Dell's Chief Executive Outlines Historic Sales Strategy Shift in an Exclusive Interview with CMP Channel Group's CRN

Dell Launches Major Effort to Sell Through Solution Providers and Consumer Retailers

PRNewswire-FirstCall
MANHASSET, N.Y.
May 16, 2007

MANHASSET, N.Y., May 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CMP Channel Group's CRN, the news weekly for the technology solution provider channel, today announced that it has secured an exclusive interview with Michael Dell, founder, chairman and CEO of Dell Inc., the longtime direct PC maker. Edward F. Moltzen, senior editor, was the only IT trade editor to speak with Dell's chief executive.

In a historic strategy shift, Dell is launching a major effort to expand its sales through commercial resellers and consumer retailers. Dell will begin offering programs and strategies resellers have said they need to go to market with the company's products. Dell told Moltzen that sales through solution providers have become among the company's fastest-growing and most promising -- $4 billion and growing.

In addition, Dell said his company would soon launch a major, global effort in the consumer retail space that would garner significant attention over the next several quarters.

Moltzen also spoke with Dell channel partners who stated that they have already begun to see a difference in their relationship with the PC maker. The new effort from Dell comes as the company finds itself at a crossroads. For the past several quarters, the company has seen sluggish revenue and earnings, and its market share has declined. While Dell has worked with solution providers for several years in some engagements, the company has generally avoided providing them with many of the financial incentives. The incentives quietly began to change earlier this year around the same time Dell re-took the reins of the company.

Dell also discussed other industry issues including Linux on the desktop, new technology in the handset and cell phone space, the future of AMD processors in Dell systems and the company's printer plans.

  The exclusive interview can be found at http://www.channelweb.com/.

  About The Channel Group

CMP Channel Group is the one stop shop customers turn to in order to meet their global sales channel objectives from access to execution. Through use of its family of channel solutions which include CRN and VARBusiness, the ChannelWeb network, the Group's XChange worldwide face-to-face conferences and the Institute for Partner Education & Development (IPED), vendors are able to accelerate sales through the channel. CMP Channel Group provides a worldwide answer to advertising, branding and marketing services, lead generation, market intelligence, branded and custom events, education of solution providers and best practices for vendors.

About CRN

CRN provides solution providers and technology integrators with the crucial information and analysis they need to drive their company's sales. As an advocate for and voice of the IT channel, solution providers turn to CRN first for immediate information. Celebrating its 25th year, CRN is the most trusted source for channel professionals. CRN can be found on the web at http://www.channelweb.com/.

About CMP Technology (http://www.cmp.com/)

CMP Technology is a marketing solutions company serving the technology industry. Through its market-leading portfolio of trusted information brands, CMP has earned the confidence of more technology professionals than any other media company. As a result, CMP is the premier provider of access, insight and actionable programs designed to connect sellers and buyers in ways that yield superior return on investment. CMP Technology is a subsidiary of United Business Media (http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com/), a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $3 billion.

  Contact
  Dan Neel
  CRN / CMP Channel Group
  516.562.7236
  dneel@cmp.com

SOURCE: CMP Technology

Contact: Dan Neel, CRN / CMP Channel Group, +1-516-562-7236, or
dneel@cmp.com

Web site: http://www.cmp.com/
http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com/
http://www.channelweb.com/

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