CRN Exclusive: Michael Dell On Software-Defined Upstaging Public Cloud, 'Increasingly Integrating' Dell's Full Portfolio, And Channel Sales Momentum

Michael Dell On The Record

Dell Technologies founder and CEO Michael Dell said software-defined data centers are changing the way organizations view the economics of buying on-premises solutions versus going to the public cloud.

"What we have seen when you automate and modernize the infrastructure, software-define everything, and move up to the platform level is that for the predictable workloads – which are for most companies 85 percent to 90 percent of their workloads – an on-premise solution is much more cost-effective," said Dell in an interview with CRN.

The $80 billion Round Rock, Texas-based infrastructure behemoth is on a revenue tear, recently reporting sales of nearly $22 billion for its fourth fiscal quarter, up 9 percent year over year, while deferred revenue hit $22.2 billion, an increase of $3.6 billion. Dell talked to CRN about the rise of software-defined data centers, Dell's sales charge this year, and further integrating the full Dell Technologies portfolio.