Play The Guessing Game: Will EMC Be Acquired, Merge, Or Go It Alone?

The Alternatives: Sale To Or Merge With Dell

Dell was also in talks to acquire or merge with EMC, according to reports. Dell CEO Michael Dell this week told CNBC that his company is interested in potential storage acquisitions without specifically naming EMC. However, unlike HP, Dell may have been harder-pressed to come up with the necessary funding given Dell's relative size and the fact that it only last year went through an expensive process to turn itself into a private company.

Dell used to be EMC's biggest reseller partner, but that relationship ended starting when Dell in 2008 acquired EqualLogic. That acquisition, along with other acquisitions including Compellent and Quest Software, have already made Dell a major storage power in its own right, with plenty of overlap between its and EMC's business.