Lenovo and EMC storage joint venture formed

LenovoEMC Ltd to address the SMB storage market, based on core assets of EMC's Iomega business

Lenovo and EMC have completed the formation of their joint venture aimed at selling network attached storage (NAS) appliances into the SMB market, first announced last year.

The new holding, imaginatively called LenovoEMC, has been founded on the technology and product assets of the former Iomega Corporation, which was acquired by EMC back in 2008. However, Lenovo will hold the majority interest in the firm.

"Lenovo's record as one of the fastest-growing technology companies in the world and Iomega's heritage as a leader in network storage solutions enables the joint venture to pursue growth opportunities and drive innovation in the SMB NAS market," said Eric Arcese, president and general manager of LenovoEMC.

The formation of this joint venture is itself part of a wider global strategic partnership between Lenovo and EMC, through which Lenovo will collaborate with EMC in the development of x86 server technology, while EMC is set to gain access to the Chinese market for its storage solutions via Lenovo's OEM and reseller relationships.

The Iomega network storage portfolio includes desktop, tower and rack-mount products ranging in capacity from diskless versions up to models supporting 48TB.

Some Iomega NAS products also include models with EMC's LifeLine platform.