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Lenovo reportedly makes another bid for Brazilian PC-maker

Lenovo making new bid for Positivo?

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MORRISVILLE, N.C. — (Updated)  Lenovo’s reshuffled management team, including a former Microsoft executive who replaced the PC-maker’s top marketing officer, apparently is on the hunt again for Positivo Informatica SA in Brazil.

Chinese media in Beijing and Bloomberg News in Brazil are reporting that Lenovo has made a new, much more expensive bid to acquire the top computer-maker in Brazil. Lenovo tried to buy Positivo in December, but those talks ended in failure. Reportedly, Dell also made a bid for Positivo.

Now, Liu Chuanzhi, who recently returned as chairman of Lenovo, apparently is backing a $6 per share higher bid for Positivo at 31 reais in Brazilian currency, or well over $1 billion. The original offer reportedly was 18 reais, or about $8 a share – some $833 million. The media reports sent shares in Positivo up a whopping 79 percent to 9.30 reais, Bloomberg reported.

After Lenovo Chief Executive Officer William Amelio was replaced by former Chairman Yang Yuanqing, Liu said growth in emerging markets would be a top priority for Lenovo.

The management change also included naming Mike Sievert as senior vice president and chief marketing officer. Sievert joined Lenovo as part of the deal in which the world’s No. 4 PC-maker acquired Switchbox. Sievert helped launch the secretive Switchbox after leaving Microsoft, where he directed the launch of Vista.

Deepak Advani, a former IBMer who had been Lenovo’s chief marketing officer, announced late Tuesday that was leaving Lenovo and would rejoin IBM.

“He will join the Software Group where he'll help drive the Information Agenda across the company,” Lenovo spokesperson Ray Gorman told Local Tech Wire. “Information Agenda is IBM's approach to helping customers build a competitive advantage using data as a strategic asset.”

Advani was vice president of marketing for IBM’s PC division, which Lenovo bought for more than $1 billion four years ago.

Advani directed Lenovo’s aggressive worldwide advertising and marketing campaign that culminated in the company’s high-profile support for the Beijing Olympics.

Lenovo remains quiet about what Switchbox is developing.

“We are not disclosing any more on Switchbox at this time,” Gorman said.

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