Dell completes acquisition of Compellent Technologies

Dell (NASDAQ: Dell) today completed its acquisition of Compellent Technologies, (NYSE: CML), a rapidly-growing provider of highly-virtualised storage solutions with automated data management features, including tiering and thin provisioning, for enterprise and cloud computing environments.

Compellent shareholders approved the acquisition at a special shareholder meeting today.

Compellent Fluid Data technology combines a powerful data movement engine, intelligent software and modular hardware that can help cut costs up to 80%.

The Fluid Data architecture provides block-level intelligence to automatically place data on the right storage tier to optimise performance and maximise cost savings.

Compellent's open, future-ready design integrates seamlessly with applications and infrastructure, enabling customers to scale on a single platform and add capabilities without forklift upgrades. In addition, the Compellent SAN is backed by Copilot Support, which goes beyond traditional support offerings by identifying and resolving problems, often before they happen.

Dell plans to leverage Compellent's channel offerings to create the leading storage program in the industry, through its partners and new initiatives. Dell will combine the best of both companies' channel deal registration programs, extend this new deal registration program to all partners, and introduce a program in which partners can grow and nurture a customer relationship once they have sold a Dell storage solution.

Dell also announced a dramatically expanded Dell Storage Forum 2011, which will now include Compellent solutions and channel partners. Previously known as the EqualLogic User Conference and Compellent C-Drive, the combined conference will offer keynotes and training on the Dell storage portfolio and will include a channel partner-specific track to provide partners with information and resources needed to quickly add new Dell storage solutions to their portfolio.

Quotes:

Brad Anderson, senior vice-president, Dell Enterprise Product Group: “Compellent complements our storage portfolio by providing next-generation storage solutions and proactive support that help enterprise customers optimise and automate the management and protection of their data. Dell continues to invest in areas that help customers efficiently manage their massive data growth and provide the leading enterprise solutions for the virtual era.”

Phil Soran, president, Dell Compellent: “Compellent and Dell share the vision of helping enterprise and cloud customers optimise their storage investments. Compellent's Fluid Data architecture helps deliver the vision by allowing customers to keep the right data on the right storage at the right costs. Our team is committed to helping Dell transform the data centre with open, capable, and affordable solutions that allow customers to do more with their IT dollars.”

Andre Moller, Ingran Africa, a leading Compellent systems integrator: “Over the years, Ingran has successfully integrated Compellent Storage Systems into the South African market. Customers have embraced the rich system features to enhance efficiency, agility and resiliency in their enterprise. Our engineers have demonstrated the core values of Compellent as it has been integrated into various organisations. As a partner we're excited about the accusation and what it brings to the South African and African market. Through Dell's acquisition of Compellent, even greater emphasis and growth is brought to our local market.

* First and foremost, our world-class customer experience will not change. We recognise that for many of you, Copilot is your favourite Compellent feature and you can continue to count on that personalised level of service excellence you have come to know and love from our great Copilot team.
* Dell is committed to adding more resources to support you and more resources to keep improving our product.
* Together with Dell, we can accelerate new innovations and new integration, and scale deeper into the data centre to help you turn IT from a cost centre to a flexible business productivity centre.
* We have joined forces to launch a combined storage conference to help you get the most from your product investment. Our first ever Dell Storage Forum will take place from 5-11 June 2011 in Orlando, Florida. We will also be expanding this conference to Europe and Asia throughout the year - stay tuned for updates.

* Our Compellent C-Drive 2011 Customer Conference that was scheduled for May in St Paul, Minnesota, will be moved to Florida and fluidly rolled into the Dell Storage Forum at the Disney Hilton Resort.

Additional information:

* Supporting commentary customers and channel partners.
* Executive and technical analysis on Direct2Dell and TechCenter Blogs.
* Customer and reseller blogs on Compellent Around the Block Blog.
* Dell Storage Forum 2011
* Product information on Dell storage and Compellent.
* Reseller information on Dell PartnerDirect.