Dell and EMC pen new year's resolutions as merger nears
Michael Dell and EMC chief David Goulden send letters to respective partners and customers
Michael Dell and EMC boss David Goulden have pledged their commitment to partners in the new year as the merger of the companies gets closer.
The $67bn EMC takeover by Dell is expected to close sometime in the middle of next year and execs at both companies have been keen to allay any partner or customer concerns in the meantime.
In its latest bid to keep the channel on side, EMC Information Infrastructure's chief executive David Goulden penned a letter to partners outlining a quintet of pledges: remaining committed to partners and partner programmes; continuing to enhance partner ecosystems; extending technology leadership through research and development; preserving dedication to customer choice; and listening to partner feedback.
"Our combined product and technology portfolios are complementary, so partners can plan with confidence as we expect minimal disruption to existing product lines," he said. "In fact, the strength of our combination is generating positive feedback from customers and partners excited about what the future will bring."
In a similar move, Michael Dell sent out a letter to Dell partners and customers, outlining a number of promises for the new year.
Dell said the following trio of issues will be the focus for his company in the new year: making the most of customers and partners; accelerating innovation; and creating a future where "we can do incredible things".
Expanding on the final point, Dell said: "Our future will build on the foundation of EMC's deep relationships with large enterprises across the Fortune 1000, combined with Dell's strength in the midmarket and small business sector.
"Today, Dell is the only provider of end-to-end IT solutions and is gaining share across core sectors outpacing the market, and financially strong. This trajectory will continue with the integration of EMC's assets. In the future, our technology will create jobs, hope and opportunities on a global scale. The possibilities are limitless."
Earlier this week, the "go shop" period, in which EMC could hunt for and accept better offers than Dell's, expired, meaning the merger took a step forward.
Dell remains confident that the combined entity will be good news for the channel.
"This is our time to accelerate the development of groundbreaking new technologies that will support you in a connected world that is ripe with opportunity and disruption," he said. "We believe that a strategically-aligned family of businesses will be the best structure to remain nimble, innovative, and maintain the independent partner ecosystems of Dell, EMC, VMware, VCE, Virtustream, RSA, Pivotal and the balance of the Dell and EMC companies."