Michael Dell told partners he's aiming to close EMC deal in mid-July

Second week of July was mooted to the channel at EMC World

Numerous executives at Dell and EMC, including Michael Dell himself, told partners at EMC World that they are aiming to get the acquisition completed in the second week of July.

EMC held its customer and partner event in Las Vegas last week, at which its Global Partner Summit event also took place.

CRN understands that senior executives at both companies made several references to the mid-July timeframe to partners throughout the week-long event. Even Michael Dell himself told a small group of partner executives that he is aiming to get the deal done and dusted by mid-July, according to a source.

Last October, Dell announced plans to complete the largest technology acquisition in history. Since then, the official line from Dell and EMC has been that the $67bn (£46bn) deal is expected to close at some point between May and October this year.

During his keynote speech at EMC World, Michael Dell said the integration planning is "going very well" and that the "transaction remains on track under the original terms and original timeline".

The company is still waiting on regulatory approval from certain countries and then shareholders will need to rubber-stamp the deal in a vote before it can get the go-ahead.

EMC told CRN the deal is "expected to close between June and October" but that no fixed date has been set.

In a statement, Dell said: "Dell and EMC are expected to formally combine in the May to October timeframe - we have no further information at this time with respect to the specific timing for the close of transaction."

Tony Lock, programme director at Freeform Dynamics attended EMC World and told CRN today that everything appears to be going to plan.

"I certainly got the message that everything is on track," he said. "Dell and EMC are very keen to get things finalised as quickly as they can. Obviously they have got two or three steps in the way and processes still to be completed. Some of the regulators, particularly China, need to give the final OK, then they need to do shareholder meetings and then get the funding and everything in place. They are very keen to get things completed as quickly as they can.

"Nothing is ever a done deal when you've got regulators and shareholders still to vote. Is it a done deal? I would be very surprised if it wasn't. but until everything is signed off you can never be absolutely certain. But they are very confident that everything is going to plan."