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the single point of contactfor customers worldwide.

accountableBeing Direct means Dell is

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Sony Corporation, the Tokyo-based manufac-turer of audio, video, communications andinformation technology products and globalentertainment company, four years agochanged the corporate computing standard at its operations in Japan to MicrosoftWindows-based PCs. With the platformchange came a need for a new computersystem supplier, one that could deliver largenumbers of high-performance desktopsystems quickly and efficiently.

As one of the solutions, Sony chose Dell,which has a dedicated team of sales and technology professionals to help Sony

select the best products for its informationtechnology needs. At its manufacturing facility in Penang, Malaysia, Dell assembles,custom-configures and tests OptiPlex desktopsystems, then ships them to Sony locationsacross Japan.

By choosing Dell desktops, Sony savessignificant amounts of time and money, in part because of the efficiency of purchasingdirectly. Sony buys its systems from Dell on-line, through a unique Premier Page at www.dell.com. Today, Sony is purchasinghigh-quality, custom-built Dell computersystems for 30 subsidiaries around the world.

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SONY CORPORATION

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delivering cost-effective,

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efficient

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industry-leading products and services.

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New York Public LibraryLong distinguished as one of the world’s great libraries, the New York Public Library isexpanding the use of information technology to provide global access to its renowned collections. To reach that goal, the librarysought a strategic business partner that woulddeliver cost-effective computers on tight schedules, quickly solve problems and collaborate on new projects.

Over two years the library will purchasenearly 1,000 Dell OptiPlex desktop computersfor an upgraded network spanning fourresearch libraries and 85 branches.

Dell delivered one order in time to meet tightconstruction deadlines for renovation of thelandmark Rose Main Reading Room of theHumanities and Social Sciences Library. Dellalso saved the library $200 per system byfactory-installing the library’s cataloging software and other customized programs.

Dell is a strategic business partner on thelibrary’s information-technology team, and the twohave worked together on a variety of projects. Forexample, last year Dell consulted with the library,along with other customers, on possible newdesigns for future models of desktop computers.

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America Online Inc., the world leader inbranded interactive Internet services and original content, wanted to reduce the cost and improve the efficiency of purchasing and supporting notebook computers deployedto its global employee base.

Dell gave AOL access to notebookcomputer systems that were not yet publicly available for testing in AOL’s computing environment. AOL then selected configura-tions of Dell Latitude notebooks—systemsknown for long product life cycles—and in the process reduced support requirements and eliminated the need for frequent productupgrades. Dell now supplies the majority of

AOL’s notebook computers, into which Dellfactory-installs AOL’s standard and proprietarysoftware through the DellPlus program. AOLsaves time and money by making Dell itssingle point of contact for ordering, delivery,service and support of these products.

Dell also keeps AOL updated on comingproduct changes through Dell’s ImageWatchprogram, helping the Internet company plan for its future technology needs. In just the first year of the relationship, America Online’simplementation of a computing standard basedon Dell Latitude notebooks has saved thecompany significantly in support and procurement costs.

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responsiveproviding services ranked among the industry’s best.

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Being Direct means Dell is

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Microsoft Corporation, the worldwide leader in software for personal computers, needed a faster and more cost-effective way ofpurchasing the computers its employees use to design products. Dell, with its industry-leading on-line capabilities, gave Microsoft the ability to buy desktop and notebookcomputers, network servers and workstationsthrough www.dell.com and a Premier Page Web site customized for Microsoft. Dell alsoloads and tests software and installs thecustomer’s asset tags in the factory through

the DellPlus program, putting systems into use dramatically faster and helping Microsofttrack its computer purchases across itssprawling Redmond, Wash., campus.

Microsoft technology buyers who purchasedirectly from Dell typically receive their preconfigured systems in about four days. The efficiency of Dell’s on-line paperlesspurchase orders and electronic invoicing capabilities combined to save Microsoft an estimated $1 million in procurement costs in the first year alone.

dealing one-to-one with customers of all sizes.

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engagedBeing Direct means Dell is

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building high-performing computers one at a time.

At 1:22 a.m. on Feb. 5, Darren Denenberg and Megan Roback found themselves trapped in their Baltimore, Md., apartment by a firethat started two doors down. The eight-alarmblaze left the dwelling uninhabitable and most of their belongings severely damaged by smoke and water. Most—but not all.

The couple’s three Dell Dimension desktop computers were still running when Darrenand Megan returned to the apartment thefollowing day. Darren, a Ph.D. student at theUniversity of Maryland, uses the computersto create and store his dissertation on

human-computer interaction, and to maintainstudent records for the courses he teaches.The systems also encounter heavy-duty use by the couple to play games, design Web sitesand access the Internet.

According to Darren, the Dell systemssurvived “almost as if nothing had happened.”The couple and the computers have moved toa new home, where the research andcomputer projects were resumed almostwithout interruption. Darren for years hasrecommended Dell computers to friends andfamily members—who now know why.

reliable

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As part of a companywide effort to become morecost effective, Mobil Corporation, a leadingglobal oil, natural gas and petrochemicalcompany, in 1998 established a goal of reducingthe cost of procuring and supporting its computersystems by 25 percent over three years.

Dell—which is Mobil’s single source world-wide for desktop and notebook computersand servers—helped the customer definestandard system configurations and extendeduniform global pricing for the specifiedsystems. Dell established on-line ordering for Mobil via www.dell.com. In its factory,Dell installs software for Mobil as systems

are being built, and provides tools that helpMobil track its system purchases worldwide.Orders placed electronically are routed to theappropriate Dell regional manufacturing facilitiesfor system configuration, testing and shipment.Notebook computers from Limerick, Ireland, for example, are built with the same processes and to the same standards as those assembledfor Mobil in Austin, Texas.

Dell’s global account management helps Mobil, which has subsidiary operations in 140countries, simplify the procurement process,accelerate the receipt of new computer systems and significantly reduce associated costs.

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a global leader in on-line sales, services and support.

evolutionary

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Being Direct means Dell is

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