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Technology Stocks : Dell Technologies Inc. -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: kemble s. matter who wrote (153108)	2/6/2000 7:38:00 PM
From: stockman_scott	Respond to of 176387

'IBM set to launch new products strategy'...FYI... news.cnet.com <<By Joe Wilcox Staff Writer, CNET News.com February 4, 2000, 1:45 p.m. PT IBM will next week launch an ambitious makeover of its corporate technology strategy that will seek to cure one of the basic problems of the PC market today: how to make money on boxes. Big Blue is putting the finishing touches on its first "edge of the network," or EON, systems. Roughly speaking, under EON, IBM won't be selling PCs and servers to companies. Instead, the company will provide contained technology solutions. These technology amalgamations could include everything from expensive servers, software, PCs, all-in-one models built around LCD displays, new-fangled paper computers, handhelds or wearable PCs--tailored to answer specific functions. Connecting these parts together, of course, will require consulting services and a wide range of technology, two factors that companies smaller than Big Blue, according to IBM, may not be able to provide. Analysts say the computing behemoth may again have trouble moving as nimbly as it boasts. Technology Business Research analyst Bill Lesieur warned IBM's not reacting in "Internet time" could be its undoing. "In typical IBM style, it's going to take multiple quarters over several years to roll out the entire strategy, which may not be timely enough in the market," he said. The first EON products are expected to appear later this month, including a new PC line. As late as this week, IBM had not settled on the new brand name, said a source close to the EON project. At one point Personal Systems Group (PSG) executives had bantered around three possible choices, the source said. EON continues to be a work in progress, and it will be one for some time. IBM's plan calls for three product stages through the second half of 2001, meaning PSG will continuously be testing and introducing new products and services for the next year. Services are a key part of the ambitious package. Part of the services approach involves introducing consumers and small businesses to a more "direct" IBM, said a source close to the project. PSG plans to take more of its sales direct, following a decision largely suspending Aptiva consumer PC retail sales. During the second quarter of this year, IBM will introduce special offers and discounted services exclusively for consumer and small-business customers buying over the Web. While Big Blue will continue selling computers through its dealer network, there will be increased emphasis on selling total solutions--systems and services--over the Web. A multimillion-dollar ad campaign directed at small businesses will seek to generate Web traffic and sales. Word of the EON plans first leaked out in November, when Hewlett-Packard announced its post-PC plans, followed by Compaq Computer. The timing was no accident, analysts said. "Of course, there is also the industry assumption that America Online will be selling branded PC devices, including AOL set-top boxes," Lesieur said. "IBM probably felt compelled to announce early, even though EON has probably been in the concept stage for years." Besides selling more computers and services direct, IBM will also offer more automated services. Other services will be available via email updates, personalized customer Web pages on the PSG support site and an online assistant accessing technical support information. One other feature is e-Key, a software tool that connects to a corporate network or the Internet with one mouse click. Many of the most sophisticated, automated and Internet interactive services will be targeted to mobile users. Besides access to instant electronic support, mobile users will be able to connect to a special ThinkPad user community Web site. IBM will also introduce a new class of services as it increasingly moves into wireless, which is a central design element behind all EON devices. Big Blue plans to leverage recently forged relationships with Sprint, Nokia and others to provide wireless connectivity and services to corporate networks and the Internet.>>

To: kemble s. matter who wrote (153108)	2/6/2000 10:51:00 PM
From: Mike Van Winkle	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 176387

Maybe Dell had other more profitable uses for the parts<G> Cheers Mike

To: kemble s. matter who wrote (153108)	2/7/2000 2:42:00 AM
From: Sam Bose	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 176387

BREAKING NEWS from The Wall Street Journal February 7, 2000 Dell Forms Sales and Marketing Unit To Target Internet Hosts and Servicers By GARY MCWILLIAMS Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL Dell Computer Corp., in a belated bid to woo Internet start-ups, has quietly formed a sales and marketing division to target Internet-service providers and companies that host Web sites. Formation of the division, along with stepped-up investments in Internet-service and Web-hosting companies, signals Dell plans a broad new push to ally with service start-ups and sell to this fast-growing computer market. The Round Rock, Texas, personal-computer maker named Judi L. Webster, a former Adobe Systems Inc. regional sales vice president, as vice president and general manager of the Internet Partners Division. It is part of Dell's North American sales operation. "Dell is honing in on what we think is a spectacular opportunity," she said in an interview. The division will sell Dell's PC servers and data-storage products and be responsible for identifying Internet companies in which Dell may want to invest. Company Profile: Dell Computer Many of Dell's rivals already have extensive links to Web start-ups, including offering them cut-rate gear or equity investments if they sign exclusive or long-term contracts. But Dell, along with several computer makers, is counting on Microsoft Corp.'s new Windows 2000 operating software to expand the ability of PC servers to compete for jobs once reserved for high-powered computers that use the Unix operating system and processor chips based on a technology called RISC. During the next 18 months, Ms. Webster estimated, Internet service and dot-com customers will spend between $18 billion and $30 billion on servers alone. Dell's new push will challenge International Business Machines Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co. and Compaq Computer Corp., which are pitching dot-coms with PC servers and high-performance machines, and Sun Microsystems Inc., which is selling Unix-based machines to Internet companies. Ms. Webster said Dell plans to use its custom manufacturing capabilities to offer fast delivery of tailor-made products with software already installed. Just as Sun offers preinstalled servers that can be purchased and activated as needed, Dell also will store products at customer locations for later purchase, she said. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net Strategy Dell's multipronged attack on Internet markets Invests in Internet-service and Web-hosting companies: $10 million investment in Web-hosting provider Interliant Corp. (January 2000) 4% stake in Norwegian Internet-search provider Fast Search &Transfer ASA (December 1999) 4.9% stake in Web-hosting company NaviSite (June 1999) Creates Internet Partners Division: Dedicated sales and marketing teams will sell Dell servers and storage products and ally with Internet-service, Web-hosting and online-software providers Mulls a direct role in online services: Will refer corporate customers to Web partners Exploring Dell online services for small and medium-size businesses -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Courting start-ups before they grow large may be the best strategy at this stage, analysts say. "A lot of the Intel [PC-server] vendors are setting up alliances with tier-two and tier-three companies," says Ashok Kumar, analyst at U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray Inc. "The RISC vendors have already grabbed the big boys like Qwest [Communications International Inc.] and Corio [Inc.]." Dell recently landed a $40 million contract to supply its biggest PC servers to USinternetworking Inc. and edged out Compaq for a separate deal with Toys "R" Us Inc. It has coupled its sales with investments in Web-site-hosting and applications-service companies, including Interliant Inc. and NaviSite Inc. "Investment is naturally offered as part of the program," Ms. Webster said. More important, she said, the division should ensure that Dell products are considered whether a customer is buying servers or chooses to outsource its operations to a Web-hosting or application-service company. Dell also will refer corporate customers interested in outsourcing Web operations to those firms in which it has an investment, she said.

To: kemble s. matter who wrote (153108)	2/7/2000 2:52:00 AM
From: Sam Bose	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 176387

Hi Kemble Michael Dell is one of three keynote speakers this week at the Goldman Sachs Tech Conference in Palm Springs. I'm hoping to be there and see if I'll get a chance to speak to him. Don't think he'll say anything too company specific though just before earnings, but who knows. Will keep you and the thread posted if anything interesting pops up. Steve Ballmer of Microsoft is another keynoter, forget who the third CEO is. Incidentally, am loading up on the stock below 40....its a steal! Best Wishes, Sam