Michael Dell talks up power of private ownership at Dell World
Commitment to SMBs reaffirmed in light of EMC acquisition as well
![](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VeicXqRo87kPEAa9DsCuAi-320-80.jpg)
Michael Dell sounded a confident, somewhat defiant note today on his decision two years ago to take his company private, claiming it enables the business to take a more long-term, future-facing strategy then when it was a public business.
Dell famously wrested back control of his business, with the aid of Silverlake Partners, in 2013 after an attempt by activist investor Carl Icahn and allies to oust him.
According to Dell, the acquisition of EMC was largely enabled by the fact that Dell is now a private company.
After taking his firm off the stock market, Michael Dell said he "kept being asked if we would still do acquisitions. Well, go big or go home, baby!"
Dell added that, when the company was taken private, he described it as "the world's biggest start-up".
"When we take EMC private, wow - who knew how big a startup could be," he joked at Dell World 2015 in Austin, Texas.
From micro to mega
Get the ITPro. daily newsletter
Receive our latest news, industry updates, featured resources and more. Sign up today to receive our FREE report on AI cyber crime & security - newly updated for 2024.
One of the main benefits of uniting Dell and EMC is that the combined company will cover businesses of all sizes, from the smallest SMB to the largest enterprise, added the CEO.
"EMC has an unmatched reputation with large enterprises. At Dell, we have unmatched strength in small and mid-market," he said.
Indeed, Michael Dell was at pains to say that the acquisition of EMC won't make Dell an enterprise-only focused company.
"We love small and mid-sized businesses," he said. "It's the fastest growing part of the [US] market, and we see the same trend across the world."
Jane McCallion is ITPro's Managing Editor, specializing in data centers and enterprise IT infrastructure. Before becoming Managing Editor, she held the role of Deputy Editor and, prior to that, Features Editor, managing a pool of freelance and internal writers, while continuing to specialize in enterprise IT infrastructure, and business strategy.
Prior to joining ITPro, Jane was a freelance business journalist writing as both Jane McCallion and Jane Bordenave for titles such as European CEO, World Finance, and Business Excellence Magazine.
Most Popular
Resources
Get the ITPro. daily newsletter
Receive our latest news, industry updates, featured resources and more. Sign up today to receive our FREE report on AI cyber crime & security - newly updated for 2024.