Dells dropping two more smartphones from its lineup, throwing in the

towel on the Venue and Venue Pro. The hardware maker

announced that they will be discontinuing the production in the US,
stating mobile products have a shorter lifespan compared to desktops
and laptops, where they will be refocusing their efforts.

Its not the first mobile product that Dells discontinued. Last year they
shut down two tablets: the Streak 5 and Streak 7. Dells mobile devices
arent really hitting it off in the US market, but theyre not out of the game
yet. Earlier this year they revealed the possibility of their first
commercial tablet, expected to be Windows 8-based, later this year.

So what pushed a computer maker to venture into the mobile market?

Read on to find out.

What started it all

In 2002, Dell entered the personal digital assistant (PDA) market with the
Axim X5. PDAs are handheld computers, much like the smartphones we
have these days. They are often carried by businessmen to help them
keep track of their meetings and other important business matters. The
Axim X51, which was released in 2005, has a partially functional port for
Googles Android platform.

Fast track to 2010, Dell released their

first ever smartphone, the Dell Aero, which debuted as the lightest
Android smartphone, in August. Unfortunately, because of its unintuitive
user interface, sluggish performance, limited capabilities and
functionality, it wasnt embraced by consumers. Some of those who did
buy the device were extremely disappointed.

After a few months, Dell released the Windows-based Dell Venue Pro in
November, and the Android-based Dell Venue in December.

The Dell Venue Pro, codenamed Lightning, launched at T-Mobile, AT&T

and Cincinnati Bell Wireless. It is a Windows Phone 7-based
smartphone which features Corning Gorilla Glass and an AMOLED
capacitive touchscreen, has multitouch, 8/16 GB storage which can be
upgraded to up to 32GB with a microSD, 512 MB RAM, 1 GB ROM,
HSDPA 7.2 Mbps, Wi-Fi, 5MP camera with LED flash, Qualcomm
QSD8250 Snapdragon, and more.

The issues with the Venue Pro started when customers who ordered the
device didnt get them on time, added to Dells rude customer service
reps, device issues with Wi-Fi, and the RAM was reportedly lower than
advertised.

The Dell Venue, codenamed Thunder, launched at AT&T and T-Mobile in

the US and KT in South Korea. Because of the delay in shipments for
the Dell Venue Pro, the Dell Venue was the second Dell smartphone
released in the US. It featured Corning Gorilla Glass, Dells Stage UI, an
AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 512 MB RAM, 1 GB ROM, and can be
expanded to up to 32GB with microSD, HSDPA 7.2 Mbps, Wi-Fi, 8MP
camera with LED flash, Qualcomm QSD8250 Snapdragon, runs on
Android 2.2 a.k.a. Froyo, and more.

In the same year, Dell also launched cheaper Android phones in India,
the Dell XCD28 and the Dell XCD35. Both devices run on Android 2.1
Eclair, 3G HSDPA connectivity. The Dell XCD28 has a 2.8 inch resistive
touchscreen display and a 3.2 MP camera while the Dell XCD35 has a
3.5 inch capacitive touchscreen display.

So whats wrong with Dell smartphones?

If you look at the specifications of Dell smartphones, theyre not too
shabby, but the reviews on their devices makes their devices seem like
smartphones from hell. But was it because of the operating system?

Dell gave the market an Android and a Windows-based smartphone line,

both didnt do well with either. But most of Dells products were Android-
based, so maybe people were just tired of seeing another Android
smartphone. And with competitive pricing in the Android market, theres
plenty of alternatives to the Venue and Venue Pro.

So maybe if they focused on making Windows-based phones, they could

get a better crack at the mobile market. And as Ive mentioned earlier in
the article, theres a possibility that Dell will be releasing a Windows 8
tablet, and though they havent said anything about a smartphone, we
cant take that off their plate all together.

Dells Mobile Strategy Doing

Things No One Else Can
Theres been a lot of buzz about commercial tablets and 2-in-1s during the past couple of weeks. We helped

generate a lot of it when we announced our agreement with Microsoft to sell and service Surface Pro tablets

through our global commercial sales and support organization. That news was followed the next day by Apples

introduction of the iPad Pro. Seemingly overnight, the industry became awash in articles debating which type of

mobility solution companies should consider during their next product refresh cycle.
Yes, shiny new devices generate plenty of excitement. Smaller, faster and sleek design is something were

certainly proud to offer at Dell as well (Ill discuss more on that below), but as any CIO or IT administrator will tell

you, theres so much more to consider than just aesthetics, display size or battery life when selecting mobile

devices for commercial use.

Our commercial mobility strategy is rooted in customer-driven innovation - our experience as the industrys only

end-to-end solutions provider and by working daily with our customers to clearly understand and meet their needs.

The core of this strategy revolves around five key areas of differentiation that set us apart from our competition in

the enterprise mobility space:

1. One-stop Solution The addition of Surface Pro tablets to our portfolio merges the worlds No.1 and No.2

commercial tablet suppliers (source: IDC) under one roof. Dell now offers the worlds most comprehensive

selection of Windows-based tablets and 2-in-1s providing customers with a single source for meeting their

mobile hardware, deployment and support needs globally. Only Dell can do this!

2. Global Support Dell ProSupport Plus for PCs and Tablets, enabled by

our SupportAssist technology,is unmatched in the industry. In fact, our customers have made this the

fastest growing service in Dell history. With the solution theyre spending up to 84 percent less time on

technical support calls and taking up to 58 percent fewer steps to resolve common hardware issues vs key

competitors, lessening the burden on IT professionals by significantly reducing day-to-day administrative

tasks.
 3. Security Dell delivers the worlds most secure commercial products and our end-to-end client security

solutions are designed to meet the stringent security needs of commercial customers. Keep in mind that

many of our competitors recently announced alliances and commercial offerings are still untested. Your

networks security isnt something you want offered up as an experiment.

4. Manageability Whether customers choose to deploy 10 or 10,000 new mobile products, each of the

devices need to fit seamlessly within the existing infrastructure. Dells KACE architecture platform helps

ensure smooth integration through benefits such as desktop virtualization, user state migration,

compliance and reporting, user environment management, and vulnerability scanning.

5. Windows 10 Most of todays commercial applications are designed for Windows-based platforms and just

about every organization has several legacy apps they need to continue using in the future as well. At

Dell, were experts in managed transitions, helping all our customers make a smooth transition

to Windows 10, through our innovative Support solutions and through our team of highly experienced PC

deployment project managers and a unique, cloud-based deployment tracking system that has helped

deploy more than a million PCs every year for Dell customers around the globe. Weve been working with

Microsoft on the development of Windows 10 for the past couple of years, and we will be at the helm of

accelerating Windows 10 into the commercial space so customers can leverage the great new capabilities

such as Universal Apps, the new Edge browser and Continuum.

Its Not a One-Size-Fits-All World

Now, lets address devices. First and foremost, theres no such thing as a single device that can meet the diverse

computing needs of every employee in a medium to large organization. When you factor in the wide variety of job

functions, software applications, 24/7/365 uptime requirements, shrinking budgets and individual preferences, the

vast majority of companies will continue to be multi-device environments, and that isnt changing anytime soon.

With that in mind, weve structured our mobile computing portfolio based on two distinct customer needs.

Mobile Productivity: These devices are used by highly mobile workers who need tablets or 2-in-1s that deliver

levels of productivity offered by traditional laptops (and by the way, theres still plenty of demand for those).

These devices have the processing power and screen size to handle more demanding software applications and

accomplish intensive work. For Dell, these devices include the Venue 11 Pro, Latitude 2-in-1 and now the Surface

Pro. And watch this space, because soon we will be introducing the next generation of the popular Venue 11 Pro

and other 2-in-1s that will take mobile productivity capabilities to a whole new level.

Application-Driven Tablets: These are purpose-built devices designed to meet specific customer use cases. We

have customers in several vertical industries such as education, healthcare and retail who are using Dell Venue
tablets to run purpose-built software applications for things such as point-of-sale payment tablets, plug-and-play

consoles, vendor inventory tracking, coupon kiosks and digital signage.

Introducing More Choice: Dell Introduces Venue 8 Pro and Venue 10 Pro Tablets

Dells focus on continued innovation in this space is enhanced with two new professional-grade tablets we will be

making available in mid-November: the Venue 8 Pro 5000 Series and the Venue 10 Pro 5000 Series - both designed

to further expand the capabilities offered for organizations in the healthcare, retail/hospitality, education and

manufacturing spaces. Each deliver:

Best-in-class security with the Dell Data Protection suite that encompasses comprehensive encryption,

advanced authentication and leading-edge malware prevention.

Speed, reliability and fanless design, built on Intel AtomTM Quad Core processors.

Advanced manageability through automated and streamlined system deployment, monitoring and

updating, Dell Configuration Services and product lifecycle planning.

Outstanding reliability with MIL-STD testing for real-life conditions, backed by the industrys leading

support and coverage with Dell ProSupport Plus.

Unmatched Dell expertise as the Microsoft Partner of the Year, ranking No.1 in Windows deployment; built

on the foundation of Windows 10.

Active pen featuring Wacom technology for a true writing experience with accuracy and natural feel.

2x2 Wi-Fi, LTE and optional NFC so workers can stay connected.

Accessories and imaging for specialized verticals.

Venue 8 Pro 5000 Series Tablet

With a thin and light hand-held design, weighing in at under one pound, the Venue 8 Pro was created for

companies that require specialized applications and on-the-go productivity. Some key Venue 8 Pro features

include:

Handheld design for use on-the-go

8-inch HD (1280x800) & FHD (1920x1200) touch display

Optional NFC support for additional security

USB Type C docking (coming in 2016) so users only need one cable for power, data, video and a desktop

experience
 2x2 AC WLAN and optional WWAN

Starting at $299 in North America

Venue 10 Pro 5000 Series Tablet

With an innovative 2-in-1 keyboard, the thin and light Venue 10 Pro is ideal for workers who need a balance

between mobility and intensive productivity. The Venue 10 Pro offers:

2-in-1 keyboard that delivers an exceptional Continuum experience for a seamless transition between

tablet and desktop modes

10.1-inch FHD (1920x1200) touch display

 High quality dual speakers and microphones for easy and reliable interaction with the Cortana personal

virtual assistant

Multiple ports, including USB Type C, USB Type A, microHDMI, headset jack, microSD card reader and

noble lock slot (on tablet)

2x2 AC WLAN and optional WWAN and NFC

Starting at $429 in North America

And remember, mobility is about great devices that are bundled with the software, service and partnerships

together that help customers solve their biggest business issues. At Dell were committed to providing greater

value to our commercial customers through more effective and symbiotic solutions. By providing the industrys

most comprehensive selection of tablets and 2-in-1s, coupled with our world-class end-to-end services and support

that many businesses require, we think weve assembled a truly unique offering that our customers can leverage

to truly maximize the productivity of their mobile teams.