More companies are buying into the cloud-- including 2nd biggest PC maker in the world (according to IDC) Lenovo, who acquires US-based cloud software maker Stoneware for an undisclosed sum.
Stoneware is the first software-only Lenovo acquisition. It makes webNetwork, an enterprise cloud network hosting environment with a majority of education and government customers.
Why would a hardware maker buy into the cloud? Lenovo says "we have a history of innovation and embracing new technologies, and the talented team at Stoneware will fit in perfectly with our long-term strategy."
The strategy in question is clearly the cloud-- or as Lenovo calls it "PC Plus," an initiative unifying all Lenovo devices under a single platform. Meanwhile the webNetwork platform unifies private data centre, public cloud and local devices resources through a common webDesktop, allowing users to share and store data remotely from a variety of devices.
Thus, such a purchase allows Lenovo to created a more value-added offering-- all while leveraging such technologies into the enterprise segment.
