Dell Launches Highest Level of Support for Server and Storage Customers -- Platinum Plus Culminates a $200 Million Investment; More Productivity With Operations Performance Benchmarking, Google Earth Integration.

ROUND ROCK, Texas -- Dell (NASDAQ:DELL) today announced Platinum Plus -- its latest enterprise service with the highest level of support for server and storage system customers.

Platinum Plus provides breakthrough productivity tools and is a key differentiator in Dell's strategy to enable a higher level of control for its business, education and government customers, which comprise about 85 percent of Dell's revenue.

"This premium 7x24 service is the latest result of more than $200 million Dell has invested in enterprise service and support over the past several years," said Brad Anderson, senior vice president, Dell Product Group. "Platinum Plus complements the recent and most comprehensive enhancements ever to our PowerEdge server portfolio to provide more reliability and global consistency for our business customers with mission-critical needs. Most importantly Platinum Plus will help IT managers transform their operations from cost centers to competitive advantages."

Exclusive Platinum Plus Features

Platinum Plus includes the industry's first Operations Performance Benchmarking feature, a patent-pending methodology that allows customers to routinely compare critical IT performance metrics to historical results and similarly configured environments. The new offering helps IT managers cross-check performance in various locations against case activity rates and time needed to resolve issues.

Platinum Plus also introduces the Enterprise Command Center Real-Time Tracking Window, a Web-enabled feature to provide customers a virtual Enterprise Command Center to follow ongoing support activities. The feature also utilizes Google Earth Pro to create an interactive 3D display of Command Center information.

With the Real-Time Tracking Window, customers can view around-the-world, real-time status of open service dispatches without picking up the phone. This new capability is particularly useful for support teams that must identify and connect resources and open dispatches across multiple locations. For more information on Platinum Plus, visit www.dell.com/servicesnews.

Platinum Plus: A Winner for Customers

Customers who have received an early look at Platinum Plus and its capabilities are pleased at what they have seen.

"The ability to benchmark our individual IT organizations gives us information we need to continually improve and proactively identify best practices that should be shared across the organization," said J.T. Lewis, Chief Information Systems and Support Division, U.S. Army HQ, Europe. "The Operations Performance Benchmarking tool is a very important innovation from Dell."

In addition to the new Operations Performance Benchmarking and Enterprise Command Center Real-Time Tracking Window, Platinum Plus includes:

--7x24 hardware warranty support

--7x24 software troubleshooting 

--7x24 Enterprise Expert Center

--Technical account manager relationship

--Emergency dispatch with critical situation process

--Standard four-hour and optional two-hour on-site service(a) troubleshooting

--Dell ServiceSystem(TM)

Dell Investment Drives Quality Services

Over the past several years, Dell has invested more than $200 million in a set of processes, people and tools that have formed the foundation of Dell's enterprise support services. These investments include:

--Hiring thousands of technical experts to assist customers with complex issues in their data centers;

--Opening five global Enterprise Command Centers for real-time tracking and monitoring of customer incidents;

--Opening 15 Enterprise Expert Centers: a network of seasoned enterprise service professionals;

--Building a team of more than 50,000 Dell and partner IT professionals assisting customers around the globe;

--Partnering with best-of-breed software and service providers to quickly detect and resolve customer issues.

About Dell

Dell Inc. (NASDAQ:DELL) listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services they trust and value. Uniquely enabled by its direct business model, Dell sells more systems globally than any computer company, placing it No. 25 on the Fortune 500. Company revenue for the past four quarters was $56.7 billion. For more information, visit http://www.dell.com. To get news direct, visit http://www.dell.com/RSS.

(a) Service may be provided by third party. Technician will be dispatched if necessary following phone-based troubleshooting. Subject to parts availability, geographical restrictions and terms of service contract. Service timing dependent upon time of day call placed to Dell. U.S. only.

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