Dubai, UAE - 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.”
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.”
Since February
2007, Dell has invited its customers to share their ideas for improving its
products and services on IdeaStorm.com. The site has attracted more than 8,900
ideas and features 45 Ideas in Action.
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.” To join with Dell and
thousands of others in lending a voice and saving the planet, visit
www.ReGeneration.org.
About Dell
Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) listens to customers and delivers
innovative technology and services they trust and value. Uniquely enabled by its
direct business model, Dell is a leading global systems and services company and
No. 34 on the Fortune 500. For more information, visit www.dell.com, or to communicate directly with
Dell via a variety of online channels, go to www.dell.com/conversations.
