CASE STUDY: DELL COMPUTER

About Dell Computer

Dell Computer is a premier provider of products and services required for customers worldwide to build their information-technology and Internet infrastructures. Company revenue for the past year totaled $57 billion. Dell, through its direct business model, designs, manufactures and customizes products and services to customer requirements, and offers an extensive selection of software and peripherals. [Source: Dell Computer Corporation, April 2007]

Things to read:

• About Dell Computer
• Dell Financial History
• Direct Business Model
• Dell's new focus: Don't look back and Dell outlines turnaround plans for employees by Tom Krazit
• The Dell Curve by Michael Schrage
• Dell Computer: Organization of a Global Production Network by Kenneth Kraemer and Jason Dedrick
• Dell Computer: Using E-commerce To Support the Virtual Company by Kenneth Kraemer and Jason Dedrick
• Case Study: Dell.com by James Maguire

Questions to consider:

• What is the "direct business model"?
• What are the strengths and limitations of the direct model?
• What new business opportunities does the direct model afford Dell, which would not otherwise be possible?

Selected trademark applications and registrations:

• DELL ®
• THE POWER OF TWO
• CONNECTDIRECT
• Search real-time for U.S. trademarks.

Selected patents:

• 6,321,262 -- System and method for identification and streamlined access to online services.
• 6,167,383 -- Method and apparatus for providing customer configured machines at an internet site.
• 6,038,597 -- Method and apparatus for providing and accessing data at an internet site.
• 5,894,571 -- Process for configuring software in a build-to-order computer system.
• Search real-time for new U.S. patents granted to Dell on its patent web site.