Dell and EMC Extend Networked Storage Alliance

Dell and EMC extended their five-year, multi-billion dollar strategic alliance by two years. The original agreement was signed in October 2001 and will now extend through December 2008. The two companies have also collaborated on the introduction of new products and technologies such as a storage area network system integrating ATA and Fibre Channel technologies.

According to Steve Duplessie, founder of industry analyst firm Enterprise Storage Group, “This deal was always a match made in heaven. EMC’s leading storage products and Dell’s mastery of the direct model have been perfect for each other. The extension, coming after only two years of a five-year deal, tells me that the companies and their customers are more than happy with the progress to date.”

Major customers deploying Dell/EMC solutions include Banco Santos in Brazil, The Bombay Company, Computer Sciences CSC Ltd., Cox Communications, Mercedes-Benz, Precision Resource Corporation, and Warburg Dillon Read.

“Since this relationship was formed, EMC has continued to innovate and deliver market leading technology and Dell has taken that technology into previously untapped markets,” said Joe Tucci, EMC President and CEO. “Together, we’re helping a wide range of customers realize the TCO benefits of networked storage while taking market share from the competition. We both realize this relationship has been a win-win proposition.”

Kevin Rollins, Dell President and COO, said, “Working with EMC we’ve been able to broaden the market for networked storage systems and deliver better value and performance to customers. Over the past 20 months, we have expanded Dell’s service portfolio, identified new markets to jointly address and delivered storage systems and software to reflect this commitment.”