Peter Watzlawik at Lenovo Customer Advisory Forum 2026.
Source: Own illustration
This year brings a change regarding customer meetings with framework agreement partners and manufacturers. The new framework agreement for IT client hardware was accompanied by a change in manufacturer. As a result, RWTH and all participating universities in North Rhine-Westphalia were supplied with devices from Lenovo starting September 2025. Our colleague Peter Watzlawik, who is part of the working group for client tenders in collaboration with Department 7.3 – Central Purchasing, was invited by Lenovo to this year’s Customer Advisory Forum (CAF). The event took place from June 9 to 11 in Noordwijk aan Zee, near The Hague.
Travel and Kickoff
Peter Watzlawik’s trip began on Tuesday, June 9, in the morning at Westbahnhof, heading toward Amsterdam. From Amsterdam Centraal Station, participants were transported to the event venue. After checking in at the small, cozy Hotel De Admiraal, they proceeded to the event venue, “Huis ter Duin.”
Source: Own illustration
During a welcome lunch, the participants had the opportunity to get to know each other. Afterward, the guests were welcomed during an opening plenary session and introduced to the event’s agenda. In the breakout sessions that followed, participants had the opportunity to discuss products, challenges, and suggestions for improvement with the respective subject matter experts as well as other customers.
What was the CAF all about?
The event focused on direct dialogue with Lenovo customers. The goal was to gain a better understanding of current needs, experiences, and expectations, and to incorporate these insights into the further development of products and services.
At the same time, the event provided a forum for discussions on current market developments, technological trends, and future priorities. Various solutions from the Lenovo portfolio were showcased, ranging from laptops, desktop PCs, and monitors to peripherals and software. Unsurprisingly, artificial intelligence was a central theme, covering everything from cloud-based applications to on-premises systems and hybrid approaches.
In interactive workshops, participants had the opportunity to explore new solutions alongside Lenovo experts, exchange ideas, and provide direct feedback. This led to practical discussions and valuable insights from a variety of perspectives.
Current AI Trends and Challenges
ThinkStation P4 (Current Production Model)
Source: Own illustration
Artificial intelligence (AI) is currently evolving primarily around three key themes: cost control, flexibility, and data sovereignty. In particular, the increasing use of token-based billing models for cloud AI services is leading companies to take a more cost-effective approach to their AI strategies and to weigh the actual benefits more carefully against ongoing operating costs.
As a result, hybrid AI approaches are gaining importance. They combine the scalability and computing power of cloud services with the ability to process certain applications or sensitive data locally. This allows companies to flexibly decide, depending on the use case, where AI workloads are best run.
At the same time, interest in on-premises AI solutions is growing significantly. Advances in hardware and more efficient models are making it increasingly possible to run AI directly on end devices or within a company’s own infrastructure. In addition to shorter response times, the focus here is primarily on data protection, control over data flows, and long-term cost optimization. This is precisely where numerous computer manufacturers are stepping in and expanding their portfolios to include corresponding solutions.
Conclusion
The insights and ideas gained from the three-day Customer Advisory Forum, regardless of the vendor, provide valuable input for our future client tenders and the definition of future requirements. In particular, the discussions on current technology trends, AI strategies, and hybrid and on-premises solutions offer important insights for the further development of our requirements.
All in all, the three days at the CAF were a valuable opportunity for us as an IT Center to gain new perspectives and take away important insights for future decisions.
Responsible for the content of this article is Peter Watzlawik.
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