Ahead of VMworld, a flurry of VMware-optimized hardware from Dell and HP arrives
Just five days ahead of VMware's annual VMworld convention in San Francisco, a host of new hardware specifically designed to work with VMware's virtualization software was announced, including new products and designs from Dell Wyse, HP, and Hitachi.
Dell, which has been making a fierce charge into virtualized and cloud solutions revealed its new VMware-optimized hardware on Tuesday. This includes two new PCoIP zero clients under the five-month old Dell Wyse brand. The Dell Wyse P25 supports dual displays, and the P45 supports four displays.
What Google could do with their $43 Billion in the bank
According to Google's recent earnings report, the Mountain View search company has $43 billion in cash reserves. I'm no business expert, but that number seems unreasonably high and I think Google should use some of that money. Some have said that Google has run out of ideas, so to alleviate the situation here are a few ideas:
Sprint Nextel Corporation, Cost: $13 Billion
Sprint isn't the smallest of the four main carriers in the U.S. but it would still be a great way for Google to get its foot in the door. Just imagine what Google could do with a carrier, Android phones could be subsidized into oblivion, phones would at last be updated, no more bloatware, full Google Voice integration, and if Google really wanted to do no evil then every phone they sold would be unlocked. There is also this to consider, Sprint carries the iPhone, so Google and Apple would be in an interesting situation, but Google could play this to their advantage, as they say “know thine enemy.”
Linux fans rejoice: Dell XPS 13 will come with Ubuntu
Dell must have read my story on “What will it take to make Linux popular?”, agreed with Linus Torvalds' initial thoughts, then thought that it might be a good idea to publicly announce “Project Sputnik”, which despite the name doesn’t have anything to do with spacecraft like Dell would want you to believe. (Okay, so the skunkworks project predates my story by six months, but surely official timing can't be a coincidence?)
What Project Sputnik does is bring “an official developer laptop based on the Dell XPS 13 with Ubuntu 12.04 LTS preloaded, available in select geographies”, meaning Linux for the people on the Dell XPS 13 in much simpler words. Dell is taking the project to the next level by officially releasing it this fall. Timing is interesting with Windows 8 launching October 26. Since the laptop comes with Linux, presumably it will cost less than its counterpart running Windows.
Dell wins bidding war for Quest Software, the buying spree rolls on
Texas PC maker Dell announced on Monday that it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire IT management software provider Quest Software for approximately $2.4 billion, or $28 per share. Dell has been in a bidding war over the company since earlier this year.
Last March, Quest announced it accepted an acquisition offer by Insight Venture Partners for $23 a share or a total of $2.17 billion. Then, in May, the company said it had received better offers that it was considering, including one from Dell.
HP reports better-than-expected quarter, but cuts 27,000 jobs amid restructuring
HP released better than expected results after the close of the markets Wednesday, and the company overall shows signs of a long-awaited turnaround. But the big story tonight surrounds the 27,000 workers who will lose their jobs as part of a "multi-year" restructuring plan announced by CEO Meg Whitman.
The cuts amount to about eight percent of the workforce and are expected to save HP between $3 and $3.5 billion annually by 2015. It will be phased in gradually though 2014, and involves an early retirement package to be offered by the company. In a conference call with analysts, Whitman described the quarter's results as positive, but added "we have a lot of work to do".
Dell adds secure application data synchronization to cloud portfolio
Less than a week after announcing a major Desktop-as-a-Service product in Simplified DaaS, Dell said Tuesday it would offer methods to securely sync sensitive data across disparate cloud services. Called Integration Packs, Dell initially is offering synchronization services between Salesforce CRM and the software version of QuickBooks.
An integration pack for synchronization between the online version of QuickBooks and Salesforce CRM and Microsoft Dynamics and Salesforce CRM is due in June. All three packs have a $65 monthly service charge, Dell says.
Dell looks to the cloud to stay relevant in the enterprise
Dell continued to expand outside of its traditional PC-based business this week, making two separate announcements that symbolize a larger emphasis on services -- especially for the cloud. The Allen, Texas based company has introduced a Desktop-as-a-Service offering through a partnership with Desktone, as well as a new offering aimed at moving their SAP solutions to the cloud.
The moves signal a bigger business shift for a company that for most of its 26-year history has focused on physical hardware. At the same time, it's a sign of the times in enterprise environments, a move towards virtualization and cloud-based services.
Dell acquires Wyse to grab leading role in virtualization and cloud
Dell on Monday announced it will be acquiring top thin client maker Wyse Technology for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition will help grow Dell's desktop virtualization portfolio and drive alternative compute models such as cloud client computing.
Now that the consumer PC market is no longer the growth vehicle it once was, Dell has been gradually shifting gears to focus on enterprise solutions.
Dell's evolution continues with acquisition of firewall company SonicWall
Dell announced on Tuesday that it will be acquiring firewall and network security management company SonicWall Inc. for an undisclosed sum. Analysts estimate the transaction to be valued at more than a billion dollars.
Dell, which led the consumer personal computer market in the late 90's and early 2000's, is repositioning itself as a systems and solutions provider for government and private enterprise. In February, the company unveiled new storage arrays, virtual network architecture framework, private cloud deployment services, and data warehousing appliances along with a message from founder, chairman, and CEO Michael Dell that Dell "isn't really a PC company."
Dell gives more ultrabook in smaller body
As expected, Dell has joined the ultrabook foray, announcing the XPS 13 at Consumer Electronics Show 2012. Thin and lights aren't new for Dell, but joining the announce-now-and-ship-later CES crowd is disappointing. As a build-to-order maker, Dell is known for shipping right away. If you want an XPS 13, however, the Round Rock, Texas PC maker will make you wait until the "end of February".
The XPS 13 inherits from its predecessors, like the XPS 14: The screen is edge-to-edge, allowing for a larger display in a smaller enclosure. Dell boasts a 13.3-inch screen in the size of an 11.6-inch portable, claiming the frameless display reduces XPS 13's footprint by 15 percent compared to comparable 13.3-inch laptops. Looking at the product photo, I don't see how the screen is any more frameless than Apple's MacBook Air.
Apple is the new Dell
I sat eating lunch with coworkers when we saw the news over the wire. Dell announced the end of retail sales, taking its business direct to customers -- that was 1994. We laughed about the craziness. Compaq dominated the PC market, leveraging a huge partner network of dealers, resellers and retailers. Cutting out the middleman meant more margin for Dell, and presumably lower costs for businesses and consumers, but how would the brand maintain visibility without shelf space? Dell direct seemed destined to failure.
Succeed it did, making Dell the No.1 PC maker, based on shipments, by decade's end. Dell didn't just go direct but redefined PC distribution, manufacturing and marketing. The Austin, Texas-based company later adopted real-time manufacturing logistics that made competing operations from Compaq, HP and IBM look antiquated. While their managers guessed how many PCs to produce and ship to the channel, Dell provided component suppliers access to orders in real time, which kept the company from over-ordering, dramatically cut component costs and let customers configure exactly what they wanted. More than a decade after Dell's high (and today's subsequent low), Apple distribution, manufacturing and marketing is the envy of competitors. Both companies achieved similar supply-chain dominance, but theirs is a fascinating study of similarities and contrasts.
Want an Apple but can only afford a Dell?
I rarely post about vendor deals, but Dell sent promotional email today that caught my attention. Spend $649 on a Dell PC and get a Canon ELPH 100HS digicam, Adobe Elements 9, Premiere Elements 9 and Shutterfly photo book free. The goodies only come with select systems, and Dell is promoting this as a "Holiday Photo Solution".
I'm a sucker for good marketing, and the email subject line -- "Our Gift to You" -- caught my attention. That would be a good subject for phishing mail, too, but I saw that it was from Dell and previewed without images. (Tip: Turn off automatic image loading in email; this helps prevent spam containing "web beacons" -- hidden, clear images -- from identifying a valid address.) There's value here. The ELPH 100HS retails for $179.99 (137.99 from Amazon). The Adobe Elements software, as a bundle, is $79.49 from Amazon. Dell values the Shutterfly photo book at 30 bucks. It's a pretty good pre-holiday deal, that is assuming you want to buy a Dell.
Tip: Monitor your PC uptime
The idea of tracking exactly when a PC is turned on or off doesn’t exactly sound like it’ll make the most interesting of applications. But give it a try and you’ll find Neuber Software’s PC On/Off Time really can be surprisingly useful.
If you use a particular system for work-related tasks, for instance, then finding a way to track its uptime could help you to complete a timesheet or prepare billing information. Maybe you’re wondering precisely how much time your kids spend on their computer? Again, PC On/Off Time should be able to reveal all.
Forget the consumer tablet market, Dell's Android devices get military approval
The consumerization of IT isn't just taking place in the private sector. Consumer mobile devices are moving uncharacteristically quickly through public sector regulations to be used in government and military as well, and the Department of Defense is now on board with Android.
This week, Dell announced its Mobile Security for Android platform has been certified for use within the U.S. Department of Defense by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA).
Dell's latest XPS notebook puts 14-inch display on a 13-inch chassis
Texas PC maker Dell on Monday took the wraps off of the newest in its 18-year old line of XPS laptops, the 13-inch XPS 14z. Like it has done with all the products in its "Z-series," Dell is billing the 14z as the thinnest fully-featured laptop in its size class.
It falls in line as the higher-end cousin to the Inspiron 14z that Dell released just shy of two months ago, and smaller counterpart to the XPS 15z that was released earlier this year.
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