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To: Tom Kearney who wrote (98026)	3/31/2000 2:59:00 AM
From: GST	Respond to of 164684

Dell eyes investment boost, strong year By Walter Watson SYDNEY, March 31 (Reuters) - Priming the development of Internet technologies meant world number two computer maker Dell Computer Corp would double its investment in its Dell Ventures arm over the next year, chairman Michael Dell said on Friday. ``We invest today in about 90 different companies. We have invested about US$750 million and over the course of next year we will invest at least that much again,' Dell told reporters. ``Our focus is on things that enable Internet infrastructure. We can't do everything and this gives the ability to have a broad reach,' Dell said, noting that his company received about 1,000 business plans a week from hopeful capital seekers. The company said on Thursday it was expanding the focus of Dell Ventures which would now provide equity investments and consulting services for early-stage companies in the hope that Dell could get access to breakthrough products and services. Dell noted that 2000 year trading had started well with business spending returning after a millennium bug-induced lull in capital expenditure. ``We are expecting that Dell will have another record year. The year got off to a very solid start. It was clear that in the latter part of 1999 and early 2000 we had this Y2K (slowdown) and that seemed to have gradually gone away and we seem to be back in fully fledged business activity,' he said. Dell reported net income for the year to January 28, 2000 of US$1.666 billion, up from US$1.460 billion a year ago. Net revenue was US$25.265 billion from US$18.243 billion over the same period. Asked when the fortunes of dot.com companies with suspect prospects would decline, Dell said the market had already started discounting those stocks without a sustainable business plan. ``It has already started. Businesses that sell things online that don't have a chance of making a profit are being found out now,' he said.