REDMOND, Wash. — June 26, 2012 — There’s a saying that the customer is always right, and that’s never been more important than today when some technology vendors are talking about a one-size-fits-all approach to products and solutions. Dell is committed to listening to its customers — it’s in the company’s DNA and a basic tenet of its corporate brand — and the company consistently takes a step back to listen to what its diverse customer base — from mobile professionals to IT and business decision-makers — want and need in a product. Dell takes this customer-first approach to all its products and solutions, including Dell Precision tower workstations, OptiPlex desktops, and Alienware, Inspiron and Vostro laptops, and especially during the past 36 months while developing the next iteration of its leading XPS line of laptops and desktops and Latitude laptops.
“While some may compromise with one-size-fits-all products or solutions, we remain focused on the needs of the customer,” says Kirk Schell, vice president of Computing Products, Dell Inc. “We take our customers’ feedback, couple that with our expertise and that of our partners, and deliver top solutions that pair the right devices to the right users, enabling them to be more productive while providing industry-leading manageability and data protection that IT departments require.”
The specifications of Dell’s new lines are built based on those customer conversations — in excess of thousands per day.
The ability to be agile and scale to produce innovative computing products and solutions while remaining flexible enough to cover both consumer and enterprise audiences’ needs around the world is at the root of Dell’s success. Dell’s heritage is delivering computing solutions that help customers drive productivity and achieve results.
With that commitment in mind, the company found that many businesses were interested in buying the XPS because of its enterprise-friendly features together with its sleek industrial design that executives can easily carry with them throughout their day. “In a bring-your-own-device world, we are uniquely positioned to deliver an enterprise-friendly device coupled with the aesthetic appeal of a really well-engineered and well-manufactured product,” Schell says.
Schell recognizes the importance of maintaining a tight relationship between the software, operating system, productivity tools and Dell’s products; they can’t be separate endeavors, and this symbiotic relationship results in optimized performance. As such, Dell’s close partnership with Microsoft has been a cornerstone of the company’s long-term commitment to its customers.
“It’s been great to collaborate closely with Microsoft and some of its top-engineering experts because of their commitment to the customer segments that we both serve,” Schell says.
Phil Burtscher, partner technology manager of Microsoft’s Dell Account Group, says the ability to walk that fine line by providing an enterprise-class PC with the kind of consumer appeal workers expect today is a direct result of Dell’s unwavering focus on the customer — and it’s something the new XPS line really personifies.
“We have a long history with Dell and admire its approach to product design,” Burtscher says. “Dell consistently determines what customers want, whether it’s in the consumer space or the enterprise, and offers it to them in a cutting-edge package.”
One of the primary benefits of Dell’s new PCs this year, Burtscher says, is the fact that the company has built them with the future in mind. The company’s PCs are tailored to take full advantage of the Windows 7 operating system while at the same time offering the performance and functionality to step into the Windows 8 world when the new OS is released.
“We have a common passion for putting our customers’ needs first — to drive the best possible experience while delivering the management and security IT pros need — and Windows 8 will help us continue on that path together,” Schell says.
