Chinese computer maker Lenovo Group said that it will launch its own television product in the “near future”, as part of its recent efforts to expand outside the PC industry. Yang Yuanqing, chief executive officer, said that the company is working on an Internet-connected television platform that could be linked with its smartphones and tablet computers.

“Consumers nowadays are no longer satisfied with traditional television,” Yang said. More than 10 million Chinese consumers will use Internet-based television in the next two to three years, he said, creating a huge market potential for companies such as Lenovo.

As China’s biggest computer maker by market share, Lenovo also established a joint venture with Shanghai Media Group (SMG) on Thursday to provide video services through the Internet and wireless network. Lenovo has a 49 percent stake in the joint venture under the agreement.

Ye said that although new devices will not significantly affect the sales of traditional computers this year, the effect will be “fundamental” in the long run.

In January, Lenovo also established a new business section, the Mobile Internet and Digital Home Business Group (MIDH), to concentrate on emerging digital technologies. Liu Jun, head of Lenovo’s MIDH group, said at the news conference that the company’s television product will debut within two years.

Lenovo Group, the world’s fourth-biggest PC vendor by market share.

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