Around the Globe

I have the privilege of chairing the Global Giving Council, the newly-formed executive team here at Dell charged with governing our giving practices.  2008 brought significant changes to Dell giving, as highlighted in our recently released corporate responsibility report.  We established an aggressive giving goal, adopted a new strategy focused on making a global impact, and launched an innovative signature program that is already making a real difference in countries around the world. 

Actively participating and giving back to the communities where we live and work have long been priorities at Dell.  But when we committed to the aspirational goal to increase our giving to one percent of Dell’s pre-tax profits by 2010, things got serious.  We promptly realigned our giving strategy to better reflect who we are as a company.  We decided to focus Dell giving worldwide on youth in the areas of education, digital inclusion and sustainability – because we have seen first-hand the power of connecting children to the digital world and the importance of protecting our planet.

By year’s end we narrowed the global giving gap from .42 percent to .74 percent of pre-tax profits, increasing our giving to $24.5 million ($8 million more than the previous year) – an increase that tracks well with our long-term aspirational goal.  In the U.S., our Dell Foundation continued its good work by awarding $2.5 million in Equipping Youth grants.

We also launched Dell YouthConnect, a digital inclusion initiative that promotes math, science, literacy and technology skills for youth in emerging countries.  It began in India and has since expanded to Brazil and Mexico.  We invested $2.7 million in cash and equipment in 2008 with plans in place to grow the program in the coming months. Our employees are fully engaged on the ground with our YouthConnect partners by helping to deploy and support the technology and volunteering and interacting with the children who participate.

Of course the heroes of our giving initiatives are, as always, our people.  The Dell team continues to rally around charitable causes in record numbers.  Dell employees gave $8.5 million to the charities of their choice during the annual charitable giving campaign.  They also volunteered 28,000 hours to community causes during Global Community Involvement Month. 

Dell Giving is serious business and, as our progress in 2008 indicates, we’re serious about it.  Please share your ideas and feedback.  We are eager to partner with our communities, customers and employees to make a real difference in the world we share.

Kriti Kapoor, Director of Vertical Solutions Marketing
Dell Asia Pacific & Japan (APJ) - Public Sector

If every child in the world had access to a computer, what potential could be unlocked?

There are nearly two billion children of the developing world with little or no access to education. While children are by nature eager for knowledge, many countries have insufficient resources to devote to education—sometimes less than $20 per year per child (compared to an average of $7,500 in the United States).

Professor Nicolas Negroponte established the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) not-for-profit organization in 2002, to create educational opportunities for the world's poorest children by providing each child with a rugged, low-cost, low-power, connected laptop with content and software designed for collaborative, fun and self-empowered learning.

Professor Nicholas Negroponte, Founder & Chairman of One Laptop per Child

I had the opportunity to hear Professor Negroponte speak at the Singapore Management University last week, and I am inspired and encouraged. I am inspired by the OLPC mission to make education for the world’s children a priority, not a privilege; and encouraged by Dell’s commitment to design technology solutions that help make the learning ecosystem a reality. The Latitude 2100, the Dell Mobile Computing Cart continues to excite our customers, and the soon to launch Connected Classroom will transform the learning environment, and improve student outcomes.

When children have access to technology and the right tools in their learning environment, they get engaged in their own education. They learn, share, create, and collaborate. They become connected to each other, to the world and to a brighter future. Nations will develop an essential resource—educated, empowered children in the digital age.

What an exciting and energy-charged year on the diversity front! Diversity and inclusion are business imperatives that not only make us a better company but also deliver significant business advantages. There is no better way to showcase this than in the diversity section of our FY09 Corporate Responsibility Report, that we launched earlier this week.

Here are some highlights. The Global Diversity Council chaired by our CEO Michael Dell, underscores our commitment to diversity at the highest levels of and throughout our company.  A global team of senior Dell executives sets and continually revisits our diversity strategy and identifies how we can drive greater diversity across our businesses. 

In recognition of Dell's commitment of more than $1 billion in annual supply-chain spending with diverse suppliers, we were inducted into the Billion Dollar Roundtable. It is a great honor to be one of the 16 members of the Billon Dollar Roundtable and will see us continuing to partner with our peer members to provide thought leadership in advancing diverse businesses. 

Working Mother magazine included us in its list of Top 100 companies to work for - a list where we hope to see Dell as a 'regular' going forward.  For the fifth consecutive year we maintained our perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index, signaling our ongoing commitment to diversity, inclusion and fair workplace practices for all.

 While we have made great inroads in our programs, we know we can do more . We have aggressive goals for the coming year including:

• Increase the retention of our women and African-American and Hispanic employees in the U.S.
• Double our participation rate in employee networking groups
• Increase our executive-level participation in diversity efforts
• Actively identify flexible work solutions for employees

I hope you take the time to read the diversity section of the report  and I welcome your ideas and feedback to make Dell the workplace of choice for many.

Last week we held our first “International K12 Education Advisory Council” since the inception of our Global business. Twenty-five customers from 9 countries and 14 school districts from around the United States participated in the two and half day event. It was very interesting to hear about many of the similar challenges faced by educators internationally. Students from around the world are truly digital natives and all schools are faced with engaging them using the technology amidst budget issues and proper training for teachers to use that technology in their curriculums. It was great to get the feedback from these customers to make sure we are bringing technology to the classroom that helps them prepare students for future success! One overriding theme we heard throughout the event was the need for “access” for students, teachers, faculty and families to be competitive in today’s environment.

I also had the chance to sit down and discuss technology’s role in education with Dr. Sheryl Abshire of Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana.

Over the past couple months we've introduced several new products to the Vostro line of products that offer the right features, services, durability, and resources to serve the distinctive needs of small business. From the ultraportable Vostro 1220 to the Vostro All In One (the first all in one exclusively for small business), these systems are preconfigured with tools like free videoconferencing and are designed to be "easy to buy, easy to own."

Dell listens to small businesses to ensure no stone is left unturned when it comes to meeting our customers' needs.  That's why I'm pleased to announce the latest additions to the Vostro portfolio - the Vostro 1014, 1015 and 1088.

These new 14.1 and 15.6 inch systems redefine the entry level for the Vostro line and are primed and ready for your everyday computing needs with set configurations that help you meet the daily challenges of running a small business.
Key features include:

• Notebook processor and chipset: the latest Intel Core 2 Processors to get the most out of your software
• Improved battery life: work for longer with great battery life with power efficient design and WLED LCDs
• Media flexibility: A built-in 5-in-1 media reader to easily transfer pictures, video, data to and from your laptop
• Optional integrated webcam: connect with customers and colleagues across the globe through voice and video for free when you choose the 2.0 megapixel camera
• Color options: Express your personal style and stand out in the crowd with choice of color backs - black, blue or deep cherry red
• Improved energy efficiency: Cut down your power consumption with Energy Star 5.0 certification

Dell also provides an integrated modem with each system to give you the flexibility to connect to the internet, even when there is no broadband available. And of course, the computers come equipped with the Dell gold standard of services you've come to rely on. Specially-trained SMB technical support is available in three ways (phone, online chat or DellConnect) to help solve problems as fast as possible.  And, with Dell Backup Recovery Manager Dell can quickly get you back to business as usual.

For those wanting to get their hands on the machines, the products will be available direct and through select Dell partners. Some of these laptops are already offered in parts of Europe (starting at £255) and will be available in Asia Pacific and Japan starting today. Over the next several months, these laptops will be available to customers in Latin America, United States and Canada.

Check out the set on our Flickr page to see all the images of the Vostro 1014 and 1015 laptops.