Dell Incorporated
Type	Public (NASDAQ: DELL SEHK: 4331)
Founded	Austin, Texas (November 4, 1984) (as "PC's Limited")
Headquarters	Round Rock, Texas  United States
Key people	Michael Dell, founder, Chairman and CEO Don Carty, CFO
Industry	Technology
Products	Desktops Servers Notebooks Peripherals Printers
Revenue	▲$57. A public company usually refers to a company that is permitted to offer its registered securities ( Stock, bonds, etc The NASDAQ (acronym of National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations) is an American Stock exchange. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange ( also 港交所 abbreviated as HKEX;) is the Stock exchange of Hong Kong. Events 1333 - Flood of the Arno River, causing massive damage in Florence as recorded by the Florentine chronicler Giovanni Villani Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Michael Saul Dell (born February 23, 1965, in Houston Texas) is an American businessman and the founder and CEO of Dell Inc A chief executive officer ( CEO) or chief executive is typically the highest-ranking corporate officer ( executive) or administrator Donald J Carty, OC (born 1946 is a Canadian businessman who serves as chairman of Virgin America and Porter Airlines. For other uses of this term see Industry (disambiguation An industry (from Latin industrius, "diligent industrious" Technology is a broad concept that deals with a Species ' usage and knowledge of Tools and Crafts and how it affects a species' ability to control and adapt In Marketing, a product is anything that can be offered to a Market that might satisfy a want or need A desktop computer is a Personal computer (PC in a form intended for regular use at a single location as opposed to a mobile Laptop or portable computer A server is a Computer dedicated to providing one or more services over a computer network typically through a request-response routine A laptop computer, also known as a notebook computer, is a small Personal computer designed for mobile use. For an account of the words periphery and peripheral as they are used in biology sociology politics computer hardware and other fields see the In business revenue or revenues is Income that a company receives from its normal business activities usually from the sale of goods and services 095 billion USD (2007)[1]
Operating income	▼$3. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been In financial and business Accounting, earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT is a measure of a firm's profitability that excludes interest and income tax expenses 1 billion USD (2007)[1]
Net income	▼$2. Net income is equal to the Income that a firm has after subtracting costs and Expenses from the total Revenue. 6 billion USD (2007)[1]
Employees	95,000 worldwide[2]
Subsidiaries	Alienware ASAP Software EqualLogic
Website	www.dell.com

Dell Inc. Employment is a Contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. A subsidiary, in business matters is an entity that is controlled by a bigger and more powerful entity Alienware is an American Computer hardware company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dell Inc A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages (NASDAQ: DELL SEHK: 4331) is a multinational company based in Round Rock, Texas which develops, manufactures, sells, and supports personal computers, servers, data storage devices, network switches, software, televisions, computer peripherals, and other technology-related products. The NASDAQ (acronym of National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations) is an American Stock exchange. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange ( also 港交所 abbreviated as HKEX;) is the Stock exchange of Hong Kong. Multinational corporation ( MNC) or transnational corporation ( TNC) is a Corporation or enterprise that manages Production or delivers A personal computer ( PC) is any Computer whose original sales price size and capabilities make it useful for individuals and which is intended to be operated A server is a Computer dedicated to providing one or more services over a computer network typically through a request-response routine A data storage device is a device for recording (storing information (data A Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic For an account of the words periphery and peripheral as they are used in biology sociology politics computer hardware and other fields see the Technology is a broad concept that deals with a Species ' usage and knowledge of Tools and Crafts and how it affects a species' ability to control and adapt As of 2008, Dell employed more than 95,000 people worldwide. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common

Dell grew during the 1980s and 1990s to become (for a time) the largest seller of PCs and servers. As of 2008, it held the second spot in computer-sales within the industry behind the Hewlett-Packard Company. Computer industry is a collective term used to describe the whole range of businesses involved in developing Computer software, designing Computer hardware and

In 2006, Fortune magazine ranked Dell as the 25th-largest company in the Fortune 500 list, 8th on its annual Top 20 list of the most-admired companies in the United States. Fortune is a Global Business Magazine published by Time Inc's Fortune|Money Group Please do not add the complete list of fortune 500 companies The list is copyrighted by Fortune which makes money by selling the content In 2007 Dell ranked 34th and 8th respectively on the equivalent lists for the year. A 2006 publication identified Dell as one of 38 high-performance companies in the S&P 500 which had consistently out-performed the market over the previous 15 years. The S&P 500 is a Stock market index containing the stocks of 500 Large-Cap Corporations all of which are from the United States. ^[3]

History

While a student at the University of Texas at Austin in 1984, Michael Dell founded the company as PC's Limited with capital of $1000. Michael Saul Dell (born February 23, 1965, in Houston Texas) is an American businessman and the founder and CEO of Dell Inc Michael Saul Dell (born February 23, 1965, in Houston Texas) is an American businessman and the founder and CEO of Dell Inc ^[4] Operating from Michael Dell's off-campus dorm room at Dobie Center [1], the startup aimed to sell IBM PC-compatible computers built from stock components. Dobie Center, named after J Frank Dobie, is a privately owned twenty-seven story residence hall located adjacent to the University of Texas at Austin campus A startup company or start-up is a Company with a limited operating history IBM PC compatible computers are those generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT. Michael Dell started trading in the belief that by selling personal computer-systems directly to customers, PC's Limited could better understand customers' needs and provide the most effective computing solutions to meet those needs. Michael Dell dropped out of school in order to focus full-time on his fledgling business, after getting about $300,000 in expansion-capital from his family. A business (also called firm or an enterprise) is a legally recognized organizational entity designed to provide goods and/or services to

In 1985, the company produced the first computer of its own design — the "Turbo PC" — which contained an Intel 8088-compatible processor running at a speed of 8 MHz. Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) The Intel 8088 is an Intel X86 Microprocessor based on the 8086, with 16- Bit registers and an 8-bit external Data bus PC's Limited advertised the systems in national computer-magazines for sale directly to consumers, and custom-assembled each ordered unit according to a selection of options. This offered buyers prices lower than those of retail brands, but with greater convenience than assembling the components themselves. Although not the first company to use this model, PC's Limited became one of the first to succeed with it. A business model is a term used for a broad range of informal and formal descriptions that are used by enterprises to represent various aspects of its business including its purpose offerings The company grossed more than $73 million in its first year. In accounting Gross profit or sales profit is the difference between Revenue and the cost of making a product or providing a service before deducting Overhead

The company changed its name to "Dell Computer Corporation" in 1988. A corporation is a separate legal entity usually used to conduct business In 1989, Dell Computer set up its first on-site-service programs in order to compensate for the lack of local retailers prepared to act as service centers. Also in 1987, the company set up its first operations in the United Kingdom; eleven more international operations followed within the next four years. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located In June 1988, Dell's market capitalization grew by $30 million to $80 million from its initial public offering of 3. Initial public offering (IPO, also referred to simply as a "public offering" is when a company issues Common stock or shares to the public for the first 5 million shares at $8. 50 a share. In 1990, Dell Computer Corporation tried selling its products indirectly through warehouse clubs and computer superstores, but met with little success, and the company re-focused on its more successful direct-to-consumer sales model. In 1992, Fortune magazine included Dell Computer Corporation in its list of the world's 500 largest companies. Fortune is a Global Business Magazine published by Time Inc's Fortune|Money Group The Fortune Global 500 is a ranking of the top 500 Corporations worldwide as measured by Revenue.

In 1996, Dell began selling computers via its web site.

In 1999, Dell overtook Compaq to become the largest seller of personal computers in the United States of America with $25 billion in revenue reported in January 2000. Compaq Computer Corporation was an American Personal computer company founded in 1982 and is now a brand name of Hewlett-Packard. A personal computer ( PC) is any Computer whose original sales price size and capabilities make it useful for individuals and which is intended to be operated The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

In 2002, Dell attempted to expand by tapping into the multimedia and home-entertainment markets with the introduction of televisions, handhelds, and digital audio players. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic A digital audio player, more commonly referred to as an MP3 player, is a Consumer electronics device that stores organizes and plays audio files Some Dell has also produced Dell-brand printers for home and small-office use.

In 2003, at the annual company meeting, the stockholders approved changing the company name to "Dell Inc. " to recognize the company's expansion beyond computers.

In 2004, the company announced that it would build a new assembly-plant near Winston-Salem, North Carolina; the city and county provided Dell with $37. Winston-Salem is a city in the US state of North Carolina. As of the 2000 census the city population was 185776 in 2004 the city annexed an additional 17483 North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States 2 million in incentive packages; the state provided approximately $250 million in incentives and tax breaks. In July, Michael Dell stepped aside as Chief Executive Officer while retaining his position as Chairman of the Board; while in that capacity he contributed the maximum of $250,000 to the second inauguration of President George W. Bush. A chief executive officer ( CEO) or chief executive is typically the highest-ranking corporate officer ( executive) or administrator George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. ^{[5] [6] [7]}. Kevin Rollins, who had held a number of executive posts at Dell, became the new CEO. Kevin B Rollins (born 1953 is an American businessman and Philanthropist.

In 2005, the share of sales coming from international markets increased, as revealed in the company's press releases for the first two quarters of its fiscal 2005 year. In February 2005 Dell appeared in first place in a ranking of the "Most Admired Companies" published by Fortune magazine. Fortune is a Global Business Magazine published by Time Inc's Fortune|Money Group In November 2005 BusinessWeek magazine published an article titled "It's Bad to Worse at Dell" about shortfalls in projected earnings and sales, with a worse-than-predicted third-quarter financial performance — a bad omen for a company that had routinely underestimated its earnings. BusinessWeek is a business Magazine published by McGraw-Hill. Dell acknowledged that faulty capacitors on the motherboards of the Optiplex GX270 and GX280 had already cost the company $300 million. A motherboard is the central or primary Printed circuit board (PCB making up a complex electronic system such as a modern Computer or Laptop The CEO, Kevin Rollins, attributed the bad performance partially to Dell's focus on low-end PCs.

In 2006, Dell purchased the computer hardware manufacturer Alienware. Alienware is an American Computer hardware company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dell Inc Dell Inc. 's plan anticipated Alienware continuing to operate independently under its existing management. Alienware expected to benefit from Dell's efficient manufacturing system. ^[8]

On January 31, 2007, Kevin B. Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes Rollins, CEO of the company since 2004, resigned as both CEO and as a director, and Michael Dell resumed his former role as CEO. Investors and many shareholders had called for Rollins' resignation because of poor company performance. At the same time, the company announced that, for the fourth time in five quarters, earnings would fail to reach consensus analyst-estimates.

In February 2007, Dell became the subject of formal investigations by the US SEC^[9] and the US Attorney General for the Southern District of New York. The US Securities and Exchange Commission (commonly known as the SEC) is an independent agency of the United States government which holds primary responsibility New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous ^[10] The company has not formally filed financial reports for either the third or fourth fiscal quarter of 2006, and several class-action lawsuits^[11] have arisen in the wake of its recent financial performance. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Dell Inc's lack of formal financial disclosure would normally subject the company to de-listing from the NASDAQ,^[12] but the exchange has granted Dell a waiver, allowing the stock to trade normally. The NASDAQ (acronym of National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations) is an American Stock exchange. ^[13]

On 1 March, 2007, the company issued a preliminary quarterly earnings report which showed gross sales of $14. Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant 4 billion, down 5% year-over-year, and net income of $687 million (30 cents per share), down 33%. Net earnings would have declined even more if not for the effects of eliminated employee bonuses, which accounted for six cents per share. NASDAQ extended the company's deadline for filing financials to May 4. Events 1256 - The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV ^[14]

Dell and AMD

When Dell acquired Alienware early in 2006, some Alienware systems had AMD chips. Alienware is an American Computer hardware company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dell Inc On August 17, 2006, a Dell press-release stated that starting in September 2006, Dell Dimension desktop computers would have AMD processors and that later in the year Dell would release a two-socket, quad-processor server using AMD Opteron chips, moving away from using Dell's traditional Intel processors. Events 986 - A Byzantine army was destroyed in the pass of Trajan's Gate by the Bulgarians under the Comitopuli The Opteron is AMD 's X86 server processor line and was the first processor to implement the AMD64 Instruction set architecture (known

CNet's News. CNET Networks Inc is a media company based in San Francisco California, United States, and is part of CBS Interactive, owned com on August 17, 2006 cited Dell's CEO Kevin Rollins as attributing the move to AMD processors to cost-advantage and to AMD technology. Events 986 - A Byzantine army was destroyed in the pass of Trajan's Gate by the Bulgarians under the Comitopuli Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. AMD's senior VP in commercial business, Marty Seyer, stated: "Dell's wider embrace of AMD processor-based offerings is a win for Dell, for the industry and most importantly for Dell customers. "

On October 23, 2006, Dell announced new AMD-based servers — the PowerEdge 6950 and the PowerEdge SC1435 — marking its entry into the AMD-based server-marketplace. Events 4004 BC - Creation of the world begins according to the calculations of Archbishop James Ussher 42 BC - Dell Inc gives the moniker PowerEdge (PE to its server product line which As of 2007 brought in approximately 15% of Dell's overall revenue from

On November 1, 2006, Dell's website began offering notebooks with AMD processors (the Inspiron 1501 with a 15. Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi 4-inch display) with the choice of a single-core MK-36 processor, dual-core Turion X2 chips or Mobile Sempron.

Dell and desktop Linux

First attempt in 2000

In 1998, Ralph Nader asked Dell (and five other major OEMs) to offer alternate operating systems to Microsoft Windows, specifically including Linux,^[15] for which "there is clearly a growing interest"^[16][17] Dell started offering Linux notebook systems which "cost no more than their Windows 98 counterparts" in 2000,^[18] and soon expanded, with Dell becoming "the first major manufacturer to offer Linux across its full product line"^[19] But by early 2001 Dell had "disbanded its Linux business unit". Ralph Nader (born February 27 1934 is an American Attorney, Author, Lecturer, political activist, and independent candidate for President An original equipment manufacturer, or OEM is typically a company that uses a component made by a second company in its own product or sells the product of the second company Microsoft Windows is a series of Software Operating systems and Graphical user interfaces produced by Microsoft. Linux (commonly pronounced ˈlɪnəks ^[20]

The reason(s) for such a quick reversal remain the subject of debate. Court documents accused Microsoft of coercing OEMs to drop Linux:

Microsoft executive Joachim Kempin described his plan of retaliation and coercion to shut down competition from Linux: "I am thinking of hitting the OEM harder than in the past with anti-Linux actions" and will "further try to restrict source code deliveries where possible and be less gracious when interpreting agreements — again without being obvious about it," continuing "this will be a delicate dance"^[21]

While in a 2003 interview Michael Dell denied that Microsoft pressured Dell Inc. Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational Computer technology Corporation, which rose to dominate the Home computer into doing an about-face with regard to desktop Linux, citing a lack of sales: "unfortunately the desktop Linux market didn't develop in volume. It's more of a server opportunity" but adding: "We continue to offer Linux on the desktop and there is nothing else to say. "^[22] However, a 2004 report noted that Dell no longer offered pre-installed desktop Linux:

So what does it mean "factory installed Linux"? If you want Dell to install Linux for you, first add on $119. But here is the annoying part. They won't send you a computer with Linux pre-installed. They sell you the computer and the boxes of software on the side, and then they make an appointment to send you someone who comes to your house or business and installs it there. ^[23]

Ubuntu on Dell systems

On February 26 2007 Dell announced that it had commenced a program to sell and distribute a range of computers with pre-installed Linux distributions as an alternative to Microsoft Windows. Events 747 BC - Epoch (origin of Ptolemy 's Nabonassar Era 364 - Valentinian I is proclaimed Linux (commonly pronounced ˈlɪnəks Microsoft Windows is a series of Software Operating systems and Graphical user interfaces produced by Microsoft. Dell indicated that Novell's SUSE Linux would appear first. Novell Inc ( is a global Software Corporation based in the United States specializing in enterprise operating systems such as SUSE SUSE Linux (ˈsuːsə is a major Operating system. The developer rights are owned by Novell Inc ^[24] However, Dell on February 27, 2007 announced that its previous announcement related to certifying the hardware as ready to work with Novell SUSE Linux and that it (Dell) had no plans to sell systems pre-installed with Linux in the near future. Events 1560 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation ^[25] On March 28, 2007, Dell announced that it would begin shipping some desktops and laptops with Linux pre-installed, although it did not specify which distribution of Linux or which hardware would lead. Events 37 - Roman Emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, entitled to him by the Senate. ^[26] On April 18, 2007 a report appeared suggesting that Michael Dell used Ubuntu on one of his home systems. Events 1025 - Bolesław Chrobry is crowned in Gniezno, becoming the first King of Poland. Ubuntu Kubuntu Edubuntu Xubuntu Gobuntu --> Ubuntu ^[27] On May 1, 2007, Dell announced it will ship the Ubuntu Linux distribution. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. ^[28] On May 24, 2007, Dell started selling models with Ubuntu Linux 7. Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned 04 pre-installed: a laptop, a budget computer, and a high-end PC. ^[29]

On June 27, 2007, Dell announced on its Direct2Dell blog that it planned to offer more pre-loaded systems (the new Dell Inspiron desktops and laptops). Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden Dell 's Inspiron portable systems Brand started as a range of Computers targeted at the consumer market (as opposed to the Latitude range of laptops After the IdeaStorm site supported extending the bundles beyond the US market, Dell later announced more international marketing. Dell IdeaStorm is a Website launched by Dell on February 16, 2007 to allow Dell "to gauge which ideas are most important and most relevant ^[30] On August 7, 2007, Dell officially announced that it would offer one notebook and one desktop in the UK, France and Germany with Ubuntu "pre-installed". Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. At LinuxWorld 2007 Dell announced plans to provide Novell's SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop on selected models in China, "factory-installed". LinuxWorld Conference and Expo is a conference and Trade show that focuses on Open source and Linux solutions in the Information technology Novell Inc ( is a global Software Corporation based in the United States specializing in enterprise operating systems such as SUSE SUSE Linux distributions SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop ( SLED) formerly Novell Linux Desktop, is a desktop -oriented Operating system supplied ^[31] On 30 November 2007 Dell reported shifting 40,000 Ubuntu PCs. Events 1700 - Battle of Narva — A Swedish army of 8500 men under Charles XII defeats ^[32] On 24 January 2008 Dell in Germany, Spain, UK and France launched a second laptop, a XPS M1330 with Ubuntu 7.10, for 849 euro or GBP 599 upwards. Events 41 - Gaius Caesar (Caligula, known for his eccentricity and cruel Despotism, is Assassinated by his disgruntled 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Ubuntu Kubuntu Edubuntu Xubuntu Gobuntu --> Ubuntu ^[33] On 22 February 2008 Dell announced plans to sell Ubuntu in Canada and in Latin America^[34]

Michael Dell's return

On January 31, 2007 Michael Dell returned to the company as CEO. Events 1495 - King Charles VIII of France enters Naples to claim the city's throne 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. As chairman of the board, Mr. Dell had significant input into the company's operations during Rollins' years as CEO. However with the return of Michael Dell as CEO, the company saw immediate changes in operations, the exodus of many senior vice-presidents and new blood brought in from outside the company.

Departures announced include:

• Kevin Rollins, CEO^[35]
• James Schneider, CFO^[35]
• John Medica, senior vice president, consumer products^[36]
• Joe Marengi, senior vice president, Americas^[36]
• John Hamlin, senior vice president, worldwide online operations^[37]
• Paul McKinnon, senior vice president, human resources^[36]
• Rosenda Parra, senior vice president/general manager, home and small business group^[38]
• Glenn E. Kevin B Rollins (born 1953 is an American businessman and Philanthropist. A chief executive officer ( CEO) or chief executive is typically the highest-ranking corporate officer ( executive) or administrator Neland, senior vice president, procurement^[39]

Additions announced include:

• Michael Dell, CEO and co-Chairman of the Board (previously Chairman of the Board)
• Don Carty, CFO and co-Chairman of the Board (previously Board member)
• Michael R. A chief executive officer ( CEO) or chief executive is typically the highest-ranking corporate officer ( executive) or administrator Cannon, former CEO of Solectron, as President, Global Operations^[40]
• Ron Garriques, who formerly headed Motorola's mobile phone unit, as President, Global Consumer Group^[41]
• Stephen F. Solectron Corporation was a global electronics manufacturing company for Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs Motorola Inc ( is an American, multinational Fortune 100, Telecommunications company based in Schaumburg Illinois. Schuckenbrock, Senior Vice President, Global Services^[42]

Mr. Dell announced a number of initiatives and plans (part of the "Dell 2. 0" initiative) to improve the company's financial performance. These include:

• elimination of 2006 bonuses for employees with some discretionary awards
• reduction in the number of managers reporting directly to Mr. Dell from 20 to 12
• in a noted departure from previous years, "build, partner, and buy" to increase services capabilities
• reduction of "bureaucracy"

On April 23, 2008, Dell announced the closure of one of its biggest Canadian call-centers in Kanata, Ontario — terminating approximately 1100 jobs, with 500 of those redundancies effective on the spot, and with the official closure of the center scheduled for the summer. Bureaucracy is the structure and set of regulations in place to control activity usually in large organizations and government Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Kanata is a large Suburban area in the western part of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, it has a population of 90000 and is growing rapidly (The call-center had opened in 2006 after the city of Ottawa won a bid to host it. Ottawa (ˈɒtəwə or sometimes /ˈɒtəwɑː/ is the Capital of Canada and the country's fourth largest municipality. Less then a year later, Dell Inc planned to double its workforce to nearly 3,000 workers and to add a new building. Commentators cited the rise of the Canadian dollar against the American currency to near parity as well as the high payroll compared to other centers around the world as reasons for the redundancies. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been ) The company had also announced the shutdown of its Edmonton, Alberta office, losing 900 jobs. Edmonton (ˈɛdmɨntɨn is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta. In total, Dell announced the ending of about 8,800 jobs in 2007-2008 — up to 10% of its workforce. ^[43][44]

Products

Scope and brands

The corporation markets specific brand names to different market segments:

• Business Class: including OptiPlex, Latitude, and Precision, where the company's advertising emphasizes long life-cycles, reliability and serviceability:

• OptiPlex - office desktop computer systems
• n Series - desktop and notebook computers shipped with Linux or FreeDOS installed
• Vostro - small-business desktop and notebook systems
• Latitude - commercially-focused notebooks
• Precision - workstation systems and high-performance notebooks. A workstation, such as a Unix workstation, RISC workstation or Engineering workstation, is a high-end Microcomputer A market segment is a subgroup of people or organizations sharing one or more characteristics that cause them to have similar product needs Most new technologies follow a similar technology maturity lifecycle describing the Technological maturity of a product Dell Inc targets its OptiPlex line of Desktop computers for sale into the corporate Government and Education markets A desktop computer is a Personal computer (PC in a form intended for regular use at a single location as opposed to a mobile Laptop or portable computer The n Series is a Dell product line that does not ship with a pre-installed version of Microsoft Windows. Dell Vostro is a line of computers aimed at small business users made by Dell. A laptop computer, also known as a notebook computer, is a small Personal computer designed for mobile use. Dell 's Latitude Laptop brand is specifically targeted at the business market which means that standardized parts are used throughout the line and are available Dell Precision is a line of workstation computers produced by Dell Inc A workstation, such as a Unix workstation, RISC workstation or Engineering workstation, is a high-end Microcomputer (Some of them including Linux pre-installed. ^[45])
• PowerEdge - business servers
• PowerVault - direct-attach and some network-attached storage (NAS)
• PowerConnect - network switches
• Dell EMC - storage area networks (SANs)
• EqualLogic - enterprise class iSCSI SANs

• Home/Consumer Class: including Inspiron, and XPS brands, emphasizing value, performance and expandability:

• Inspiron - consumer desktop and notebook systems
• XPS - enthusiast and high-performance desktop and notebook systems
• Alienware (XPS Extreme) - high-performance gaming systems

• Peripherals: Dell has also diversified its product line to include peripheral products such as USB keydrives, LCD televisions, and printers. Dell Inc gives the moniker PowerEdge (PE to its server product line which As of 2007 brought in approximately 15% of Dell's overall revenue from A server is a Computer dedicated to providing one or more services over a computer network typically through a request-response routine Dell PowerVault products include Disk enclosures Disk arrays Tape drives autoloaders Tape libraries, Network attached storage Network-attached storage ( NAS) is file-level Computer data storage connected to a Computer network providing data access to heterogeneous network clients PowerConnect is a Dell series of Network switches Models Dell PowerConnect is designed for business networking A The Dell/EMC brand is reserved for products that result from Dell's partnership with EMC Corporation. In Information technology, a storage area network ( SAN) is an architecture to attach remote computer storage devices (such as Disk arrays tape libraries The multinational technology company Dell Inc develops manufactures sells and supports Personal computers and other computer-related products Dell 's Inspiron portable systems Brand started as a range of Computers targeted at the consumer market (as opposed to the Latitude range of laptops The Dell XPS is a high-end line of gaming computers sold by Dell. Alienware is an American Computer hardware company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dell Inc Liquid-crystal display televisions ( LCD TV) are Television sets that use LCD technology to produce images

• Dell monitors LCD TVs, plasma TVs and projectors for HDTV and monitors

• Services and support:

• Dell On Call - extended support services (mainly for the removal of spyware and computer viruses)
• Dell Solution Center - extended support services (similar to "Dell On Call") for customers in the EMEA. Inc|Dell]] sells LCD -based computer monitors. Dell bundles monitors with its Desktop computers as package deals as well as selling them separately through their A plasma display panel (PDP is a type of Flat panel display now commonly used for large TV displays (typically above 37-inch or 940 mm A video projector takes a Video signal and projects the corresponding image on a Projection screen using a lens system High-definition television (HDTV is a Digital television Broadcasting system with higher resolution than traditional television systems (standard-definition A visual display unit, often called simply a monitor or display, is a piece of Electrical equipment which displays images generated from the Video Dell On Call is a limited and fee-based service that covers certain computer issues as an extension to Dell's normal limited hardware warranties (Said warranties only cover pre-installed Such content will be deleted Specific software is to be mentioned in this article only A computer virus is a Computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer without permission or knowledge of the user Europe the Middle East and Africa, usually abbreviated to EMEA, is a regional designation used for government marketing and business purposes The Solution Centers also support hardware for customers outside of warranty.
• Dell Business Support - a commercial service-contract that provides an industry-certified technician with a lower call-volume than in normal queues; it covers hardware- and some software-support.

Dell also offers Red Hat and SUSE Linux for servers; as well as "bare-bones" computers without pre-installed software (available on n Series by default and by request on XPS and Inspiron systems) at significantly lower prices. SUSE Linux (ˈsuːsə is a major Operating system. The developer rights are owned by Novell Inc Linux (commonly pronounced ˈlɪnəks Due to Dell's licensing contract with Microsoft, Dell allegedly cannot offer those systems on their website and customers have to request them explicitly. (Dell does offer those systems on their web site at http://www.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/precn_n?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd&redirect=1 ). Dell has to ship such systems with a FreeDOS disk included in the box and must issue a so-called "Windows refund" or a merchandise credit after sale of the system at the "regular" retail price. FreeDOS (formerly Free-DOS and PD-DOS) is an Operating system for IBM PC compatible computers

• Discontinued products/brands:

• Axim - PDAs using Microsoft's Windows Mobile (discontinued April 9, 2007^[46])
• Dimension - home and "small office, home office" desktop computers (discontinued July 2007; replaced by Inspiron desktops)
• Dell Digital Jukebox - MP3 players (discontinued August 2006)
• Dell PowerApp - application-based severs

Manufacturing

Dell has a general policy of manufacturing its products close to its customers, implementing just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing. The Axim family of Personal digital assistants was Dell's line of Windows Mobile -powered Pocket PC Devices Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational Computer technology Corporation, which rose to dominate the Home computer Windows Mobile is a compact Operating system combined with a suite of basic applications for Mobile devices based on the Microsoft Win32 Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans) Dell Dimension is a line of home desktop computers manufactured by Dell Inc. Dell 's Inspiron portable systems Brand started as a range of Computers targeted at the consumer market (as opposed to the Latitude range of laptops The Dell Digital Jukebox or just Dell DJ was a brand name for a series of digital audio players sold by the Dell Computer corporation A digital audio player, more commonly referred to as an MP3 player, is a Consumer electronics device that stores organizes and plays audio files Some Just-in-time ( JIT) is an inventory strategy implemented to improve the Return on investment of a Business by reducing in-process Inventory and Assembly of desktop computers for the North American market takes place at Dell plants in Lebanon TN, Austin TX, and Winston-Salem NC; with servers built in Austin TX. Lebanon is a city in Wilson County, Tennessee, in the United States. Winston-Salem is a city in the US state of North Carolina. As of the 2000 census the city population was 185776 in 2004 the city annexed an additional 17483 Dell assembles computers for the EMEA market at Limerick in the Republic of Ireland, and employs about 4,500 people in that country. Europe the Middle East and Africa, usually abbreviated to EMEA, is a regional designation used for government marketing and business purposes Limerick (pronounced /ˈlɪmrɪk/ Luimneach in Irish) is a city and the county seat of County Limerick in the Province of Munster Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. European Manufacturing Facility 1 (EMF1, opened in 1990) and EMF3 form part of the Raheen Industrial Estate near Limerick. This article is about Raheen the suburb of Limerick City For other places called Raheen see Raheen County Laois, Raheen County Wexford, or Raheen EMF2 (previously a Wang facility, later occupied by Flextronics, situated in Castletroy) closed in 2002, and Dell Inc has consolidated production into EMF3 (EMF1 now contains only offices^[47]). Wang Laboratories was a computer company founded in 1951 by Dr See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Construction of EMF4 in Łódź, Poland has started, with production planned to start there in autumn 2007. Łódź is Poland 's third largest city with population of 753192 in 2007 (lost its second rank to Krakow in 2007 Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[48]

Dell's assembly-plants in China and Malaysia assemble 95% of Dell notebooks. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and Dell Inc has invested an estimated (U. S. ) $60 million in a new manufacturing unit in Chennai, India, to support the sales of its products in the Indian subcontinent. This article deals with the geophysical region in Asia For geopolitical treatments see South Asia. Indian-made products will bear the "Made in India" mark on them. In 2007 the Chennai facility has the target of producing 400,000 desktop PCs, and in the later half of 2007 it will start producing notebook PCs and other products.

Dell has a Brazilian plant in the city of Eldorado do Sul, close to the state capital Porto Alegre, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul — that assembles the PowerEdge server line. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Eldorado do Sul is a small city in Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state in Brazil. Porto Alegre ( is the 10th largest city in Brazil, and the capital city of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. (ʁiu ˈgɾɐ̃de do ˈsuɫ lit "Large River of the South" is the southernmost State of Brazil, and the State with the fourth highest Human Development ^[49]

Technical support

Support-levels

Dell routes technical support queries according to component-type and to the level of support purchased. Dell Inc brands its service agreements at five levels for their business customers:^[50]

1. Basic support provides business-hours telephone support and next business-day on-site support. A contract is an exchange of promises between two or more parties to do or refrain from doing an act which is enforceable in a court of law
2. Silver support provides 24×7 telephone support and 4-hour on-site support after telephone-based troubleshooting.
3. Gold support provides additional benefits over and above Silver support, including: customer-declared severity; priority access to support; expedited escalation of support; 4-hour on-site support in parallel with telephone-support.
4. Platinum Plus support provides additional benefits to Gold Support, including: performance benchmarking; real-time tracking; custom planning and reporting; a dedicated technical account-manager.
5. 2-hour on-site support, offered in some cities: mostly limited to major metropolitan areas.

Dell's Consumer division offers 24x7 phone based and online troubleshooting rather than only during business hours. Gold Technical support is not offered for customers purchasing through the consumer department, and neither is Same-Day Onsite response.

On 4 February 2008 Dell launched a revamped services-and-support scheme for businesses named "ProSupport", offering customers more options to tailor services to fit their needs. Events 211 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus dies leaving the Roman Empire in the hands of his two quarrelsome sons A business (also called firm or an enterprise) is a legally recognized organizational entity designed to provide goods and/or services to Rather than take a one-size-fits-all approach, Dell has put together packages of options for each category of its customers: small and medium-sized businesses, large businesses, government, education, and health-care- and life-sciences. Small and medium enterprises (also SMEs, small and medium businesses, SMBs, and variations thereof are companies whose headcount or

Dell now offers separate support options for IT staff and for non-IT professionals. For the latter, the company offers "how-to" support for software applications, such as Microsoft Office. Microsoft Office is a set of interrelated desktop applications servers and services collectively referred to as an Office suite, for the Microsoft Windows and Dell also offers collaborative support with many third-party software vendors. For IT departments, Dell offers "fast-track dispatch" of parts and labor and access to a crisis-center to handle major outages, virus-attacks, or problems caused by natural disasters.

Besides offering response-options for handling problems, Dell has launched "Proactive Maintenance", which offers assessment and recommendations for updating drivers and firmware and for the application of customer-approved patches and system-updates. Dell also offers assessment-services for storage area networks, as well as for Dell's computing hardware. In Information technology, a storage area network ( SAN) is an architecture to attach remote computer storage devices (such as Disk arrays tape libraries

The new offerings replace Dell's tiered services-structure in which customers could choose from a variety of service levels, such as platinum, gold, or silver. The latest system takes a more customizable approach to support.

Service-tags

Dell associates a Service Tag, a unique alpha-numeric identifier, with most of its products, which resembles a serial number. A serial number is a unique Number assigned for Identification which varies from its Successor or Predecessor by a fixed discrete Integer The Service Tag number, represented in base 36, has a length of five or seven characters. Base 36 is a positional numeral system using 36 as the Radix. Software can read the Service Tag in a computer's DMI table. The Desktop Management Interface (DMI generates a standard framework for managing andtracking components in a desktop notebook or server computer Monitors bought as part of a computer system get support via the Service Tag of the computer. Monitors bought separately get support via the Dell Order Number or via the monitor's serial number.

Dell links its Service Tags to Express Service Codes, usually found together with the service tag on a sticker physically attached to a system. Computer-owners can usually find this tag on the bottom of laptops; or on the side or on the back of the computer tower of desktops. The Express Service Code, a purely numerical conversion of the service tag, serves for use in Dell's trunkline for routing a customer to the appropriate phone-technician. A trunkline is a designation given over a given transportation route such as over a set of roads and is identified as such for the purpose of providing ease with respect to guiding Dell's technical support for consumers requires the customer to enter in their Express Service Code into their touch-tone phone and if they do not provide it when prompted customers will experience increased hold-time before reaching a support-representative.

DellConnect

The DellConnect program, a remote-access tool, gives technicians within Dell Support the ability to access customer computers from a remote location for troubleshooting purposes. By using this tool, support technicians can analyze the configuration of a computer system, view and edit its files and software environment, view and comment on the screen, or take control of the computer system (with the customer's approval) to carry out troubleshooting.

As of 2007 Dell Inc replaced its proprietary remote-access tool with the newer DellConnect 2.0 manufactured by Citrix — a Dell-branded GoToAssist. Citrix Systems ( is an American Multinational corporation with a focus on Software and services specialized in Virtualization and remote access Citrix Online is a division of Citrix Systems Inc (Nasdaq CTXS that sells Web-based remote access, support and collaboration software and services After reaching the website, customers simply run this software, which can permit a support technician to view and work on their computer from a remote location; including the ability to reboot the computer remotely and continuing the same session, to share clipboards, and to redirect customers to a specific website.

World-wide technical support

In the Americas, Dell has Customer Contact Centers in Edmonton, Alberta; Ottawa, Ontario; Central Texas; Salt Lake City, Utah; Nashville, Tennessee; Chesapeake; Twin Falls, Idaho; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; San Salvador, El Salvador; as well as in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia; Panama City, Panama and Tampa, Florida.

In the Asia-Pacific region Dell provides customer support from Pasay City and Quezon City, Philippines; Penang, Malaysia; and Xiamen and Dalian, China.

In India, Dell has customer support centers in the northern cities of Gurgaon and Mohali; and in the southern cities of Hyderabad and Bangalore. ^[51]

On January 31, 2008 Dell announced that it will be closing its call center in Edmonton, Alberta effective May 2, 2008, laying off over 900 workers and abandoning the sweetheart-deal it had agreed to with the city of Edmonton. Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes A call centre or call center (see spelling differences) is a centralized office used for the purpose of receiving and transmitting a large volume of requests by Edmonton (ˈɛdmɨntɨn is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta. Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter.

Criticism of support

Some criticism targets the Dell technical-support system. In 2006 The New York Times published a humorous review of the company's situation in an article by David Pogue. Pogue lamented the difficulties customers face when attempting to reach tech-support by phone. "When you are ready to MAKE THE CALL", he wrote, "go to the bathroom, take an aspirin, get a book or crossword, stock up on water and nibbles (preferably ones with high sugar content and no nutritional value; Twinkies are good)". ^[52]

Commercial aspects

Traditional business model

Traditionally, Dell has sold all its products — whether to end-use consumers or to corporate customers — using a direct-sales model via the Internet and the telephone-network. Economics and Commerce define an end-user as the person who uses a product. The Internet is a global system of interconnected Computer networks Basic principle A traditional landline telephone system also known as "plain old telephone service" (POTS, commonly handles both signaling and audio information Dell maintains a negative cash conversion cycle through use of this model: in other words, Dell Inc. Cash conversion cycle or CCC is the time duration in which a firm is able to convert its resources into cash receives payment for the products before it has to pay for the materials. Dell also practises just-in-time (JIT) inventory-management, profiting from its attendant benefits. Just-in-time ( JIT) is an inventory strategy implemented to improve the Return on investment of a Business by reducing in-process Inventory and Dell's JIT approach utilizes the "pull" system by building computers only after customers place orders and by requesting materials from suppliers as needed. In this way Dell mirrors Toyota by following Toyota Way Principle #3 ("Use 'pull' systems to avoid overproduction"). (pronounced) is a Multinational corporation headquartered in Japan, and is currently the world's largest Automaker. The 14 Principles of the Toyota Way is a management philosophy used by the Toyota corporation that includes the Toyota Production System. Since the days of the original dominance of telephone-ordering, the Internet has significantly enhanced Dell’s business model, making it easier for customers and potential customers to contact Dell directly. This model also has enabled Dell to provide very customizable systems at an affordable rate, since Dell's manufacturing arm builds specifically for each customer. Other computer-manufacturers, including Gateway and Hewlett-Packard, have attempted to adapt similar business-models, but due to timing and/or retail-channel pressures they have not achieved the same results as Dell. Gateway Incorporated is a Computer hardware company based in Irvine, California, which develops manufactures supports and markets a wide range of

Dell has also sold at retail, as explained in the "Marketing" section of this article. The multinational technology company Dell Inc develops manufactures sells and supports Personal computers and other computer-related products

Organization

A board of directors of nine people runs the company. Michael Dell, the founder of the company, serves on the board. Michael Saul Dell (born February 23, 1965, in Houston Texas) is an American businessman and the founder and CEO of Dell Inc Other board members include Don Carty, William Gray, Judy Lewent, Klaus Luft, Alex Mandl, Michael A. Miles, and Sam Nunn. Donald J Carty, OC (born 1946 is a Canadian businessman who serves as chairman of Virgin America and Porter Airlines. Judith C Lewent was until July 2007 the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO of Merck, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies Alex J Mandl (b 1943 in Austria is a notable Austrian-American businessman and currently Executive Chairman of Smart card giant Gemalto. Michael A Miles serves on the board of directors of Time Warner, Sears Holdings Corporation, Dell Inc Samuel Augustus Nunn Jr (born September 8, 1938) is an American Lawyer and Politician. Shareholders elect the nine board members at meetings, and those board members who do not get a majority of votes must submit a resignation to the board, which will subsequently choose whether or not to accept the resignation. A mutual shareholder or stockholder is an Individual or company (including a Corporation) that legally owns one or more shares of In a meeting, two or more people come together for the purpose of discussing a (usually predetermined topic such as business or community event planning often in a formal setting A resignation is the formal act of giving up or quitting one's office or position The board of directors usually sets up five committees which have oversight over specific matters. These committees include the Audit Committee, which handles accounting issues, including auditing and reporting; the Compensation Committee, which approves compensation for the CEO and other employees of the company; the Finance Committee, which handles financial matters such as proposed mergers and acquisitions; the Governance and Nominating Committee, which handles various corporate matters (including nomination of the board); and the Antitrust Compliance Committee, which attempts to prevent company practices from violating antitrust laws. The field of finance refers to the concepts of Time, Money and Risk and how they are interrelated

The corporate structure and management of Dell extends beyond the board of directors. The Dell Global Executive Management Committee sets the strategic direction for how the corporation keeps customers at the forefront, from designing and manufacturing computer systems to offering products that meet customers' requirements to providing sufficient service and support. Dell has regional senior vice presidents for countries other than the United States, including David Marmonti for EMEA and Stephen J. Europe the Middle East and Africa, usually abbreviated to EMEA, is a regional designation used for government marketing and business purposes Felice for Asia/Japan. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. As of 2007, other officers include Martin Garvin (senior vice president for worldwide procurement) and Susan E. Sheskey (vice president and chief information officer). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Susan E Sheskey is a General Partner at Daylight Partners a venture capital firm that seeks entrepreneurs who value operational experience and functional expertise in addition to capital The chief information officer ( CIO) is a job title for the board level head of Information technology within an organization

Marketing

Dell advertisements have appeared in several types of media including television, the Internet, magazines, catalogs and newspapers. Advertising is a form of Communication that typically attempts to persuade potential Customers to Purchase or to consume more of a particular Brand "Popular press" redirects here note that the University of Wisconsin Press publishes under the imprint "The Popular Press" Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic The Internet is a global system of interconnected Computer networks Magazines, periodicals or serials are Publications generally published on a regular schedule containing a variety of articles, generally Mail order is a term which describes the Buying of goods or services by Mail delivery A newspaper is a written Publication containing News, information and Advertising, usually printed on low-cost paper called Newsprint. Some of Dell Inc's marketing strategies include lowering prices at all times of the year, offering free bonus products (such as Dell printers), and offering free shipping in order to encourage more sales and to stave off competitors. In 2006, Dell cut its prices in an effort to maintain its 19. 2% market share. However, this also cut profit-margins by more than half, from 8. 7 to 4. 3 percent. To maintain its low prices, Dell continues to accept most purchases of its products via the Internet and through the telephone network, and to move its customer-care division to India and El Salvador. The Internet is a global system of interconnected Computer networks India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country El Salvador ( República de El Salvador,) is a country in Central America. ^[53]

A popular United States television and print ad campaign in the early 2000s featured the actor Ben Curtis playing the part of "Steven", a lightly mischievous blond-haired kid who came to the assistance of bereft computer purchasers. Benjamin Bowmar Curtis (born November 2, 1980 in Chattanooga Tennessee) also known as the Dell Dude or Slacker Steve, is an American Each television advertisement usually ended with Steven's catch-phrase: "Dude, you're gettin' a Dell!"

A subsequent advertising campaign featured interns at Dell headquarters (with Curtis' character appearing in a small cameo at the end of one of the first commercials in this particular campaign). An intern or stagiaire is one who works in a temporary position with an emphasis on on-the-job training rather than merely employment making it similar to an Apprenticeship

A Dell advertising campaign for the XPS line of gaming computers featured in print in the September 2006 issue of Wired Magazine. Wired is a full-color monthly American Magazine and on-line periodical published in San Francisco, California since March 1993 It used as a tagline the common term in Internet and gamer slang: "FTW", meaning "For The Win". A tagline is a variant of a branding slogan typically used in Marketing materials and Advertising. The Internet is a global system of interconnected Computer networks Historically the term " gamer " usually referred to someone who played Role-playing games or wargames. However, Dell Inc. soon dropped the campaign.

In the first-person shooter game F.E.A.R. Extraction Point, several computers visible on desks within the game have recognizable Dell XPS model characteristics, sometimes even including the Dell logo on the monitors. A first-person shooter ( FPS) is an action Video game from the Shooter game The initial development of Maze War FEAR Extraction Point is an Expansion pack for the horror themed First-person shooter Computer and video game F

In 2007 Dell switched advertising agencies in the US from BBDO to Mother. In July 2007, Dell released new advertising created by Mother to support the Inspiron and XPS lines. The ads featured music from the Flaming Lips and Devo who re-formed especially to record the song in the ad "Work it Out". The Flaming Lips (formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983 is an American rock band Devo (pronounced DEE-vo (IPA /'diːvoʊ/) or dee-VO (IPA /diː'voʊ/) often spelled "DEVO" or "DEV-O" is an American

Dell kiosks

Starting in 2002, Dell opened kiosk locations in shopping malls across the United States in order to give personal service to customers who preferred this method of shopping to using the Internet or the telephone-system. In the Mediterranean Basin and the Near East, a kiosk ( Persian کوشک Kushk Arabic كشك Koshk Turkish Köşk A shopping mall or shopping centre is a building or set of buildings that contain Retail units with interconnecting Walkways enabling visitors Despite the added expense, prices at the kiosks match or beat prices available through other retail channels. Starting in 2005, Dell expanded kiosk locations to include shopping malls across Australia, Canada, Singapore and Hong Kong. In the Mediterranean Basin and the Near East, a kiosk ( Persian کوشک Kushk Arabic كشك Koshk Turkish Köşk A shopping mall or shopping centre is a building or set of buildings that contain Retail units with interconnecting Walkways enabling visitors Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders

On January 30 2008 Dell shut down all 140 kiosks in the US due to expansion into retail stores such as Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and Staples. Events 1648 - Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster is signed ending the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain Wal-Mart Stores Inc (or Walmart as written in its new logo is an American public corporation that runs a chain of large discount department stores Best Buy Co Inc ( is a Fortune 100 company and the largest specialty retailer of Consumer electronics in the United States and Canada Staples Inc is the world's largest Office supply Retail store chain with over 2000 stores Worldwide in 27 countries

Dell stores in the U. S.

In 2006 Dell Inc. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. opened one full store, 3,000-square-foot in area, at NorthPark Center in Dallas, Texas. NorthPark Center is an upscale Shopping mall located in Dallas, Texas ( USA) with over 235 stores and six anchors It operates the 3,000-square-foot retail outlet seven days a week to display about 36 models, including PCs and televisions. As at the kiosks, customers can only see demonstration-computers and place orders through agents. Dell then delivers purchased items just as if the customer had placed the order by phone or over the Internet.

Dell Inc planned to use the Dallas store to house about three times as many products as it displayed in more than 160 kiosks in malls and airports. In addition to showcasing products, the stores also support on-site warranties and non-warranty service ("Dell on Call"). Services offered include repairing computer video-cards and removing spyware from hard drives.

Dell Partner Program

In late 2007 Dell Inc announced that it planned to expand its program to value-added resellers (VARs), giving it the official name of "Dell Partner Direct" and a new website [2]. A value-added reseller (VAR is a company that adds some feature(s to an existing product(s then resells it (usually to end-users as an integrated product or complete " Dell Inc realized that this program, once a small factor in Dell Inc sales, had become a growing sector of its business and it desired to leverage this growing outlet for its products. It promised VARs who joined this program increased discounts on product and the ability to use the Dell name and logo in their marketing efforts. ConnectU became an early member of the program. Facebook is a social networking Website launched on February 4 2004

The overall success of this program — as a new development for Dell Inc — remains unclear.

Retail in the U. S.

In the early 1990s, Dell also sold its products through Best Buy, Costco and Sam's Club stores in the United States. Best Buy Co Inc ( is a Fortune 100 company and the largest specialty retailer of Consumer electronics in the United States and Canada Costco Wholesale Corporation ( is the largest membership Warehouse club chain in the world based on sales volume headquartered in Issaquah Washington, Sam's Club is an American chain of membership-only retail Warehouse clubs Founded in 1983 it is owned and operated by Wal-Mart Stores Inc Dell stopped this practice in 1994, citing low profit-margins on the business. A business (also called firm or an enterprise) is a legally recognized organizational entity designed to provide goods and/or services to In 2003, Dell briefly sold products in Sears stores in the U. Sears Roebuck and Company, commonly known as Sears, is an American mid-range chain of International Department stores founded by Richard S. In 2007, Dell started shipping its products to major retailers in the U. S. once again, starting with Sam's Club and Wal-Mart. Sam's Club is an American chain of membership-only retail Warehouse clubs Founded in 1983 it is owned and operated by Wal-Mart Stores Inc Wal-Mart Stores Inc (or Walmart as written in its new logo is an American public corporation that runs a chain of large discount department stores Staples, the largest office-supply retailer in the U. Staples Inc is the world's largest Office supply Retail store chain with over 2000 stores Worldwide in 27 countries S. , and Best Buy, the largest electronics retailer in the U. Best Buy Co Inc ( is a Fortune 100 company and the largest specialty retailer of Consumer electronics in the United States and Canada S. , became Dell retail partners later that same year.

Retail in Canada

As of the end of February 2008, Dell products shipped to one of the largest office-supply retailers in Canada, Staples Business Depot. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Company History The Business Depot was originally founded by Jack Bingleman in 1991 with Staples as a substantial investor In April 2008, Futureshop and Best Buy began carrying a sub-set of Dell products, such as certain desktops, laptops and monitors. Future Shop is Canada's largest consumer electronics retailer Best Buy Co Inc ( is a Fortune 100 company and the largest specialty retailer of Consumer electronics in the United States and Canada

Direct retail in Eastern Europe

Since some shoppers in certain markets show reluctance to purchase technological products through the phone or the Internet, Dell has looked into opening retail operations in some countries. In April 2007, Dell opened a retail store in Budapest. Budapest ( also /ˈbʊ-/) is the capital city of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary it serves as the country's principal Political, In October of the same year, Dell opened a retail store in Moscow. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of

Retail in the UK

Since December 2007 HMV's flagship Trocadero store has sold Dell XPS PCs. For the origin of the term Trocadero, and other uses of the word see Trocadero (disambiguation. From January 2008 the UK stores of DSGi have sold Dell products (in particular, through Currys and PC World stores). DSG international plc ( is one of the largest Consumer electronics Retailers in Europe Currys is an electrical Retailer in the UK and Republic of Ireland, and is owned by DSG International plc. This article is about PC World the UK computer retailer For the British magazine Personal Computer World As of 2008, the large supermarket-chain Tesco has sold Dell laptops and desktops in stores throughout the UK. Tesco plc is a British -based international grocery and general merchandising retail chain

Retail in Australia

In May 2008, Dell reached an agreement with office supply chain, Officeworks, to stock a few modified models in the Inspiron desktop and notebook range. Officeworks is a chain of Australian office supplies stores which was established in the early 1990s by Coles Myer (which became Coles Group, now part of These models have slightly different model numbers, but are almost identical to the ones available from the Dell Store.

Competition

Dell's major competitors include Apple, Hewlett-Packard (HP), Sun Microsystems, Gateway, Lenovo, Sony, Acer, Toshiba and Asus. Apple Inc, ( formerly Apple Computer Inc, is an American Multinational corporation with a focus on designing and manufacturing Consumer electronics Sun Microsystems Inc ( is a multinational vendor of Computers computer components Computer software, and Information technology services Gateway Incorporated is a Computer hardware company based in Irvine, California, which develops manufactures supports and markets a wide range of Lenovo Group Limited (,) is China's largest and the world's fourth largest Personal computer manufacturer after Hewlett-Packard and Dell of the U is a multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest Media conglomerates with Acer Incorporated ( ( is a Taiwanese multinational electronics manufacturer ( is a multinational conglomerate manufacturing company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. ASUSTeK Computer Incorporated (Asus () ( is a Taiwan -based multinational company that produces Motherboards Graphics cards Optical drives Dell and its subsidiary, Alienware, compete in the enthusiast market against Falcon Northwest, Voodoo PC (a subsidiary of HP), and other manufacturers. Alienware is an American Computer hardware company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dell Inc Falcon Northwest is a Personal computer manufacturing company located in Medford Oregon, USA which was founded in 1992 by its Voodoo Computers Inc or VoodooPC was a privately-held Personal computer manufacturer based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada In the second quarter of 2006 Dell had between 18% and 19% share of the worldwide personal computer market, compared to HP with roughly 15%. By leveraging its business-model, Dell attempts to undercut competitors and offer customers a more attractive choice of personal computers and other equipment.

Dell in late 2006 lost its lead in the PC-business to Hewlett-Packard. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Both Gartner and IDC estimated that in the third quarter of 2006, HP shipped more units worldwide than did Dell. Gartner, Inc ( is an information technology research and advisory firm headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. International Data Corporation ( IDC) is a Market research and analysis firm specializing in Information technology, Telecommunications and consumer Dell's 3. 6% growth paled in comparison to HP's 15% growth during the same period. The problem got worse in the fourth quarter, when Gartner estimated that Dell PC shipments declined 8. 9% (versus HP's 23. 9% growth). As a result, at the end of 2006 Dell's overall PC market-share stood at 13. 9% (versus HP's 17. 4%).

IDC reported that Dell lost more server market share than any of the top four competitors in that arena. IDC's Q4 2006 estimates show Dell's share of the server market at 8. 1%, down from 9. 5% in the previous year. This represents a 8. 8% loss year-over-year, primarily to competitors EMC and IBM. EMC Corporation ( is a US Fortune 500 and S&P 500 Provider of information infrastructure systems software and services International Business Machines Corporation abbreviated IBM and nicknamed "Big Blue", is a multinational Computer Technology ^[54]

Environmental record

Dell became the first company in the information technology industry to establish a product-recycling goal (in 2004) and completed the implementation of its global consumer recycling-program in 2006. Information technology ( IT) as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA is "the study design development implementation support Recycling involves processing used materials into new products in order to prevent the waste of potentially useful materials reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials reduce ^[55] On February 6, 2007, the National Recycling Coalition awarded Dell its "Recycling Works" award for efforts to promote producer responsibility. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats the combined army of Pompeian followers and Numidians under Metellus Scipio ^[56] On July 19, 2007, Dell announced that it had exceeded targets in working to achieve a multi-year goal of recovering 275 million pounds of computer equipment by 2009. Events 711 - Muslim forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad defeat the Visigoths led by their king Roderic. ^[57] The company reported the recovery of 78 million pounds (nearly 40,000 tons) of IT equipment from customers in 2006, a 93-percent increase over 2005; and 12. 4% of the equipment Dell sold seven years earlier. ^[58]

On June 5, 2007, Dell set a goal of becoming the greenest technology company on Earth for the long term. Events 70 - Titus and his Roman Legions breach the middle wall of Jerusalem in the Siege of Jerusalem The company launched a zero-carbon initiative that includes:

1. reducing Dell's carbon intensity by 15 percent by 2012
2. requiring primary suppliers to report carbon emissions data during quarterly business reviews
3. partnering with customers to build the "greenest PC on the planet"
4. expanding the company's carbon-offsetting program, "Plant a Tree for Me". A Low-Carbon Economy (LCE or Low Fossil Fuel Economy (LFFEis a popular term that refers to an Economy which has a minimal output of Greenhouse Gas (GHG emissions into the Carbon intensity can refer to The ratio of Carbon Dioxide to energy a measure of the "greenness" of different fuels

The company introduced the term "The Re-Generation" during a round table in London commemorating 2007 World Environment Day. The “ ReGeneration ” refers to people of all ages who share a common interest in renewable resources recycling and other means of sustaining the earth’s natural environment The Round Table is King Arthur 's famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his Knights congregate World Environment Day (WED was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 "The Re-Generation" refers to people of all ages throughout the world who want to make a difference in improving the world's environment. Dell also talked about plans to take the lead in setting an environmental standard for the "technology industry" and maintaining that leadership in the future. The word leadership can refer to Those entities that perform one or more acts of leading

Lawsuits and other legal action

• In 2005, Dell began the construction of a facility in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Winston-Salem is a city in the US state of North Carolina. As of the 2000 census the city population was 185776 in 2004 the city annexed an additional 17483 North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States ^[59] Many claims emerged that Dell had used unfair practices to obtain huge incentives. ^[60] Dell Inc. fought a lawsuit which the court system later dismissed. ^[61]

• In October 2005, Dell filed a lawsuit in a Paris court to sue Menorca-based independent website-designer Paul Dell of "Dellimages" for engaging in “parasitism and unfair competition”. Minorca ( Catalan and Spanish: Menorca; from Latin Balearis Minor, later Minorica "minor island" is one of the This related to his company website "DellWebsites".

• On January 31, 2007, some shareholders filed a lawsuit accusing Dell and Intel of conspiring, and accusing Dell executives (including Michael Dell) of options-backdating and of propped financial reports. Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. In law a lawsuit is a civil action brought before a Court in which the party commencing the action the Plaintiff, seeks a legal or equitable remedy Options backdating is the practice of granting an Employee stock option that is dated prior to the date that the company actually granted the option Financial statements (or financial reports) are formal records of a business' financial ^[62] Specific allegations claimed that:
  • Dell had received kickbacks from Intel to maintain Intel exclusivity
  • Dell had used the funds to prop up its sales-figures
  • Dell reduced the period and scope of its warranties and cut corners on manufacturing and testing in order to funnel additional funds to sales; causing the stock-price to inflate to around $40 per share
  • once stock-prices had peaked, several Dell executives, including Michael Dell, sold massive amounts of their personal stock-holdings to benefit from the artificially inflated stock-price

• On February 8, 2007, seven current and former workers at a call-center in Roseburg, Oregon sued the computer-maker, saying the company worked its sales reps "off the clock", failed to provide proper rest-breaks and improperly recorded their lunch-periods. Events 421 - Constantius III becomes co- Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Roseburg is a city in the US state of Oregon. It is the County seat of Douglas County. Oregon ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. ^[63] Moves have begun to turn the case into a class action. In Law, a class action or a representative action is a form of Lawsuit where a large group of people collectively bring a claim to court Dell closed down the facility at Roseburg, Oregon on August 2, 2007. Events 338 BC - A Macedonian army led by Philip II defeated the combined forces of Athens and Thebes in the ^[64] The facility had consisted of computer and electronics sales-agents (other call-centers absorbed these jobs) and of customer-service representatives.

• In March 2007 an article titled "Computer Giant Faces Consumer Lawsuit Consumers Allege They Didn't Get the Tech Support They Paid For" appeared on an ABC News website. ^[65] "Part of the suit claims that though Dell gave the impression of an "award-winning service" available to consumers "24 hours a day, seven days a week", consumers faced "nightmarish obstacles" to get help and technical service for their computers. New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said that New York had received 700 complaints about Dell — more than the number of complaints for any other related subject. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous In most Common law jurisdictions the Attorney General, or Attorney-General, is the main legal advisor to the government and in some jurisdictions may in addition Andrew Mark Cuomo (born December 6 1957 in Queens New York) is the New York State Attorney General.

• In May 2007, Andrew Cuomo filed a lawsuit against Dell for "false advertising and deceptive business practices, including offering misleading financing, and failing to honor rebates, warranties and service contracts. MAY ( also known as: Mei メイ 메이 is a Korean singer well known in South Korea for singing the song "Miracle" Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. " [3] Dell spokesman Bob Pearson portrayed the lawsuit as based on only a small portion of Dell's customers and as in no way reflecting the way the company treats its customers. Dell's hardware-warranty contract says that customers must troubleshoot over the phone — including possibly opening the computer — before Dell will send a technical service provider to replace a part. On May 27, 2008, State Supreme Court Justice Joseph Teresi required that Dell clarify their financing and warranty criteria, saying the computer maker engaged in fraud, false advertising, deceptive business and abusive debt collection practices. ^[66] There have been more than 1,000 additional complaints filed with the attorney general's office since the lawsuit was initially filed in May 2007. ^[67]

SEC investigation

On August 17, 2007, the company announced that after an internal investigation into its accounting practices it would restate and reduce earnings from 2003 through to the first quarter of 2007 by a total amount of between $50 million and $150 million, or 2 cents to 7 cents per share. Events 986 - A Byzantine army was destroyed in the pass of Trajan's Gate by the Bulgarians under the Comitopuli Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[68] The investigation, begun in November 2006, resulted from concerns raised by the U. Events in November All Saints' Day (formerly All Hallows Day a Christian holy day is celebrated on November 1, the day after Halloween Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. S. Securities and Exchange Commission over some documents and information that Dell Inc. The US Securities and Exchange Commission (commonly known as the SEC) is an independent agency of the United States government which holds primary responsibility had submitted. ^[69]

Criticism

In the 1990s Dell switched from using primarily ATX motherboards and PSU to using boards and power-supplies with mechanically-identical but differently-wired connectors. The ATX (for Advanced Technology Extended) form factor was created by Intel in 1995. A motherboard is the central or primary Printed circuit board (PCB making up a complex electronic system such as a modern Computer or Laptop This article is about the common off-line switching power supplies used in desktop IBM PC compatible computers This meant customers wishing to upgrade their hardware could encounter unforeseen problems. However, company practice in this respect changed in 2003. ^[70][71]

In 2005, according to the Better Business Bureau, complaints about Dell more than doubled, to 1,533 after earnings grew 52% that year. The Better Business Bureau (BBB, founded in 1912 is an organization based in the United States and Canada.

Consumer complaints about the quality of customer-service mounted, and in 2006, Dell acknowledged that it had problems with customer-service. Issues included call-transfers^[72] of more than 45% of calls and long wait-times. Dell's blog detailed the response:^[73] "We’re spending more than a $100 [sic] million — and a lot of blood, sweat and tears of talented people — to fix this. " Later in the year, the company increased its spending on customer-service to $150 million. ^[74]

In May, 2008 the New York Supreme Court ruled that Dell and Dell Financial Services "engaged in fraud, false advertising, deceptive business practices, and abusive debt collection practices. MAY ( also known as: Mei メイ 메이 is a Korean singer well known in South Korea for singing the song "Miracle" 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The Supreme Court of the State of New York is New York State 's Trial court, and is of General jurisdiction. " The main purpose of the lawsuit was to highlight and seek restitution for a lack of technical support given to customers by Dell. Further proceedings are slated to be held by the court to determine how much money Dell has to pay out to customers and how much profit Dell made unlawfully in New York. ^[75]

Further reading

Footnotes

See also

• Dell Axim
• Dell IdeaStorm
• Dell Inspiron
• Dell International Services
• Dell Latitude
• Dell OptiPlex
• Dell Vostro
• Dell XPS
• Alienware
• List of Computer System Manufacturers

External links

• Dell Inc. Website
• Dell Corporate blog
• Dell's Alienware Brand
• Dell's Idea Storm - Dell clients' think tank
• Dell's love for Linux. The Axim family of Personal digital assistants was Dell's line of Windows Mobile -powered Pocket PC Devices Dell IdeaStorm is a Website launched by Dell on February 16, 2007 to allow Dell "to gauge which ideas are most important and most relevant Dell 's Inspiron portable systems Brand started as a range of Computers targeted at the consumer market (as opposed to the Latitude range of laptops Dell International Services is the support and services division of Dell Inc Dell 's Latitude Laptop brand is specifically targeted at the business market which means that standardized parts are used throughout the line and are available Dell Inc targets its OptiPlex line of Desktop computers for sale into the corporate Government and Education markets Dell Vostro is a line of computers aimed at small business users made by Dell. The Dell XPS is a high-end line of gaming computers sold by Dell. Alienware is an American Computer hardware company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dell Inc The following is a list of notable computer system manufacturers.

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