Direct2Dell: Small & Medium Business

Last year Dell introduced a very cool, ultra-slim, luxurious laptop - the Latitude Z. It's already been causing quite a stir and is a real head-turner.

To bring the Latitude Z 'experience' to life, we provided some of the world's most influential tech and business bloggers and entrepreneurs with a new Latitude Z and wireless ecosystem (that's a docking station and charger with no wires to you and me) to try out and use as their primary system. Because these folks need and desire a technology solution that combines boundless mobility with leading-edge productivity in a design that's miles ahead of business as usual, we thought their input would be useful as you make your own laptop decisions.

See what they have to say, and for those of you on Twitter, follow all of them on the Latitude Z list. Also, check out the Latitude Z playlist on our YouTube channel for the latest videos on what people think of this one-of-a-kind business laptop.

So let's introduce our Ambassadors:

US

• Linda Rottenberg, CEO, Endeavor
• Megan Duckett, President, Sew What Inc.
• Robert Scoble, Blogger, Scobleizer
• Sam Diaz, Senior Editor, ZDNET/eWeek
• Chris Shipley, Writer, Guidewire Group
• Natali Del Conte, Freelancer, contributes to CBS and Today Show

EUROPE

• David Hathiramani & Warren Bennett, Co-founders and Directors, A Suit That Fits.com
• Neville Hobson, Head of Social Media Europe, WeissComm Group
• Mark Gerhard, CEO, Jagex

CHINA

• Liu Keki, Chief Editor, CBS Interactive China Media Group
• Chen Nian, Founder and CEO, VANCL

AUSTRALIA

• Jen Bishop, Editor, Dynamic Business Magazine
• Valerie Khoo, Blogger, SMH, The Age,

During 2010 our Latitude Z Ambassadors will be sharing their experiences through their blogs, tweets, events, media opportunities and general business networking.

Being an entrepreneur is about doing your own thing and getting business done. It's about using technology to grow, achieve success and realize business dreams. It's about doing what you love and loving what you do.

The roots of our business still resemble that entrepreneurial spirit that started everything in a dorm room a couple of decades ago. This spirit helps Dell understand the needs of small business professionals, and that is why we created the Vostro brand; the first PC brand designed exclusively for small businesses. That is why I am thrilled to announce the latest members of the Vostro family: the Vostro 3000 series - range of 4 new thin, lightweight and durable laptop computers that feature powerful processors, high-end graphics and built-in security.

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Today's SMBs and entrepreneurs want laptops that are powerful and attractive, and the new Vostro 3000 series was designed to meet and exceed both those needs.

For the most demanding tasks, the Vostro 3000 series sports the latest  powerful Intel Core processor technology, including, the optional, industry's first Core i7 Quad Core processor for small businesses available on the 17-inch Vostro 3700.

For those that demand portability and productivity, the Vostro 3300 is one of the industry's thinnest commercial 13" laptop with an integrated optical drive.

For those that can't afford to be chained to their desks, the 14-inch Vostro 3400 offers a full day of mobile productivity with up to 8 hours of battery life with an optional 9-cell battery.

The Vostro 3000 series joins several new Vostro laptops and desktops that Dell has launched over the last year to serve the distinctive needs of small businesses.  Whether it's our recently announced, super dependable Vostro 230 or future-proof and powerful Vostro 430 desktops, or the ultra-thin Vostro V13 laptop, Vostro products are designed to help small businesses stretch their budget and protect their data - plus, they come with dedicated small business services and support to keep a small business moving.

The Vostro 3000 series delivers in a package that entrepreneurs will be proud to show off in the airport or the boardroom. Key features include:

• Stay in Touch: With the integrated webcam and microphone, users can make Internet calls, conduct video conferences and remotely exchange files to help increase productivity.
• Always Be Connected: Users can go wireless with a full range of connectivity options: 802.11g/n wireless LAN, Bluetooth, and WWAN mobile broadband.
• Memory to Spare: Run Windows® 7 effortlessly while performing everyday tasks quickly with support for up to 6GB of DDR3 SDRAM memory.
• Protect Your Work: Keep your critical data under lock and key with optional finger print reader and full-data-encrypted hard drives.
• Set & Forget" Online Data Protection: Easy, secure and automated Dell DataSafe online backup protects and helps recover business-critical data.
• Coverage Now and Later: Users can extend their basic Limited Hardware Warranty from 1-3 years to stay covered into the future.
• Remote On-Call Support: Small businesses can get help when they need it with DellConnect, which allows tech-support agents to troubleshoot and help resolve system issues remotely.
• ProSupport to Simplify IT: Businesses can choose their own level of 24x7 IT support with optional Dell ProSupport^TM services.

For those eager 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 Asia Pacific and Japan and the US starting today, and will be available in Europe from next week (at prices starting from $579).

Check out the set on our Flickr page to see all the images of the Vostro 3000 series.

A new Forrester report predicts that 40 percent of small and medium businesses will significantly increase their spending on IT security technologies in 2010. Why the sudden increase?  As the population of web-users grows, so will the number of cybercrimes, costing business owners both time and money. And, cybercriminals have found a rich, new hunting ground: small businesses' bank accounts.

Yet many cash strapped companies, with no dedicated IT staff, are still un-protected. According to a Dell study of 1,425 small and medium businesses worldwide:

• 59 percent of respondents said they have no endpoint protection (i.e. software that combines antivirus with advanced threat protection technologies such as desktop firewall and intrusion prevention for laptops, desktops and servers)
• 7 percent do not back up their desktop PCs, leaving their important information at risk
• 33 percent lack even basic antivirus protection

Worry-Free Business Security Services

To help small and medium businesses address these vulnerabilities, Dell has united with Trend Micro, global leader in Internet content security. Trend Micro's expertise is in security solutions that protect your information without slowing down your computer systems. And Dell is sharing its unique customer insights -- gained from 5.4M interactions with customers everyday -- to help influence future product development.

Using these insights, Dell and Trend Micro will launch a Dell version of its just announced Worry-Free Business Security Services that give small businesses anytime, anywhere web-based protection. Today, customers can buy the on-premise Trend Micro Worry-Free solution from Dell's Software & Peripherals site or sales team, and can choose Trend Micro Internet Security as part of their custom Dell configuration.  More details to come later this year on the exclusive Dell/Trend Micro Worry-Free Business Security Services offering and additional security solutions from Dell. So, stay tuned.

In the meantime, here are some of the new features found in the latest small-business solution from Trend Micro:

• Smart Scan, a scanning approach unlike conventional security. Smart Scan lightens the memory load of computers by storing the majority of security technology on the Web security server maintained by Trend Micro rather than each computer so customers get faster scans and updates, threats are detected and removed immediately, and users don't need to worry about large file updates while traveling.
• Smart Feedback is another approach unique to Trend Micro, a company that has created one of the world's largest "neighborhood watch community" -- integrated feedback loops that provide continuous communication between Trend Micro products as well as the company's 24/7 threat research centers and technologies in a two-way update stream. Each new threat identified via a single customer's routine reputation check, for example, automatically updates all of Trend Micro's threat databases around the world, blocking any subsequent customer encounters of a given threat. On average, the Smart Protection Network currently handles over 30 billion queries, and blocks nearly 4 billion threats a day.
• Behavior Monitoring (Analysis) technology keeps an eye on applications to identify any abnormal activity that indicates malicious behavior. By correlating the different components of a threat and continuously updating its threat databases, Trend Micro has the distinct advantage of being able to respond in real time, providing immediate and automatic protection from email and Web threats.

The Salon des Entrepreneurs is a really valuable event as it gives young entrepreneurs the opportunity to meet with technology advisors face to face and get advice and information on how the right technology can really help them become run their business more effectively – regardless of size! For example – mobility for young entrepreneurs is key for a busy professional life, where business trips are numerous and security vital. So, bearing that in mind we showcased Vostro and Latitude - two ranges are specifically aimed at small to medium-sized business and dedicated to mobility. We also demonstrated our Latitude XT2 notebook and the Inspiron One 19 Touch our latest examples of tactile technology and great mobility.

We took the opportunity to learn what small businesses and in particular start ups need and want to help the run their business and learn more about their choices of IT solutions. Many of them give us direct feedback so that we can work on the development of new solutions for small to medium-sized businesses.

The second highlight of this year’s Salon des Entrepreneurs was a conference organised by Dell on IT tools for small to medium-sized businesses. With a 50 strong audience, mainly from small businesses, the conference was led by Arnaud Le Gal, Editorial Director of the publication L’Entreprise. Olivier Midière, President of the CGPME Commission for IT Development was also present, along with representatives from two businesses: Implanet (winner of Dell’s Small Business Excellence Award in 2009 and specialist in orthopaedic surgical implants) and Adhara (a nationwide network of IT training centres). These two companies talked about some of their innovations which were developed with the help of Dell solutions.

I would like to highlight this point using Implanet as an example:

Implanet’s innovation was the use of traceability in their implants via an electronic chip with a serial number which meant that information on the item could easily be found (patient, date of manufacture, date of commissioning). Its success was based on the advantages that it presented to hospitals and specialist services, particularly in terms of internal cost reduction (and best of all, much less paperwork!)

Implanet had to do more than just sell these new implants – it had to defend its innovation in the face of resistance to change from sales teams and customers. Nevertheless the company managed to highlight the product’s innovation – its traceability – and convince its customers of the benefits of such a service.

For this project, Dell participated in the virtualisation and protection of sensitive data created by Implanet with a “bunker” system.

During the conference, we concentrated on certain key elements:

The optimal use of IT in a business. Businesses don’t want to waste time on their computer systems, Dell therefore emphasised its expertise and solutions, and most importantly, support offered for the implementation of IT systems in businesses: the choice of appropriate and personalised services, and the installation and startup of the system, as well as onsite help and troubleshooting. Buying a computer or a server from Dell today is not limited to choosing a hard disk or processor, but includes choosing a service complete with guarantees and solutions.

Innovation. “Functioning as a link between a product and a service, technological innovation must help the company as well as the customer. Innovation must also allow companies to improve their manufacturing process by focusing on each stage of the procedure […] The smooth running of systems is more important than the product itself.” These were some important points raised by Olivier Midière on the subject.

I’ll end on a phrase from the conference which is relevant to young entrepreneurs just starting out, to us, Dell, in our constant determination to always be one step ahead, and to the general economy, which desperately needs new dynamism:

“Innovation is a state of mind. Once you start innovating you cannot stop.”

For more photos from the event, check out the set on Dell's Flickr page.

We understand that a medium sized construction company in Iowa is trying to solve similar business challenges through IT as a business in Florida or even Hong Kong, Sydney or London. Arming employees with easily managed and secure mobile solutions are challenges, regardless of geography.

That said, wouldn’t it be great if CEOs and IT professionals could share their stories, business challenges and technology solutions with each other to help make decisions. What’s more, what if they could rate their technology solutions as an even more definitive way to say ‘this is working for my business or not and why.’

Over the past year, we’ve evolved the Solutions Center and other social media sites to provide more targeted customer content and personalization globally. In the process, we’ve also recognized there is a great opportunity to engage and involve our customers at an even greater level and that’s what we’ve done.

Launching today, the new Dell Business Trailblazers community creates a place for companies looking for technology advice and to build their business or technology credibility and notoriety. With the potential to reach millions of visitors to Dell.com, small and Medium Business owners and their IT staff are empowered to promote their business expertise online by creating a company profile that highlights their business and technology challenges, solutions, product ratings and recommendations.

This public site connects businesses interested in learning more about how technology can help them grow and succeed. Here, companies can also learn about how technology is enabling the successful businesses profiled in Dell’s global Take Your Own Path campaign. By integrating more customer stories with our Take Your Own Path campaign and the Solutions Center, a community hub is established where IT enthusiasts can learn and build relationships with thought leaders in their industry.

Joanna Coburn, our online customer experience guru, has put a lot of work into making Business Trailblazers a reality. Here is a short interview with her discussing the features and what businesses can expect from the new tool:

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Logon to www.takeyourownpath.com to share your business story and join our growing community of entrepreneurs levering technology to better serve customers, grow and compete.

Last month, my team had the pleasure of visiting the offices of NAB Solutions, a hosting company headquartered in Sweden. NAB Solutions is a SaaS supplier to businesses across the country. The company specialises in hosted services for a range of Microsoft applications such as Microsoft Dynamics NAV business software, Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 and the Microsoft Office suite.

One of the biggest challenges for companies offering cloud computing solutions is to ensure they have an efficient platform to deliver their SaaS service. For NAB Solutions, their main cloud computing environment had come to the end of its life cycle and needed a platform to support the latest Microsoft Hyper-V virtualization technology, including servers and storage arrays to underpin this advanced infrastructure. It wanted a solution that:

• Reduced energy consumption for greener IT
• Reduced operational costs through simplified management
• Consolidated the existing environment to free space for future growth

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For Jörg Wiesemann, Project Manager and Infrastructure-Specialist at NAB Solutions, the deployment of Windows Server 2008 with Hyper-V provides a highly flexible IT environment that allows them to respond quickly to client needs and deliver enterprise-class disaster recovery. The storage environment was implemented in just a couple of hours and has Dell support on hand to maximize IT performance for the future.

Additional improvements NAB Solutions is already seeing include:

• Consolidated environment reduces servers by almost 87 percent
• Energy-efficient hardware halves power consumption
• Virtualized infrastructure increases business agility and disaster recovery

For more on the technology used by NAB Solutions, read the full case study.

In the last year, 30% of small businesses and 41% of medium businesses purchased a PC online. When considering a second purchase, similar percentages of businesses prefer to purchase a PC online (IDC). Not only is the market for buying technology online growing, but as I discussed in my last post, online conversations are influencing those buying decisions.

To support our ongoing efforts to make Dell.com a fast and easy shopping experience for you, we are implementing more social media and networking tools throughout the site and off Dell.com as well. Through our Solutions Center, you can find advice on how to use technology to solve your biggest business challenges from business continuity to increasing the productivity of your employees.

Beyond pure technology advice, we also have experts at Dell willing to share their knowledge on HR best practices, online marketing and even business strategy.

For example, members of our Online team met with four CEOs who won our Small Business Excellence Award. The team provided advice on SEO, Web sites and social media, highlighting the importance of listening to customers, staying current with the latest technologies and producing engaging content.

Here is a quick video tip on SEO from Jenny Schlueter, Dell Global Online:

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Interacting with our customers, at every level of our company, is one more way we connect you with resources that help build a successful business and provide the right technology solution for your needs.

After hearing the advice from Dell, RIGHTSLEEVE, the Canadian Award winner, decided to bring on a new employee to focus on site optimization and innovative merchandising to best leverage their Web site and drive additional online business.

So, what’s next? Growing a community for entrepreneurs and IT experts at small and medium businesses on dell.com. We know public community sites are very popular, and we don’t want to compete with them. What we hope to do is focus more on the customer experience on our own site since the majority of small and medium businesses value information about our products and services above nearly all else (Forrester). This year, customers will see more community features and functions on dell.com and additional integrated content from external communities like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

According to Forrester Research, small and medium business owners primarily rely on word of mouth from peers and colleagues and vendor Web sites for information when researching and comparing technology. With the prevalence of Web 2.0 technologies, Dell is at the forefront of bringing these two worlds together by connecting customers online to share information, conduct research and provide feedback. And for Dell, we have the ability to listen and react to customer needs quickly, both on and off of dell.com. Below are some recent examples of how Dell is doing this.

Echoing Forrester’s findings, we see in our conversations with customers that business owners value hearing how others reached their IT buying decision and the impact it has on their business. That’s why we’ve integrated Ratings and Reviews into our product pages to enable customers to share product experiences and learn from the knowledge of their peers in 15 languages and more than 60 countries. Since 2006, customers have submitted more than 100,000 reviews that our product teams have used to make changes and enhancements on products.

Almost three years ago, IdeaStorm was created so our customers could give us feedback on our products and services. So far, more than 13,000 ideas have been submitted, and Dell has implemented more than 400 of them. Based on three ideas submitted by customers, Dell launched the FastTrack program for quick shipping to get pre-configured popular systems directly to customers within 24 hours. This was a first for Dell and has had a big impact for our customers. Each week, FastTrack ships thousands of units to businesses in the US, Canada, Mexico and Brazil and we are looking to expand the program more broadly. What’s really exciting is that FastTrack customers have a higher satisfaction with delivery times.

Just last month, another new program based on an idea from IdeaStorm was announced for an enhancement to the site itself. Storm Sessions allow customers to provide relevant and targeted comments on a current business need. Right now, you can tell us what you would like to see Dell redesign our support home page.

Business technology buyers participate socially online more than other adult U.S. consumers. Almost all (91%) read blogs, view videos, or listen to podcasts online (Forrester). With this in mind, you’ll hear more from us on Direct2Dell and see an increased integration of digital media throughout Dell.com.. Check out my post next week to find out more about how we are sharing advice, solutions and resources online to help you make the right technology decisions for your business.

DiversityBusiness.com recently announced the top 50 organizations for multicultural business opportunities and Dell topped the list.  This is a great honor.  Over 600,000 women and minority owned businesses were solicited in an online election to determine the top organizations, so this recognition demonstrates the fruits of our labor.  The procurement team and our business partners have worked diligently to advance supplier diversity and the inclusion of diverse suppliers in our procurement process and this award validates our leadership in creatively integrating those suppliers into our supply chain.  I appreciate their passion and tenacity and congratulate them on this prestigious award.

Supplier Diversity and diverse supplier development is an important focus for Dell.  It enables us to meet and exceed our customer’s diversity business requirements and supports approximately $12 billion in revenue while providing a competitive advantage by providing a network of suppliers for account retention and acquisition.  Our Supplier Diversity program activities also translate into loyal brand advocates in our strategic marketing segments.  Developing diverse suppliers also creates a strong community value proposition.  As we grow our diverse supply chain, share best practices and mentor, our suppliers in turn contribute to the enhancement of economic and social sustainability within their communities.

Over the past decade, the number of small businesses, including woman and minority owned businesses, operating in the United States has grown from nine million to over 24 million. Additionally,  minority owned businesses have grown at approximately twice the rate of other companies, generating over $205 billion dollars in annual sales.   Diverse suppliers help us better understand market trends, and the needs of our customers.  In many respects, they are the voice of our customers and provide us with insights and innovative ideas

The relationship between diverse suppliers and corporations is synergistic at best.  In the last 18 years, large corporations have significantly increased their business transactions with diverse suppliers.  The National Minority Supplier Development Council reported that corporate spend with minority businesses has grown from $86 million of goods and services to over $100 billion.  Many organizations, including Dell, have also implemented and deployed mentoring programs, best practice sharing and networking initiatives to help grow and develop supplier businesses.

This award is indeed a great recognition for our supplier diversity work and we will continue to pursue excellence in this arena.  I challenge all my colleagues and industry partners to look for innovative ways to include diverse suppliers in their procurement strategy and to understand and educate others on the rewards of diverse supplier relationships. 

Earlier this fall, our President of Dell Small and Medium Business Steve Felice sat on a panel of small business experts to choose the global Dell Small Business Excellence Award winner – an annual award that recognizes small businesses for their innovative use of IT to improve the customer experience. In the two years that this program has been international, a UK company has won again.

A Suit That Fits.com, a UK-based small business that designs and sews high-fashion custom-tailored suits at affordable prices, is this year’s global winner earning them:

• Consulting time with Michael Dell;
• £30,000 (approximately $50,000 US) in Dell products and services;
• A ten-year membership to the British Chambers of Commerce, Dell’s commercial partner for the award in the UK;
• A lifetime membership to the International Council of Small Business, and
• Engagement with Endeavor’s network of business leaders and high-impact entrepreneurs in emerging countries worldwide.

Earning this honor from an application pool of 8,000 businesses, A Suit That Fits.com:

· Offers 40 billion possible suit combinations to fashion-conscious customers, with the company’s unique online Style Wizard helping narrow choices in minutes, create garment designs and upload measurements instantly from anywhere in the world. Customer measurements can be stored in easily accessible online profiles and changed by the click of a button.

· By putting the customer in control of their suit and shirt design at a price they are willing to pay, the company offers unparalleled choice and gives every customer just what they want – a suit that fits your frame, your style and your budget.

· Has 25 employees serving 20,000 customers globally through an online business model.

Founded in 2006, technology has always been a fundamental part of A Suit That Fits.com’s success.

“In the three years since start-up, 20,000 customer profiles have been created, with the target of adding another 15,000 in 2010 primarily focusing on international growth. This wouldn’t be possible without a cutting-edge technology strategy. We’ll be putting our Dell prize to work to help us streamline productivity, reach more customers around the world, foster innovation and build an infrastructure that can support our long-term growth. We couldn’t be more excited about the possibilities – they are endless."

--Warren Bennett, co-founder and director of A Suit That Fits.com

The company utilizes social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, Digg and del.ici.ous to better understand customer needs and its collaboration software is cloud based, saving them time and money to focus on growing the business.

Congratulations to Warren and his business partner David Hathiramani for this amazing honor. Inviting customers to provide feedback and reaching out via social media platforms is adding tremendous value to businesses. As the head of Dell’s Small-and-medium Business Online team, I look forward to sharing best practices to ensure Dell is offering the right technology solutions and advice to you and other online companies

Looks like I’ll be adding a new suit to my holiday wish list.

About the Dell Small Business Excellence Award

Running for six years in the United States and in its second year as an international program, the award solicits and recognizes small businesses for their innovative use of technology to improve their customers’ experience. A Suit That Fits.com was named the UK national winner of the Dell Small Business Excellence Award in September and was chosen from 13 national winners from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom and the United States.