Revival of Desktop Attraction: The Dell Way

The PC industry has come a long way from the traditional tower desktops, Micro PCs, All-in-Ones to the recent Ultra Small Form Factor (USFF) and Zero Footprint desktops. Desktops have seen innovation that suits the evolving needs of users. In an exclusive conversation with between, Vivekanand Manjeri, Brand Director, Client Solutions Group, Dell Technologies and Faiz Askari, Founder of SMEStreet, a detailed insightful analysis of the desktop market are highlighted.

Here are edited excerpts: 

Faiz Askari: What’s the relevance of a desktop today?

Vivekanand Manjeri: At Dell, we have segmented workforce under five broad personas and offer PC technology and solutions based on the specific requirements of these profiles. These are desktop-centric worker, corridor worker, mobile worker, field worker and creative worker. The changing form factors and modularity is what makes desktops most relevant to users of today be it to consumers or enterprise users. The demand for desktop has stayed consistent for sectors such as BFSI, BPO, R&D, government, education to name a few. There are various factors make desktop the best choice for these industries and their employees - data security, space-saving designs, improved efficiency and larger displays, upgradability, parallel processing and multiple display support. Dell is upbeat about the desktop segment and will continue to innovate and offer versatile form factors and offerings. Indian organizations opt for different form factors of desktop PCs based on end-user profiles and specific workloads. 

Faiz Askari: How has the form factor of a desktop evolved over the past decades? 

Vivekanand Manjeri: The PC industry has come a long way from the traditional tower desktops, Micro PCs, All-in-Ones to the recent Ultra Small Form Factor (USFF) and Zero Footprint desktops. Desktops have seen innovation that suits the evolving needs of users. The latest innovation in desktops is the zero footprint design that Dell launched late last year. We understand that space-saving designs and modularity are two important factors for the desktop users of today. Dell introduced OptiPlex Ultra 7070, the Zero footprint and Ultra-Form factor desktop, a result of purposeful innovation that we drive for customers. With Optiplex 7070 Ultra, we have set a new benchmark in the enterprise desktop segment by launching the world’s most compatible, fully modular zero footprint and clutter-free desktop solution.

Faiz Askari: What trends do you witness in the up-coming years in the desktop segment, and the enterprise division?

Vivekanand Manjeri: According to IDC forecasts, globally and in India, the small and ultra-small form factors are the fastest-growing segment of commercial desktops, as they offer an ideal solution to maximizing desk space without compromising on power. The Micro PC chassis comes at a volume of 1.2L, while the Ultra PC without stand has a dimension of 27.74 * 96.1 * 256.2 (h x w x d) mm. We are witnessing IT, ITES and large enterprise, adopting the newer form factors.

Faiz Askari: How important are aesthetics today considering the gradual increase for more premium looking devices?

VM: Earlier in 2017, Dell published a whitepaper -‘The Rise of the Micro PC. A Custom Technology Adoption Profile’ which pointed out that customers demand PCs that are space-saving and aesthetically pleasing, but they don't want to compromise on upgradeability. The demand is primarily driven by changing needs of enterprises and customers. It is essential to design desktops that are aesthetically pleasing, yet offers a power-packed performance to help users achieve optimum productivity in a clutter-free work environment.

FA: Saving space and having a clutter-free desk is a pre-requisite now. Have desktops been successful to achieve that feat? 

VM: Desktops have surely come a long way from the traditional desktops to more innovative form factors that cater to the versatile needs of today’s users. The OptiPlex 7070 Ultra has a clutter-free design and it can charge both the compute module and the display with just a single cable, and ultimately reducing the number of wires. It also offers users the freedom to easily swap out, upgrade or service any part at any time. There is a surge in demand for PCs that are space-saving and aesthetically pleasing without compromising on their functionality.

OptiPlex 7070 Ultra design: 

• https://www.dell.com/en-in/work/shop/desktops/new-7070-ultra/spd/optiplex-7070-ultra
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4pjymJ3aVg

FA: How has Dell differentiated itself from its competitors in terms of AIOs and Ultra Small Form Factors?

VM: The Optiplex 7070 is a new mainstream desktop that has applicability beyond AIOs. We have been studying the modular AIO’s and smaller PC concepts for many years and are now at a time where the customer requirements and available technology have aligned to enable a completely new class of PC. Designing Optiplex 7070 Ultra, a desktop that literally “hides the PC in plain sight” is what sets Dell truly apart from the competitors.