October 2009 - Direct2Dell

It’s been a busy time since Windows 7 launched last week. Many customers who bought systems after June 26 have registered for upgrade kits to move from Vista to the of Windows 7. So many, in fact, that we've had to address performance issues on the Windows 7 upgrade site. We've also recently corrected an issue that was causing incorrect ship date information in some cases.

Update: I heard from customers like Direct2Dell reader johnkett, shf doc and a couple of others that they could not get beyond documenting their current version of Vista during the registration process using the Chrome browser. Switching to Internet Explorer works. Firefox works as well.

Each upgrade kit will consist of two things: the Windows 7 operating system disc and an Upgrade Assistant DVD, which contains Windows 7 drivers and more. In this post, I want to take a few minutes to explain the process of getting your Windows 7 upgrade kit for eligible systems. First, I’ll outline the core steps of the process, then will explain each one further from there.

1. Determine system eligibility
2. Register your eligible system for the upgrade at https://win7.dell.com.
3. Place your order for the version that you are eligible for
4. Once you successfully place your order, you can check the order status from the Windows 7 upgrade site at https://win7.dell.com

Checking system eligibility:  You can buy a qualifying machine from June 26 - December 31, 2009. Check the system eligibility link (see image below):

Registering your system:

To register your system, start at https://win7.dell.com. You'll be prompted to enter some information like your name, e-mail address, the date of your purchase, the system type and service tag. In the Tell Us About the OS Purchased section (see below), be sure you choose the right OS version and details like 32 pr 64-bit.  One common issue here is that customers are not choosing an OS language at this point in the registration process. If you do not specify an OS language, Arabic is the default language.

Some customers are running into an issue where either their system is not being recognized or that their system is not eligible for the upgrade even though they meet the eligibility requirements. If this is happening to you, feel free to let me know in the comments of this post or contact me (see the details in the last paragraph below).

Once you get through these details in registration, you'll be asked to create an account user name and password. You should see a screen like this one when you finish the registration process:

Soon after, you will receive an e-mail that confirms that you've registered. Form  there, you will need to place your order.

Placing your order:

First step is to log back into the Windows 7 upgrade site. From there, you will see all the systems you registered in the top row. Assuming your OS language is available (see schedule here), you will be able to place a check in that box, the click the Add Kits to Cart button. Once it is moved down from the Registered section into your Upgrade Cart section, click the Complete Your Order button:

From there, you will be asked to complete details like your shipping address and credit card details (if shipping & handling fees apply). You will then be asked to confirm the order, review the terms and conditions, and complete your order. Soon after you complete your order, you will receive an e-mail that confirms your order details.

Checking Order Status:

At this point, once you log into the upgrade site, you will see an Order Status link. The time it takes to ship the upgrade kit will vary based on lots of factors like volume and where we're shipping to. In some cases, it may take up to 2 - 4 weeks.

If you encounter issues in any of the steps above, you can comment on this post or contact me directly through sending me a private message or you can e-mail me here. If you go that route, please share your service tag or order number, and let me know some details about your specific situation and I will try to help.

Many of the resources are found at the Dell Windows 7 Upgrade Site. That’s where you’ll find things like the FAQ, the System Eligibility List, the Release Schedule. Here’s the main Windows 7 Forum Page. Another main technical support resource is Dell’s Windows 7 Support Center (click on the image below to check it out).

We know there are many customers out there who are looking forward to getting your Windows 7 upgrade kit. We'll be doing everything we can to get them out to you as soon as possible.

Note from Lionel: Below is a guest post from Neville Hobson. He and Shel Holtz continue to be a big influence on me as a blogger and communicator. If you're interested in social media and its impact on communications not already familiar with their podcast For Immediate Release, I urge you to check it out. I'm pumped that Neville will be taking part in an event at Dell UK headquarters with a host of other folks. Here's the scoop from Neville:

If you want some insight into who's doing what in business-to-business engagement with social media in the UK, the Dell B2B Social Media Huddle on December 7 is an event that you'll not want to miss.

During a full day at Dell's UK headquarters in Bracknell, we'll be hearing about and discussing insights and examples of B2B communication with social media from a wide range of business people who have direct experience of planning and executing communication strategies in which social media have played a measurable role.

The aim of this informal event is to bring together senior communications and marketing professionals to exchange and share experiences on B2B social media for mutual benefit.

The event is divided into three principal sections:

1. A general overview of the B2B social media landscape
2. Case study mash-up / unconference
3. Roundtable sessions on:
   - Integrating social media into your programmes in the right way
   - Social media and monetization techniques

The second section - case study mashup/unconference - has great promise to be the most interactive experience for everyone. There's no set agenda: if you have a business story you'd like to tell, you can do that on the day.

We've got a terrific line-up of speakers to help everyone make the most of the day:

•  Neville Hobson, Head of Social Media Europe, WeissComm Group, UK
•  Richard Binhammer, Senior Manager Corporate Communications, Dell Inc., USA
•  Steve Lamb, PR Manager, Microsoft Ltd., UK
•  Benjamin Ellis, Director and Co-Founder, Redcatco, UK
•  Kerry Bridge, Digital Media Communications, Dell Public Sector, Dell Ltd., UK
•  Jamie Grenney, Senior Director of Content, Community and Social Media, Salesforce.com, USA
•  Michelle Goodall, Online PR and Social Media Consultant/Trainer, Econsultancy.com
•  Sarah Wright, Enterprise Programmes Marketing Manager EMEA, Juniper Networks, UK
•  Henry Clifford-Jones, European Director, Advertising at LinkedIn, UK

You can get the details, including the agenda, in the event PDF at Slideshare. The brochure will be updated as more speakers join us.

The event is free of charge: if you'd like to participate, just sign up.

I had the pleasure this week of sharing Dell’s environmental achievements and commitments with Members of the United States Congress. I testified at a hearing of the Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement, meant to examine federal government policies to purchase and dispose of IT in environmentally responsible ways.

I highlighted Dell’s green operations, including our improvements in energy efficiency in our facilities, our use of renewable energy, and our achievement of operational carbon neutrality. I also described the work we are doing with our suppliers to encourage improvements in their operations. But the Representatives were most interested in the ways that we help our customers – especially the federal government – achieve their environmental goals.

As an original and active participant in the ENERGY STAR and EPEAT programs, Dell helps shape the standards for environmental stewardship, while we provide a broad range of products to the federal government that meet these high standards. We also help our customers rethink and improve how they use IT, from the desktop to the data-center. Finally, I described how our industry-leading programs for disposal of unwanted electronics help customers, including the federal government, ensure that environmental stewardship extends throughout the complete life-cycle of the IT they purchase.

If you’d like to learn more about our environmental initiatives, I invite you to check out my full prepared testimony, or visit www.dell.com/earth.

Recently on Direct2Dell, we’ve hit you over the head with several consumer-focused Windows 7 blog posts, but the fact is that Windows 7 has a lot of implications for businesses as well.

It’s no secret that many companies are still running Windows XP on client PCs. In a survey we recently with Federal IT decision-makers, 72 percent said they did not adopt Vista. That said, I think Windows 7 will reverse this trend and many businesses will be migrating to the new OS.Take a look at Bruce Eric Anderson’s post on Inside Enterprise IT where he dives into the details and asks about migration plans.

That’s the backdrop for a new information portal we’re launching called IT Expert Voice. It’s a project we’re undertaking with Federated Media. While Dell is sponsoring this site and some of our folks will provide input on topics of interest, editor-in-chief Esther Schindler is responsible both for assigning the insight cases and for selecting what content goes on the site.

From the About section of the site: “IT Expert Voice is a resource for IT professionals who are concerned primarily with making technology work in their organizations, and in particular with deploying Windows 7 in a sane and trouble-free manner.”

Esther's primary areas of focus will include virtualization, mobility, storage, cloud services, and automated management - but you'll also find plenty of other technical overviews (tuned for an enterprise audience, obviously). If you've got other areas you'd like to see them write about, shoot an e-mail to Esther with your suggestion.You can also ping her via Twitter @estherschindler.

If this sounds of interest to you, I’d welcome you to check it out at www.itexpertvoice.com. You can also follow them on Twitter @ExpertVoice.

Last week I had the pleasure of hosting the launch of our Take Your Own Path campaign in the UK - our seventh country launch in Dell's first globally integrated marketing campaign for SMBs. The event was held at the St. Pancras Grand, an art nouveau-style oyster bar inside the station that houses the Eurostar trains bound for Paris and Brussels. The inspiration being that Take Your Own Path is all about a journey, and that the heroes have arrived at their destination.

Our heroes cover a diverse range of industries but all have one thing in common - a burning desire to follow a dream and make it a reality. It was a real honour to meet such an inspiring and enthusiastic group of entrepreneurs. I also had the pleasure of  congratulating the co-founders of A Suit That Fits.com - winners of the UK Dell Small Business Excellence Award 2009 who were invited to the event as special guests.

Each of our UK heroes - Lonely Planet, Good Energy Group, Jagex, Masternaut and Innocent Drinks - spoke to the assembled media and partners about how Dell had made a difference to their business - from being able to communicate from far flung places to the excellent service, and always delivering and being great to work with.

I was especially filled with great pride when several of the heroes mentioned how they really appreciated the way we took personal responsibility in meeting commitments to help them succeed. Beyond the technology and service that we provide, it is when we take the initiative to go that extra mile for the ultimate benefit of our customers that we deliver a truly competitive differentiator for Dell.

You can see photos from the event on Dell's official Flickr page and also watch some of the videos from the morning. The event generated significant media coverage in the UK, including CNN International, Marketing Week, IT Pro, Yorkshire Post, New Media Age, Marketing Magazine, and Hexus.

Dell's aim is to be the number one SMB technology brand globally by delivering solutions that delight our customers, and this campaign is proof of our progress in this journey.