US company Dell, one of the world’s biggest computer makers and the global leader in direct computer marketing, today opens a Hebrew-language Internet site www.dell.co.il for the sale of computers. The site will provide Dell customers in Israel the same service the company offers in the US and Western Europe.
At the same time, Dell expanded its supply agreement with Getronics, formerly Wang Global, to cover Israel. Under the agreement, Getronics will be the official provider of support and services to customers in Israel. The company is also a Dell supplier in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and is responsible for the provision of support services to Dell customers.
John J Legere, vice president of Dell and director of the regional business division in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, estimated that the Israeli market holds great potential for Dell. "The components of Dell’s direct business model, our products and our online capabilities make it possible to offer the Israeli public the best customer experience in the IT industry."
Operated by Unitech, the online sales service will be based on the provision of access to Dell’s enterprise Intranet offering customers comprehensive information on Dell’s products, online support, customized marketing activities, and on-demand computer system configuration, which the customer may order directly online.
All of Dell’s Israeli operations - online and non-online - will be managed by Ra’anan Biber, founder of IntraTech, which provided management and marketing computerizing services, and marketed Compaq computers.
The company said it would start selling in Israel online trading system Premier Pages. The system offers customers secure access to a range of services, such as approved product configurations and prices, order and inventory follow-up through individual customer reports, ‘road maps’ of Dell products, and details concerning contacts with support representatives and customer account management. Up to now, 27,000 Premier Pages systems have been installed throughout the world.
Set up by Michael Dell in 1984, the company has always engaged in direct computer marketing. It currently employs 26,000 staff, and its annual revenues amount to $21.7 billion. Dell was one of the first companies throughout the world to have embarked on computer marketing over the Internet. The volume of deals on its central site is $30 million a day, which translates into annual sales of $11 billion, or 40% of the company’s revenues.
Published by Israel's Business Arena September 14, 1999