A tech news columnist recently wrote about the most secretive division at Dell (News - Alert), and it is through that division where he believes lies the future of personal and shared public computing.
Rob Enderle's latest blog post at TechNewsWorld says he recently had the chance to speak to the Dell original equipment manufacturer division -- what he calls the "most secretive group inside Dell." He compares it to the Q Division that resides inside the James Bond films, and he expands on that metaphor by suggesting that Dell OEM (News - Alert) has the opportunity to shape the future of computing with products that reach out to individuals' needs in their homes and in public places as well as public needs regarding medical issues such as Ebola.
Enderle describes the Dell OEM division as having the responsibility of sitting down with businesses that require specialized computers that will fit their unique needs. Groups that deal with the analysis of strains of Ebola, for instance, do not need the same workstation as an individual might use for typing documents in his home. Instead, it will need computational abilities that specifically target that analysis, and Dell OEM figures out what such groups need and then provides it for them. Organizations get the security and reliability of working with a global manufacturer, and Dell gets to focus on developing niche products that can support individual and public good.
The current Ebola outbreak is an ongoing example in the blog post. Enderle continues by providing details about medical checkup stations that are available in Europe. They reportedly work similarly to pay toilets that are also present in the continent. Users simply pay a fee to get inside, and the medical units examine people while they are in there and then sanitize themselves following examinations. Units such as those likely require computing needs such as those described above: ones that are highly specific.
The reach of Dell OEM could lead into wearable devices and could further take advantage of 3D printers. While Dell could continue to manufacture products itself, users with 3D printers could simply purchase designs from Dell and print modules themselves for use in their own tech devices.
If Dell OEM continues to operate in a fashion that Enderle suggests, it will certainly need a shipping department capable of tackling global deployments -- such as transporting medical scanning equipment to doctors in areas of the world with high rates of Ebola. TMC previously noted that UNICOM (News - Alert) has expanded the reach of its inventory management by upgrading the processes it uses to access its 25 stocking locations across the globe. Overall, it offers customers access to support services to more than 700 stocking locations through its work with global partners, and it can act on behalf of its clients as an importer of record and exporter of record to ease the pain of navigating complex shipping regulations. Furthermore, it has upgraded its Return Materials Authorization to simplify customer returns and manage customers’ concerns from a centralized location.
Support services such as those are essential to manufacturers such as Dell, and if Dell continues to extend its operations with specialized hardware and software, it may need to rely on that support even more to reach the level of influence of which Enderle dreams.
Edited by Rory J. Thompson