Dell Sees ‘Healthy Signs’ of Demand in European Business Sector
January 25, 2012, 12:45 PM ESTBy Chiara Remondini and Olivia Sterns
Jan. 25 (Bloomberg) -- Dell Inc., the third-largest maker of personal computers, is performing well in the market of PCs for business customers in Europe, Chief Executive Officer Michael Dell said.
“Our small-medium business sector in Europe is doing pretty well and we’re seeing some healthy signs there,” Dell said today in an interview with Bloomberg Television’s Olivia Sterns at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “With the right products and services, companies can grow even in challenging times.”
The company missed third-quarter revenue estimates in November after walking away from $2 billion in potential PC sales to focus on more profitable technology. Dell, based in Round Rock, Texas, is winnowing its line of consumer products and focusing on small- and medium-size businesses as well as government agencies, which account for more than half its sales.
“Certainly there are plenty of challenges in Europe and the U.S. to work through, but to stay competitive businesses and industries need to have the latest tools,” Dell said. “I feel very good about our strategy to continue to grow earnings even in a somewhat challenging environment.”
The International Monetary Fund cut its forecast for global growth yesterday and warned that the European debt crisis threatens to derail the world economy. The euro area may enter a “mild recession” in 2012 as it shrinks 0.5 percent, according to the IMF.
--Editors: David Risser, Thomas Mulier
To contact the reporters on this story: Chiara Remondini in Milan at cremondini@bloomberg.net; Olivia Sterns in London at osterns1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Kenneth Wong at kwong11@bloomberg.net
