Hardware giant, Dell says it is transforming itself through acquisitions it has made in recent months, and plans to further invest in cloud computing and virtualisation technologies.
This is according to Michael Collins, VP and GM of Dell Europe, Middle East and Africa, who says an increasing number of businesses in emerging economies are looking to cloud and virtualisation technologies to reduce IT management costs.
Dell has made nine strategic acquisitions in the past two years, aimed at helping customers do more in what it calls the 'virtual era'. According to the company, its acquisition strategy is a key element of its strategic transformation in order to build cloud infrastructure and help African businesses move to cloud architecture.
Some of its recent key acquisitions include Force10 Networks, Secureworks, InSite One, Compellent Technologies, Boomi, Ocarina Networks, Scalent, Kace Networks and Exanet.
Collins says: “For Dell, virtualisation and cloud computing is refining the economics of enterprise computing, as we set up infrastructures for end-user data demand. Enterprise infrastructure needs to be flexible, scalable and cost-effective.
“We are seeing a lot of African countries refining their IT infrastructure in banking and legal systems, and their ability to leapfrog older technologies is a huge value proposition for Dell.”
According to Collins, within the first six months of 2011, Dell outgrew the PC market by three times and by 34% over all-form factors across Africa. “It's an indication of what customers are choosing, and from some of the work we've done and channel expansion.”
He explains that another key trend shows many businesses in SA in particular are buying more storage following increasing compliance demands from new regulations, such as the Protection of Information Act.
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