June 2009 - Posts

The term 'Government Affairs' is an everyday part of the Washington, DC vernacular.  But that's changing.  As companies expand their reach deeply into all fifty states of the US and now into markets all across the globe, knowing how and when to navigate the often choppy waters of government regulation has become a crucial aspect of any successful business strategy.

GA is a blanket terms to describe the element of an entity (corporate, non-profit, association) that interacts with government decision makers on a regular basis.  I often get the question, "Why does Dell need a government affairs group?"  After all, when most people think of Dell, they think of the interns, the "Dude..." commercials, or the catalogs they get in their papers.  But at its heart, Dell is one of the largest providers of information technology equipment to the federal government, and our products and services can be found in 95% of all federal agencies.  As a result, strong relationships with policymakers is key.

Every day, federal, state, and local governments make decisions that affect companies like Dell and consequently affect our customers.  That may come in the form of budget funding, harmful or helpful regulations, or the advocacy of harmful or helpful legislation.  With plenty at stake, Dell, and many other technology companies (Google, Intel, Cisco, etc.) have active teams working in concert with the business leaders to ensure that the interests of our company are properly communicated to the very people making those decisions.  It's important work and the presence of a GA team represents recognition by company leadership that successful business strategies must be as holistic as possible.

This blog is meant to keep members of the Dell community updated and engaged on GA's activities and it isn't meant to be a repository, but rather a place for dialogue.  So let us hear from you, share your ideas, and tell us what you think we should be focusing on up here in Washington, DC.  In the short-term you can expect some entries on what we are up to, and where we are focusing our efforts right now in the policy world.  We hope you will visit here often and we look forward to the conversation!

As we launch a blog dedicated to the function known as government affairs, I thought it might be useful to describe what GA is, what a lobbyist for Dell does, and how we help our company achieve its business goals. So in a multi-blog series on the topic, I hope to shed some light and answer the question made famous in Office Space, "What would you say you do here?" So here we go.

Part 1 - Why Lobbying?

Every single day, someone makes a decision or debates an issue that could have profound impact on Dell's business or the way Dell does business. Federal and state legislatures propose, change, or enact hundreds of new laws each year, some large and sweeping, others small and technical. Whether or not a proposal among these several thousand ever reaches a mayor's desk, a governor's desk, an agency head's desk, or the President's desk depends on the degree of support or opposition that is generated by those who will be affected.

That's why lobbying is so very important. No policymaker can possibly understand every facet of every industry or every company, especially one as large and multi-faceted as Dell. To fill that void, and to have a real say on important issues, Dell must have a presence in the halls of Congress, the Administration, and state capitals around the country. A successful lobbyist is the one who can inform as well as to persuade on an issue of importance to Dell and the successful operation of Dell's business.