The company's Web received 25 million visits at more than
50 country-specific sites last quarter. Timeline: 1984 Michael Dell founds Dell
Computer Corporation 1985 Company introduces the first PC of its own design: the
Turbo, featuring Intel® 8088 processor running at eight megahertz 1987 Dell is
first PC company to offer next-day, on-site product service International
expansion begins with opening of subsidiary in United Kingdom 1988 To better
meet unique customer needs, Dell begins to organize business around distinct
customer segments Dell conducts initial public offering of company stock, 3.5
million shares at $8.50 each 1990 Manufacturing center in Limerick, Ireland,
opened to serve European, Middle Eastern and African markets 1991 Company
introduces its first notebook PC 1992 Dell included for first time among Fortune
500 roster of world's largest companies 1993 Dell joins ranks of the top-five PC
makers worldwide Subsidiaries in Australia and Japan are company's first entries
into Asia-Pacific region 1995 Original $8.50 shares of Dell stock worth $100 on presplit basis 1996 Asia-Pacific manufacturing center in Penang, Malaysia,
opened Customers begin buying Dell computers via Internet at www.dell.com Dell
begins major push into network-server market Company added to Standard & Poor's
500 stock index 1997 Company sales via Internet reach $1 million per day Dell
ships its 10-millionth computer system Per-share value of common stock reaches
$1,000 on presplit basis Dell introduces its first workstation systems 1998
Company expands manufacturing facilities in the Americas and Europe, and opens
production and customer center in Xiamen, China Dell introduces PowerVault
storage products 1999 Dell opens www.gigabuys.com, an online computer-related
superstore Sales via Internet exceed $18 million per day Industry Outlook.
While
the personal-computing market has expanded dramatically since the 1970s, Dell
believes that the industry's best days and its own are yet to come, for two
broad reasons. First, the stream of software and hardware innovation from
companies such as Microsoft Corp. and Intel Corp. is rapid and robust, and is
sharply increasing system performance and reducing the relative cost of
computing. For example, in February 1982, Intel introduced its 286 chip, which
was capable of processing 2.66 million instructions per second, or MIPS, at a
clock speed of 12 million cycles per second, or megahertz. Today's Intel Pentium
II processors are capable of considerably more than 600 MIPS at 450 megahertz,
and the sharp upward development trend is expected to continue. Second, while
computer performance is going up, the relative cost of computing computer prices
per MIPS has steadily declined, encouraging new computer users and more rapid PC
replacement. Customers, in turn, are using those savings to buy even more
powerful, more richly configured systems. As processor transitions and expected
cost reductions continue, many industry analysts foresee worldwide industry
volume growth at a compound annual rate of 15 to 20 percent annually over the
next three years. Meanwhile, the Internet is becoming more integrated into daily
life: businesses rely on the Internet for commerce and real-time information
exchange; customers go online to shop, bank and conduct personal correspondence;
and students from grade schools through college use the Internet as an
educational tool. From servers that power the Internet connection, to desktops
and notebooks that efficiently and effectively provide the interface, to
workstations used to develop digital content, the ability to provide products
and services that enable Internet access and enhance the online experience will
be vital for companies in the computer systems industry.
