to be someone who sings their praises. These devices are meticulously and beautifully crafted to cater to the specialized needs of professionals across many industries. There are so many stories of customer triumphs — some known very well, some not so well. In every case, I’ve found, workstations enable us to imagine, reach for and accomplish the art of the possible.

At Lenovo, our journey into new kinds of workstation innovation began in supporting smaller organizations and nonprofits. These early collaborations laid the foundation for our mission: accelerating customer workflows, no matter how or where they’re enacted. Today, our workstations power the imaginations of industry leaders, driving innovation across diverse sectors.

The utility of a workstation

Years ago, I presented to a group of senior leaders at Lenovo on the subject of why workstations.

I started with a Mercedes logo. “What do you think of when you think of Mercedes?”

They replied: sedans. SUVs. Luxury cars. Coupes. And that’s all true.

Then I said, “Mercedes is also in this business.” And I showed them a Mercedes garbage truck. It’s a tool that has a very specific, project-based utility that relates directly to a business outcome.

Then I posed my last question: “Why is Mercedes in this business?” It’s simple: Mercedes makes serious money on every utility vehicle, and every customer’s business makes serious money from those utility vehicles, too.

Workstations are also very application-specific machines. They have long sales lifecycles, built on reliability, trust and specialized performance, more than simply ramping up speed and power. Like garbage trucks, they’re industry-grade tools.

The contributions of other heroes, both sung and unsung

Do you remember the Lenovo program ThinkRevolution? I do. This was in the days before we worked with companies like Aston Martin and DreamWorks. With this program, we provided hardware to small outfits, frequently non-profits that were doing cool things.

There was a company called MASS, a non-profit architecture firm. They specialize in matters such as how a hospital’s floors are structured and how airflow moves throughout the building, developing ‘healthy buildings’ to get sick people well and keep healthy people healthy.

Another nonprofit we sponsored digitized coral reefs and monitored them for degradation, with cameras and LiDAR. They took digital maps of reefs, then came back a year later to map again and compare.

With for-profit firms, time is money. If DreamWorks greenlights a project, they kick off that project equipping artists with new high-performance equipment and the latest software. They're on the clock, and they need to start going straight away. Another industry that operates similarly (despite being in a vastly different business): geophysical engineers also use expensive, custom-developed hardware and software. If their systems go down, it adds up to a lot of money wasted on talent and tools with each and every second of downtime.

Whether nonprofit or for-profit, whether designing for a global enterprise or a local outfit, at the heart of our workstation philosophy lies a deep understanding of our customers' needs. We recognize that each industry, each project, demands a unique set of tools. Our customers entrust us with their most critical workloads; they’re working on their company's next-generation revenue streams. For Aston Martin, that’s working on their 2028-2029 automobiles. For DreamWorks, it’s developing a 2028 blockbuster animation. It takes that long to bring projects into production and general availability; the stakes are high, and the demands are exacting.

Those stories and dozens more make up the DNA of Lenovo workstations. The work of perfecting workstations has been in progress steadily for years now, and they aren’t always used by the usual suspects!

Differentiation and integration between hardware and software

I believe that what sets our workstations apart is our mastery of integration. We don't only provide hardware; we engineer solutions — like one of our great triumphs of 2023, our custom-built towers co-designed with Aston Martin with cutting-edge thermal management systems.

Every aspect of our workstations is optimized for peak performance and reliability, but it goes beyond that: we work with industries, experts, and customers to master the demands of their software and workflows.

In many industries, particular software applications are king, and every decision an organization makes is based upon the requirements of their necessary software. In other words, our users know the task that they're going to do — what they've been trained all their life to do — and they know what software they want to do it with.

From industry giants like Autodesk and SolidWorks, to specialized players in the oil and gas industry, to Adobe in media and entertainment, our work with these software providers ensures seamless compatibility and performance in our workstations. We work to ensure that we stay at the edge of development and qualification. ISV certifications, for example, are not just badges on boxes; every new qualification for our workstations is a testament to our commitment to delivering a superior user experience.

The power of working with our customers

Once our users know that their software needs are met, then we can begin to determine what level of workstation hardware they need to do their specific job right. What speed and size of CPU; what speed and size of GPU; how much memory? All those answers culminate into a workstation of choice.

In selling workstations, you have to speak the customer's language. You have to understand exactly what they're doing with their software and what kind of workloads they’re working with, what products they are working on. Our customers aren't only our buyers; they're our partners in innovation. Through initiatives like our pre-sales environments, where our engineering team work to gain understanding and qualifications needed to design full-scale solutions, all the way to Lenovo’s Customer Advisory Councils, we foster a dialogue where insights are shared, challenges are tackled, and ideas are born. It's through these collaborations that we shape the future of workstation technology.

At our Customer Advisory Councils, we bring in existing customers as well as customers that we don't sell to, but who have agreed to listen to our vision, our roadmaps and have a discussion with us. We'll take them through future product concepts or future feature concepts.

Honestly, a lot of the magic happens when attendees start talking to each other, when we give them some open time over dinner or during lab tours, and they start opening up and talking cross-vertically.

That opportunity for them to hear it from each other is really important. It comes off differently when you're being told, rather than sold, that this is a worthwhile product that has helped us tremendously. It's a testimony rather than a pitch. A great example is when Lenovo started investing in AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO processors. Those customers who first adopted this new architecture soon spread the word to others about new levels of power and performance, and that sparked discussions about how to incorporate them into other lines of workstations. That's just one instance of where customer input came into helping us design future products, but there are so many more woven into the tapestry of our workstation history.

The tapestry evolves

In the intricate tapestry of workstation innovation, each thread represents a story of collaboration, ingenuity, and relentless pursuit of excellence. As we continue this journey alongside our customers, we are inspired by the endless possibilities that lie ahead. Together, we will continue to push the boundaries of what's possible, shaping a future where there are no limits on where imagination and innovation can take us, our customers, and our customers’ end-users.

As we look towards a new horizon of workstation innovation, there are boundless opportunities fueled by emerging technologies. From immersive VR design environments improving the time from concept to prototype, to AI-driven generative design enabling new efficiency in materials analysis, the future holds the promise of better, tougher, faster workflows.

The journey of workstation innovation is not merely about pushing the limits of hardware; it's about understanding the intricate dance between technology and creativity. We can only do that in lockstep alongside our customers. That’s where we come back to reliability and trust, as well as specialized performance. Behind every workstation lies a story of precision engineering and relentless optimization, a testament to our unwavering commitment to excellence. That’s how we provide our users with the tools they need to realize their boldest visions and truly grasp the art of the possible.