Dell’s $3.9 billion acquisition of Perot Systems gives the company a better foothold in the IT services market. Dell had been talking about diversifying away from its core PC and server businesses for months, but the Perot purchase is the first move that illustrates the company is serious about its transformation.
CEO Michael Dell said on a conference call the Perot purchase is a platform that the company can use to acquire more companies. Dell specifically said it will look for more deals similar to the EqualLogic purchase. Dell also said that Dell and Perot would be able to grow faster combined. “We will leverage Perot’s services capability across Dell’s customer base,” said Dell. “This acquisition makes great sense.”
Perot is one of the largest IT services providers to hospitals and physicians. President Obama has made healthcare IT a big focus to slow the rate of increasing costs.
Ross Perot Jr., Chairman of the Board, Perot Systems says; “This transaction represents a great opportunity for our company and our associates. Today’s announcement is the next step in formalizing a relationship that has flourished for some time. When my father founded Perot Systems he envisioned a global information-technology leader. The new, larger Dell builds on that promise and its own successes by taking Perot Systems’ expertise to more customers than ever.”
The acquisition “definitely makes a statement,” says Gartner analyst Dane Anderson, and gives Dell new expertise in the healthcare and government markets. But the merger is not a guarantee of success. “Whether they suddenly become the next big competitor to IBM, Accenture, or HP EDS, that remains to be seen,” he says. Size-wise, Dell’s services organization still pales in comparison to some competitors. HP, having purchased EDS, does $40 billion in services revenue, Anderson says. IBM is even bigger with $57 billion in services revenue.
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