Around the Globe

From the FCC to you, today, we introduced another product in our rugged line-up.

The Latitude XT2 XFR is the industry's smallest 12.1-inch rugged convertible tablet PC and is the first with a multi-touch display. It's designed for demanding environments and meets the needs of our customers in the military, police, border patrol, field service organizations, first responders and government field case workers.

How do we know it meets their needs? Earlier this year we made it a priority to work with customers across each vertical segment in our Global Public business to create purpose-built technology solutions. The XT2 XFR continues this commitment and is another example of an industry-first product that was developed based on customer feedback. It can be mounted into first-responder vehicles or easily carried by field-service and industrial-manufacturing workforces to perform in tough environments.

The Latitude XT2 XFR adds to Dell's Rugged Mobility Solution offering that includes the fully rugged Latitude E6400 XFR that Patrick blogged about earlier this year and the semi-rugged Latitude E6400 ATG laptops we brought to market in 2007. It is available with a range of accessories and services that include mobile rugged docking and mounting solutions with mobile broadband pass-through, as well as end-to-end services.

We understand that reducing total cost of ownership is a priority for larger organizations, that's why we are committed to providing our customers with long lifecycles, stable image, tools and service offerings to simplify IT management, so they can focus on their mission. The XT2 XFR continues this tradition.

To see more Latitude XT2 XFR images, click on this Flickr set. See below for an overview video and a short video that shows the kinds of tests we do on the Latitude XT2 XFR and all of our ruggedized products.

As many of you know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Reminders of this important cause are showing up in a variety of venues, ranging from pink-ribbon wrapped airliners to pink cleats decorating the feet of one of the NFL's most prolific quarterbacks (whose wife is a breast cancer survivor). For many of us, the reminders are closer to home - like being recruited to participate in the local Race for the Cure, or, the closest of all, hearing that someone you know has been diagnosed with breast cancer. 

The facts are both scary and positive. Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women ages 45 to 55, however with advancements in screenings, diagnosis and treatment, the death rate has declined 20 percent over the last 10 years. These advancements have been accelerated with the support of organizations like the Susan G Komen for the Cure, and Dell is proud to be a part of this effort.

Earlier this year, Dell teamed with Susan G. Komen for the Cure in the fight against breast cancer, pledging a $5.00 donation with the purchase of any "Promise Pink" PC or Inspiron Mini, and a minimum donation of $250,000 for 2009. Pairing one of our most popular colors with a cause that people are passionate about has paid off. I am delighted to share that in eight months we have not only achieved our minimum donation goal, but have actually doubled it, generating more than $600,000.

Since our initial announcement in February, we have expanded the number of choices a customer can choose from - we now offer Promise Pink on 10 PCs including, the Inspiron Mini 10 and Mini 10v, Inspiron 11z, 14, 15 and 17 laptops, Studio 15 and 17 laptops, the Inspiron 537s and 546 desktops.Take a look at www.dell.com/pink to see all of them.

What's really inspiring is that this program resonates not only with Dell customers, but with Dell employees, like April Steinmetz based in Round Rock, Texas, who recently shared the following:

"Not only is this particular charity a huge hit for most companies and events to sponsor, but it also means a lot to me. Sadly, one of my family members has been affected by this disease and if I am not careful I could be too. Knowledge is power, and our company has the power to give to the cause and advertise its purpose while providing great products to customers."

And Sarah Childree, a sales consultant based in Nashville:

"Dell's partnership with the Susan G. Komen Foundation is something I feel very passionate about. Dell donates $5 dollars to this foundation to fund continuing research for breast cancer every time someone buys the "Promise Pink" color on a system. I really enjoy helping others in general, and by selling the color "Promise Pink" we can do just that and maintain our impact on the fight against breast cancer."

Finally, I'd like take this opportunity to thank the hundreds of other Dell employees and to everyone outside the company for making a difference by giving their time, energy and donations to the upcoming Komen Austin Race for the Cure.

Remember, one person can make a difference in the fight against breast cancer. Susan G. Komen for the Cure was founded by one sister making a promise to another sister. Dell is proud to be a part of this worthwhile effort! Our promise of a world without breast cancer does not just rest in the hands of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.  It is up to all of us, employees, customers, and the community of survivors and co-survivors, to stand united until the promise is fulfilled and the cures are found.

Today, we’re kicking off a children’s photography competition, called “Where Do You Like to Learn”, that celebrates the digitally connected world we live in. Not only will the winning student’s school receive a Dell tablet PC and projector for the classroom, the child will receive a Latitude 2100 notebook.

Entering is as easy as 1-2-3

• Visit this blog post on Edu4U for the full contest rules and email your photograph(s) to edu4u@dell.com. You may enter up to four photos in the contest.
• You can follow progress of the contest online at;

-- Direc2Dell’s Education page;

-- Flickr group at http://www.flickr.com/groups/delleducation; and

-- Twitter at www.twitter.com/edu4u.

• On November 20, check back at Edu4U to see the top 10 finalists and vote! And every member of the Edu4U community can have one vote and be entered into a prize draw for a chance to win a Dell Latitude 2100 netbook. Winners will be announced on December 5.

Please pass this on to your local school or any students who you feel would be interested in this contest. We want you to show us where you like to learn!

Sometimes being dependable, steady and unassuming may not always work to your advantage, especially on days like today when we're introducing products like the Latitude Z. The same I think holds true for commercial desktop technology. In recent years, desktop PCs have been much maligned being labeled as boring, passé and even antiquated. I couldn't disagree more, based on recent conversations with colleagues and customers, I've found that desktop systems will continue to play a vital role as the client backbone to most Fortune 500 companies.

Today, our OptiPlex line is the best selling commercial desktop in the world, according to IDC. As customer needs change and evolve, we've taken a good thing and made it better. How?

Well, the OptiPlex 780 gives IT managers streamlined remote systems management capabilities through Intel vPro technology. This technology provides a great way of "future proofing" an IT investment because it enables desktop virtualization, which is still in its infancy. At the same time, the OptiPlex 780 is engineered to keep downtime at a minimum when performing the four most common desktop service tasks: replacing hard drives, replacing power supplies, adding memory, and adding PCI(e) cards.

At the end of the day, IT managers and users want a versatile mainstream desktop solution that won't break the bank. The OptiPlex 780 delivers just that-delivering performance, efficiency and dependability. Systems like the OptiPlex 780 may not ever get noticed for being sleek but it is one of the few things that will keep working and plodding on without interruption.

Though they're not as exciting as the images of the Alienware ALX or the Latitude Z, you can see more pictures of it in our OptiPlex 780 Flickr set.

I’m writing this post from San Francisco where we’ve just finished up briefing reporters and bloggers on one of the coolest laptops Dell has ever introduced. And guess what – it’s designed for corporate customers and it’s called the Dell Latitude Z.

Yes, that’s right, while my consumer colleagues are typically all giddy with their latest gadgets, I get to brief the world on a laptop that just about every single design-savvy individual will want but one that your IT department will like as well. A system that is predictable, easy to manage. And now I am the one doing a little jig of excitement because this laptop is very cool.

Of course, there’s been some rumor and speculation about this new system for some time. Robert Scoble got an early peek at it (suggesting he would be throwing away his Mac when it comes out), there’s been some chatter on it over at Notebook Review’s Forum and, as always, our friends at Engadget and Gizmodo couldn’t pass up talking about it. Some secrets are hard to keep.

Before I share more details on the “Z,” let me give you some background on our overall commercial client strategy and how this fits in:

• Stability in our core, mainstream family of products. For example, Latitude E-Family laptops and OptiPlex desktops, with virtues grounded in commonality, image stability and extended lifecycles;
• Choice in innovative, purpose-engineered products designed for specific usage needs. like our Latitude E6400 XFR fully rugged laptop, Latitude 2100 education netbook and even our massively scalable Dell Precision workstations; and finally,
• Efficiency in flexible computing solutions that simplify management, speed up deployment, secure information from data center to desktop and reduce TCO.

With this in mind, we set out to develop another product that falls into our strategy. For many of our customers, their “personal brand” is critical to their success -- entrepreneurs, sales staff, executives, creative agencies, thought leaders and policy makers in higher education, and attorneys, to name just a few. We set out to bring together super svelte design with breakthrough features in a laptop that your IT department will support and manage.

The result: the Latitude Z600 – the thinnest, lightest 16-inch notebook in the world. The design isn’t the only advanced feature -- we’ve gone beyond to introduce several industry firsts such as wireless docking and inductive charging. We're also introducing Latitude ON, a hardware-based feature that allows you the full power of your laptop with the flexibility of your smartphone.

Latitude ON is essentially a motherboard within a motherboard where a separate processor and OS boot into Latitude ON “mode” to provide instant, interactive access to email, contacts, calendar and the Web. And, it hooks into Microsoft Exchange, IMAP, POP and Novell GroupWise email, while delivering battery life that lasts for days, not hours. See Lionel's Latitude ON post for more details.

Note: Click on the images in this post to see larger versions. If you want to see more, check out the Dell Latitude Z set on Flickr. Since there are many details to go through, I’ve listed out the details of the Latitude Z600 into bite-sized pieces. Here we go:

• Half an inch thin, 4.5 pounds with a four-cell battery with a lean, tapered design and soft-touch Black Cherry finish;
• World’s first laptop with optional wireless docking, that relies on a UWB radio for point-to-point communications, and inductive charging, which eliminates the need for power cords by using a dynamic power transfer between system primary stand and secondary module. Both will be available in the coming weeks;
• Dell’s first-of-its-kind EdgeTouch allows users to interact with commonly used applications and media controls through a touch interface that is on the edge of the system’s screen;
• Spacious multi-touch touchpad and silky-touch backlit keyboard;
• High-definition (1600x900) WLED display and two megapixel camera featuring Dell Capture technology that allows users to scan and save business cards to Microsoft Outlook contacts and copy documents;
• Dell FaceAware Lock-Out automatically locks out other users when a user steps away from the laptop;
• Ultra-small power adapter;
• Custom bags by Cole Haan and Timbuk2 designed specifically for the Latitude Z;
• Wireless options include WLAN, Bluetooth, optional 3G WWAN.

The Latitude Z is available starting today in select countries in Europe and Asia, as well as Canada and the U.S., starting at $1,999.

These new products are designed to meet the unique needs of our customers when they are ready to refresh or add to their existing infrastructure. We hope you like what you see. I would love to get your feedback and thoughts.

Check out this video on Latitude Z that will give you a better idea of how all its features work.