Opinion

EMC/Dell, what happens next?

The EMC/Dell relationship appears to be unravelling at a rate of knots. EMC CEO Joe Tucci didn't mince his words a couple of days ago when he told analysts the company's relationship with Dell had moved from "strategic to tactical", adding "it's now mainly competitive".

It's in the nature of these types of relationships to end at some point and the Dell/EMC alliance has lasted almost ten years, quite a bit longer than both parties probably anticipated.

But as with all marriages, the end, when it comes (acrimonious or amicable), still leaves the question of 'what to do with the children?', in this instance the thousands of joint customers of the two companies. Talks are underway to try and find common ground. Will it be messy or quick and painless.

Unlike children in real divorces, customers have an option to move on if they don't like the post-separation reality and there are bound to be rival vendors only too happy to offer an alternative. Opportunities may also emerge for the channel, either as partners of those rival vendors or as existing EMC resellers seeking to dislodge Dell from storage customers.

Perhaps it will get messy after all.

This was first published in January 2011

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