Dell Deal With EMC Speaks to Changing PC Business

Dell Deal With EMC Speaks to Changing PC Business

Dell will buy the storage provider EMC in a deal worth about $67 billion, the companies said on Monday. It will be one of the largest takeovers in the history of the technology industry. Andas Nick Wingfield noted last week, the deal is the most recent sign of the continuing evolution of the PC industry.

For Dell, the deal could accelerate the company’s long-running effort to diversify its business. Other companies are taking different approaches. Hewlett-Packard, for example, is splitting in two. And the real giant of the PC industry — Microsoft — has a new plan of its own: building computers.

This shake-up is largely the result of a shrinking business in PC sales. Sales have been down for 14 consecutive quarters. Many doubts remain about whether any of the companies’ strategies will help propel them into the future. But the companies are definitely betting big.