RESEARCH TRIANGLE — Lenovo is joining the esports bandwagon.
This week, the tech giant, with headquarters in Morrisville, launched its Lenovo Esports Solutions for Education, an end-to-end solution for K-12 and university esports programs.
Among its features: advisory and support services combined with equipment, software and hardware, including products from the Lenovo Legion and Workstation lines.
It also includes the ability for students to join a school gaming network and play from home with matchups and leaderboards to spur competition, as well as network and league management capabilities to maintain and optimize the experience for esports student athletes.
“The response from schools and universities we’ve been working with has been extraordinary,” said Rich Henderson, Director of Global Education Solutions at Lenovo.
“For many reasons, education institutions are ready to begin or expand esports programs but need assistance with IT, stakeholders, and scholastic connections to get started. From in-school esports arena design and game management, to helping protect student safety and managing varsity teams, Lenovo has the solutions for educators to adopt or accelerate this growing opportunity for students.”
The National Association of Collegiate Esports has more than 170 U.S. colleges with varsity esports programs and approximately $16 million per year in scholarships is being offered.
Tespa, a network of college gamers, notes over 1,350 schools and 40,000 student e-athletes competed in its tournaments for $3.3 million in prizes and scholarships.
It is now available in the United States and Canada, the solution will be introduced to select markets worldwide in 2021.
