Dell Sees Unrivalled Opportunity In Connected Era And Fast Growing Economies

Speaking during his first official visit to the Middle East, Michael Dell, chairman and CEO of Dell, told reporters at a conference held at the Emirates Towers Hotel in Dubai, “The world is witnessing the most exciting and promising period for technology ever seen. We call it the “Connected Era.” The second billion people coming online, many from the world’s fast growing and emerging economies expect a different technology experience to the first. The Internet has unleashed billions of new conversations and made it possible for people to connect in new ways. The emergence of this Connected Era is arguably the most influential single trend remodeling the world today.”

• Connected Era ‘Most Exciting and Promising Period for Technology Ever Seen’
• Future Requires IT Simplification, Greater Sensitivity to the Environment and Listening

Mr. Dell said the Connected Era is transforming the way technology is used to drive conversations and communities online. It is also creating an urgent need to simplify IT infrastructures and address concerns about how this escalating demand might impact the planet.

At the same press conference, Mr. Abdulatif Almulla, CEO of TECOM Investments said, “I would like to extend a warm welcome to Michael Dell on his first visit to the Middle East. This visit clearly reflects Dell’s focus on the needs of the Middle Eastern market and its commitment to supporting this key region during the next phase of its growth.”

He continued, “With the overall IT spend in the Middle East and Africa expected to exceed $40 billion in 2008 and with the Gulf Cooperation Council accounting for nearly 23 percent of the total (according to IDC figures), the region’s IT sector has significantly evolved into one of the key players in the global IT industry. We will be working closely with Dell to find ways to bring the benefits of its best practice approaches to this region.”

In his remarks, Mr. Dell outlined what he described as the four key drivers of the Connected Era:

Simplify IT

While IT has made our lives simpler and more efficient, Mr. Dell said, “Somewhere along the way, all this efficiency got complicated. For many businesses, governments and consumers technology is too expensive, too complex and uses far too much power. We have made it our mission to simplify IT for customers.”

Reaching the Next Billion

More than one billion people are online today. By 2011, another billion are expected to join. Reaching these new users will require tailoring products to their needs and paying attention to how they prefer to learn about and purchase computers systems. “In the Middle East, for example, we’re bringing strengths from the direct model to our channel business by creating closer and deeper relationships through our partners to help us better understand customer needs.” Mr. Dell said. “Also we’re continuing to invest in local logistics and services capabilities to ensure we serve customers quickly.”

Technology has also lowered the barrier to entry for starting a small business, making it easier than ever for entrepreneurs in the Middle East and other fast-growing economies to successfully compete with businesses of all sizes, all over the world.

Listening

Mr. Dell said the Connected Era has forever redefined what it means to listen to customers. “Listening used to mean commissioning a customer survey. Now it means engaging directly with customers and critics and using those relationships to create a smarter business. Tapping into the ideas of our customers is like having an open source R&D lab. It’s incredibly exciting, both for Dell and for our customers.”

Environment and the ReGeneration

On World Environment Day 2007, Michael Dell committed to partnering with customers to become the “greenest” technology company on the planet. “The last 20 years has seen computers and servers getting faster, more powerful and more energy hungry. Our industry needs to design and build machines that combine the first two characteristics while reversing the third. And we are doing it at Dell.”

In doing so, he introduced the idea that we can all be part of the ReGeneration – a global community of people of all ages and backgrounds who care about the environment. “This is not just a matter of good environmental stewardship – though that concern is paramount,” Mr. Dell said. “Our customers want to identify with our commitment to the issues they care about – especially those issues that directly relate to our products.”