March 2008 - Posts

  • Stay Tuned to DellShares

    Last week, we announced that Dell will host the 2008 Equity Analyst Meeting here in Round Rock Texas. It will happen on Wednesday and Thursday this week.  Dell executives will share details on Dell's five growth initiatives: global consumer, enterprise, notebooks, small and medium enterprise and emerging countries.

    If you're interested in following the developments at this meeting, I encourage you to visit our Investor Relations blog, DellShares, at  www.dell.com/dellshares for details as they unfold.

    Before then, check out Lynn Tyson's DellShares post for more insight behind Dell's recent announcement to optimize our global operations.

    Update: The archive webcast for yesterday's discussions is now available. The Day 2 webcast is happening now. It will be archived later today. To access either, click on this link (or on the image below), and click on the webcast link from either day. If you haven't registered, you'll need to do so-then you can play the webcasts from the main page.

  • New Group Blog: Inside IT Joins Direct2Dell Family

    In my post earlier this week, I mentioned that customers could expect more conversations coming from folks at Dell. Well today, we're introducing a new group blog called Inside IT. Take a look at my inaugural post there for an idea what kind of stuff you'll see.

    For future reference, you can access Inside IT directly by going here: www.direct2dell.com/insideit

    And if this kind of content is right down your alley, I invite you to add the Inside IT RSS feed to your favorite RSS reader.

  • Blu-ray Equipped Inspiron 1525 Laptop Now Available for Under $1000

    Starting today, we're offering customers in the United States, Canada and Europe the Inspiron 1525 equipped with an optional Blu-ray drive under $1000. In the United States, that starting price is $879—specific pricing may vary in other regions.

    The Inspiron 1525 laptop is the one that Laptop Magazine gave their Editors' Choice award to. It features a 15.4-inch 1280 x 800 resolution (or optional 1440 x 900) wide aspect display means it support up to 720p resolution. It also includes an HDMI port so you can connect it to a larger external display or HDTV.

    If you're not familiar with Blu-ray, here's a blog post from Brian Zucker about that explains it in more detail. Back in mid-February, the blogosphere reacted to a Reuters story that said Toshiba planned to exit HD-DVD, the competing high-definition disc format. A few days later, they made it official. Since then, many new releases are coming out in the Blu-ray format, and places like Wal-Mart, Amazon, Blockbuster and Netflix are actively promoting Blu-ray titles.

    The Blu-ray player disc drive is fully backwards compatible, and will play as well as burn traditional DVDs and CDs. And if you're willing to upgrade to Blu-ray burner drive, Blu-ray discs are good for backing up your personal files since they can store up to 50 GB of data, vs. 8.5 GB available on the typical DVD disc. 
  • How is Dell addressing today's more mobile workforce?

    It seems like everyone and everything is going mobile, especially in business.  Greater mobility in the workforce, however, is radically changing, which presents some issues for the IT people that have to manage mobile devices.  IDC started talking about this a couple years ago, and the blogosphere is starting too.

    You might be wondering what Dell's view is on this and what we're doing to make mobility better.  It's natural to think that we focus on traditional notebook computers, but that is only a small part of the story.  Mobility is more about connecting information and people, not any one type of device.  When you think about it, we really have two groups to please:  the people using computers and mobile devices, and the IT people that have to manage the devices.

    When it comes to mobility, we're seeing the power curve radically changing.  End users are demanding that their mobile devices be easier to use, more secure, more powerful, always on, and more connected.  This includes PCs, phones, PDAs, notebooks, tablets, email devices, RFID and others.  IT management is trying to make this happen, while at the same time trying to manage it all and protect the company.  So we expanded our thinking and developed a set of core beliefs about mobile computing. These core beliefs shape not only what we offer to end users and IT management today, but also what we are developing in the future.

    • Seamless Platforms: Expectations and use of devices is fundamentally changing, and are often diverging. Devices and the platforms that support them are going to evolve to meet these changing needs. Email, phones, IM, contacts, blogs, and data need to be interchangeable and accessible irrespective of the platform. This is why Dell is developing, partnering, and working with the ecosystem that makes it easy to manage and use all types of information across all types of devices.
    • Always on: Users expect to be wirelessly connected at all times. Technologies that know where you are and how you are connected are revolutionizing mobility. We're simplifying things like unified communications, and adding technologies like RFID and GPS to the ever broadening wireless connectivity to ensure that every device is connected all the time.
    • Natural interface: Keyboards are great, but people want other interfaces too. Sometimes that means things like pen devices on tablet computers or touch screens. Or it could mean ultra small computers or even extra wide models. Choice of interface will be critical because it needs to match the user, not have the user match the interface. We're developing some technologies that will surprise you. One example is the Tablet XT which featured capacitive touch technology, a truly addictive capability that users soon expect to be in every panel device, not just their tablet computer.
    • Always secure: Users want security to be both transparent and strong. That's why Dell is simplifying security so IT can easily protect the infrastructure, yet still make it easy for users. We already offer tools for physical, identity, and data security, but these will be made even easier for users with things like fingerprint ID, facial identification, and other user-friendly methods.
    • Single Identity: Users will demand a single identity for all devices, which means that physical and logical access methods will converge. We're driving ways to simplify how companies manage identities on every device that provides needed security and meets end-user demands. Dell is leading here too in the development of proximity devices and software that makes it easy to manage credentials.
    • Choice of devices:  No one device is going to be right for every user, so the standard notebook will evolve into a flexible device allowing multiple usage-based operating modes.   Each individual needs to work in different ways.   Sometimes wirelessly connected, sometimes in power saving mode and sometimes plugged into a stationary environment.  The focus is to take one singular powerful computing platform and that can specialize the usage modes for the needs of the users.   
    • Greener: Today we're delivering devices that are designed to use less power, are manufactured in more eco-friendly ways, and that offer easy ways to offset the carbon footprint. Dell is leading here too, not only in our Energy Smart products and services, but in our policies, procedures, recycling, and company goals.
    • Customizable: The old way was for company IT to deliver the same notebook to everyone. The new way is that users want computing devices that meet their needs and reflect how they use them, not to be forced to use only the standard issue. So the old model of total cost of ownership (TCO) will go out the window. Return on investment -- and the productivity you get from your workers -- will rule.
    • Simpler: IT is demanding smarter and simpler solutions to minimize the mundane and help their businesses innovate. So Dell is focusing on not only hardware, but the management layer of new devices too, to minimize the amount of time IT spends on maintenance and free resources for innovation.
    • Work/Life Enabler: Perhaps the most interesting change is that computing and communications devices have become tools of life. As such, they will need to fit better with the places they are used. Rather than just making a newer or faster device, we take more time to listen to customers and understand their usage. That way, we're developing solutions that satisfy and delight them.

    I'm not asking you to simply take my word for it.  In fact, I'm more interested in what you think and what you need. Please share your thoughts here.

  • Direct2Dell Chinese Passes the One Year Mark

    Below is a post from Jacqui Zhou, my counterpart who runs Direct2Dell Chinese, which recently passed the one year point. I thought the occassion and insight was worth sharing with our Direct2Dell English audience.  Congratulations to Jacqui and the rest of the Dell China team who support the Direct2Dell Chinese blog.

    Here is Jacqui's post:

    One Year into the Chinese Blogosphere 

    Who has the most Internet users in the world? The answer is China.

    Recently Beijing-based research firm BDA China announced China as the country with the largest Internet population on the planet. China’s online population now stands at 220 million, overtaking the United States for the first time. One year ago, the number was only 130 million.

    Of course, for us, this is not a big surprise. Michael has talked on several occasions about how the global online population will double from one billion to two billion in the next few years. Not surprisingly, the majority of the growth will likely come from emerging markets like China. In fact, over 40% of the online population will be in Asia by 2011.

    With more and more Chinese people getting online, it’s increasingly important for us to connect with customers via the Internet in the language they feel most comfortable speaking.

    One year ago, we became the first technology company to launch a corporate blog in Chinese. The blog has become a great tool for us to connect with customers directly and reach out to reporters and digital influencers.

    The nearly 300 blog posts and numerous customer comments archived our rapid growth in China. We launched computers specifically developed for emerging markets, partnered with Gome and entered retail. Last quarter, our shipment in China has increased 53% YoY. Through the blog, we got to know and learn a lot from Sam Fleming, Qingjiao Yu, Cuodao Jin, Zhifeng Sun, and many other bloggers in China. We also joined Twitter and its Chinese equivalent Jiwai.de.

    While we are celebrating the one-year anniversary of the Chinese blog, we are also looking for our next steps.

    Besides the blog, forums are another favorite online hangout for Chinese. Everyday over 10 million posts are created in forums in China. Customers go to forums to compare notes about their purchase experience, show off product pictures, and express their opinions about companies. Hong Bo, a famous Chinese IT blogger offered an explanation for the enormous popularity of BBS (bulletin board system) and forums: China has historically lacked a social space where ordinary citizens can discuss issues and form public opinion. The Internet in China has filled much of this need.

    Our next step is to migrate our current technical support BBS in China to a community forum platform in the next few months. More functions will be integrated for customers to exchange ideas and solve problems.

    Though 220 million seems like a whopping number by itself, it only accounts for 18% of the Chinese population. In a few more years, we will smile at how small 220 million sounded as we get ready to cross the 400 and 500 million level of participants. We have an enormous opportunity to partner with our customers to innovate in how we have conversations and enjoy the benefits of technology.

    We’re just getting started and we will continue to do more. I look forward to seeing your comments and thoughts on what you think we need to do more of in the future!

  • Lithium-Ion Battery Availability is an Industry Issue

    Both Gizmodo and Engadget got it right in their read of a Reuters story from earlier this morning about the impact a March 3 fire at LG Chem is having on the global supply of Li-ion cells used in laptop battery packs. It's affecting the industry supply of lithium ion batteries that manufacturers use in laptops and other devices. Currently, we have increased the price of aftermarket or replacement batteries. Unfortunately, constrained supply can mean higher prices, and we're doing what we can to manage that. 

    While this is an industry issue, we are working with other global network of suppliers to mitigate the impact this has on our customers.

    This seemed like a good time to share some tips on how to save laptop battery life, so I went to our product teams to get their thoughts:

    • Disable wireless when you don't need it. Many of our current laptops like the newer Inspiron, XPS and Latitude machines have hardware switches to make this easy
    • Turn down your screen brightness. In most cases on our notebooks, you can do this by hitting Fn + the down arrow
    • Set your notebook to hibernate mode when not in use.
    • You can control these things and more with Dell's QuickSet utility. Check out more details here.

    For more details, take a look at this StudioDell video where Tony Salinas, a systems engineer from our product group talks about these tips and more.

  • Dell Helps Large Business Customers Through Operating System Migration Services

    Today we unveiled a new service called Client Migration Solution. It's an integrated set of assessment, design, deployment and management services with tools that our service team tells me can reduce migration costs by up to 62 percent and desk-side time and labor by 88 percent. 

    This migration service is designed for organizations planning an operating system migration or hardware deployment of 2,500 systems or more. It simplifies the process by addressing common challenges such as network utilization, application compatibility and end-user downtime, all while minimizing costs.  As businesses evaluate their need to migrate to Vista, Dell can help them address their migration needs and procedures. 

    We based these services on our extensive experience managing millions of customer deployments around the globe. Client Migration Solution helps customers better understand their existing client environment by determining hardware and application compatibility, then seamlessly planning, deploying and managing migrated systems. 

    The solution leverages new patent-pending Dell Automated Deployment technologies that speed the deployment process, reduce post-migration support calls, reduce risk, and eliminate network traffic normally associated with deployments. 

    After the migration is complete, Dell provides customers with the tools and expertise needed to better manage ongoing technology refreshes and instruction to ensure support staff and end-users are properly trained.     

    The Client Migration Solution is available now to customers in the United States, Europe and Canada. as well as Dell Registered Partners. Pricing depends on customer needs and their specific client environment. These services are also available on a limited basis in Latin America and will be available to Asia-Pacific/Japan customers later this year.

    Update: I was incorrect in saying that the Client Migration Solution is available to Dell Registered Partners. My apologies for that.

  • First Retail Expansion in India, Sam's Club Joins Plant a Tree for Me

    Today we're launching our first retail expansion in India. We will offer certain XPS Cromoand Inspiron desktop and laptop products in Croma stores there.

    Croma is a large chain of consumer electronics stores under the Tata Group umbrella. Beginning this week and into next month, we will be giving consumer customers in India the opportunity to call click or visit and have access to Dell products.

    To the left is a photo of one of the Croma experiential pods where customers will see Dell products. Click on the image to see a larger version of it.

    Also on the retail front, today Samsclub.com joined our Plant a Tree for Me initiative to become the first online retail partner to join Dell in offering customers the option of offsetting the carbon impact of the electricity required to power their laptop or desktop.

    Customer contributions of $2 for a laptop and $6 for a desktop will go toward the planting of trees that absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Dell partners with The Conservation Fund and the Carbonfund.org, non-profit organizations that plant trees in sustainably managed reforestation projects. And don't forget that over at ReGeneration.org, you can track progress of Plant a Tree for Me and other initiatives through this Google map.

  • Weekly Recap: 3-25-08

    Happy Tuesday everyone; hope everyone had a nice holiday weekend!  Recently I contemplated the quote "Imitation is the sincerest of flattery," by Charles Caleb Colton (partly due to the latest in a string of Ideastorm-like sites).  Last week, Starbucks became the latest to launch a site that asks for customer feedback through ideas and votes.  It is exciting to watch more and more businesses have conversations with their customers and begin to see the value listening. We wish them great success with this latest venture!  But, is the trend to have an actual dialogue or just a one way suggestion box?  Time will tell.

    We continue to update the new status tag boxes and have provided greater visibility to idea responses for all ideas tagged as "Reviewed" "In Progress" and "Implemented." In addition, john_h informed the community about how we work with our partners to provide hardware support and coming additions to our linux.dell.com wiki (Provide Linux Drivers for all your Hardware | Linux Hardware Compatibility List)

    Also, a fairly passionate discussion on the words that we are including in the language filter emerged on IdeaStorm last week. Thanks for the constructive commentary, and we are reviewing the use of certain words and will inform the community of the decision when it is made.

  • Dell: 10 Years in China

    Michael Dell recently visited China last week. Some of you may have seen reports in the blogosphere about some things he discussed. For a bit more context, I thought it made sense to share Amit Midha's recent Direct2Dell Chinese post on our English site as well. Here's Amit's post.

    Amit Midha
    Dell Greater China President

    2008 is a unique and important year for China since it will host the Olympics Games. 2008 is a unique and important year for Dell China as it marks our 10th anniversary in China and we will turn into a new chapter of our growth and development in China.

    Last week, our Chairman & CEO Michael Dell visited China and kicked off our 10th anniversary celebration in China by announcing extensions of the company’s educational and environmental initiatives in the country.

    Dell will invest RMB 1.7 million to equip six more Dell Learning Centers (DLC). The centers are helping rural migrant children bridge the technological gap to the Internet-based Connected Era. By the end of the year, Dell will have initiated 10 DLCs in China. The first three new centers are scheduled to open in April and May in Tianjin, Hangzhou and Chengdu. Each center will feature Dell’s leading computer systems paired with education software, which Dell volunteers and others will use to help train children on how to use information technology.

    Additionally, Dell will donate RMB 1 million to support the “greening” of the Chao Yang district of Beijing as part of the Company’s global Regeneration initiatives (www.regeneration.org). The entire amount will go toward planting trees and maintaining green areas in the area.

    Dell began operations in China in 1998. Since then, the company’s business here has expanded to include:

    • Two manufacturing operations in Xiamen -- one for mainland China, and one for export to Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong;
    • An enterprise command center, also in Xiamen, to provide rapid support services to customers with large computer networks;
    • A global design center in Shanghai, one of Dell’s largest such centers outside the United States, and;
    • A sales and support center in Dalian for customers in Japan and South Korea.

    Dell’s economic presence in China is significant. Last year the company purchased about US$18 billion in technology components and related products from supplier partners in China—more than any other computer-systems company. Dell expects that number to grow to US$23 billion this year. Based on projections from a 2005 Peking University study, the company estimates its spending in the country this year to contribute more than US$50 billion to China’s gross domestic product and support more than two million jobs.

    Dell’s contributions to China are not only economic. In 2007, Dell employees volunteered more than 7,000 hours and the company donated RMB 5 million to charities in the country and to promote the informatization of the country.

    The learning center and green initiatives in China announced by our Chairman and CEO are just the latest examples of myriad programs in countries worldwide that have earned Dell repeated recognition for its social responsibility and are the beginning of the celebration of our 10th anniversary in China.

    Stay tuned.

    QA_Michael Dell(1) (2)  Keynote_Michael Dell(2)

    QA_Michale Amit(2)

    戴尔中国开启十周年庆典

    戴尔公司大中华区总裁闵毅达

    随着中国举办奥运会的步伐越来越近,2008年对中国将是非凡而重要的一年。同样,2008年对戴尔中国来说也是不同寻常的一年,我们将迎来在中国的十周年,掀开在华持续增长和发展的新篇章。

    上周,戴尔公司董事长兼首席执行官迈克尔•戴尔访问了中国,宣布将在中国积极开展一系列有益的教育和环保项目,拉开了戴尔中国十周年庆典活动的帷幕。

    戴尔将再增资170万元人民币成立六家新的戴尔学习中心(DLC),致力于帮助缩小农民工子弟与互联网时代之间的数字鸿沟。截至今年年底,戴尔在中国的学习中心总数将达到10家。新增的6家学习中心中的前三家将在今年4、5两月分别落户天津、杭州和成都。每个中心都配备了戴尔领先的计算机系统及相应的教育软件,而且来自戴尔和社会各界的志愿者还将义务为学生提供培训。

    另外,作为戴尔全球“绿色革新”(www.regeneration.org)项目的一部分,戴尔公司将捐赠100万元人民币支持北京市朝阳区的绿化建设,全部资金将用于园区的植树和养护工作。

    戴尔在中国开展业务始于1998年。十年来,公司在中国的业务规模持续扩大:

    · 两家位于厦门的制造工厂,一家面向中国大陆市场,另一家出口到日本、韩国和中国香港地区;

    · 企业服务指挥中心,同样位于厦门,负责为拥有大规模计算机网络的客户提供快速支持服务;

    · 位于上海的中国设计中心,是戴尔在美国之外的全球最大的产品设计中心之一;

    · 位于大连的戴尔国际服务中心,负责为日本和韩国客户提供服务。

    戴尔对中国的经济贡献有目共睹。去年,公司从中国采购了价值180亿美元的部件和配件,采购额位居所有计算机厂商之首。戴尔预计今年的采购额将增至230亿美元。基于北京大学针对2005年戴尔对中国经济贡献所进行的研究和报告,戴尔公司预估今年公司在中国的直接和间接业务将为中国创造超过500亿美元的GDP,提供近200万个工作机会。

    戴尔对中国的贡献不仅体现在经济层面。2007年,戴尔中国员工累计贡献了长达7,000多个小时的志愿服务,公司为中国慈善机构和信息化事业捐款总计500万元人民币。

    长期以来,戴尔在全球各地积极实施了大量的社会公益项目,赢得了社会各界的广泛赞誉。此次宣布开展的学习中心和绿化项目,揭开了戴尔中国十周年庆典的帷幕,同时再度体现了我们对企业社会责任的高度重视。

    请拭目以待!

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